#character summary

[bonefall]

BB!Nightcloud

Nightcloud Woobification Army ASSEMBLE.

There's actually very little canon information on Nightcloud outside of how her ex-mate deflects blame onto her, which she is notoriously demonized for. So for Better Bones, I've cooked up a backstory from scratch! I feel this character deserves to exist outside of her romantic relationship, y'know?

Make sure to check the BB!WindClan Family Tree if you recognize any of the repurposed Missing Kits!

Clanmew Name: Oogarhai (The period of time where the sun has set + fat cloud) Official nickname: Nico (NIghtClOud), Oogi (OOGarhaI)

Alignment: WindClan

Relationships: Ex-mate - Crowfeather Child - Breezepelt Family (all deceased) - Hillrunner (Mi), Downwind (aunt, bio-mother), Tawnyfur (sister), Crowfur (grandparent) Mentor - Addersong

Nightcloud is a controversial warrior of WindClan, and also among its largest, strongest cats. She continuously finds herself tangled up in nearly every massive conflict since the day they arrived at the lake, with only some of these events being things she ever had a choice to be involved in.

Though she yearns for a more peaceful life, her violent, stressful childhood following the WindClan Massacre carved deep distrust of outsiders into her bones. It lead her to the lowest point in her life, fighting for Mudclaw during the WindClan Civil War. The following years of distrust, Crowfeather's mistreatment, and the abuse towards her son, Breezepelt, made much of Nightcloud's life lonely and stressful.

In spite of that, she absolutely adores her son and stands by his side no matter what. After the secret that Crowfeather sired kits with a ThunderClan Cleric is revealed and he is banished for a few moons for dramatic, codebreaking behavior at the reveal, a "spell" that he cast over WindClan begins to lift. In his absence, Nightcloud is able to truly begin fixing her reputation.

Though Breezepelt still has a way to fall as a new POV in BB!AVoS, where his treatment as a Dark Forest trainee drives him to join Darktail's cult, Nightcloud's life begins to turn around after her mateship with Crowfeather crumbles. After participating in a secret plan to rescue her boy and several Kin members under the command of her future leader and son-in-law, Harespring, she is solidified as one of the most powerful fighters in the entire Clan and occupies a lofty position as one of its most reliable brawlers.

She's also developing a friendship with Willowclaw about it, which is neat.

Glossary

Upbringing

WindClan Civil War

Mateship & Abuse

Breezepelt and BB!AVoS

Trivia and Misc

Upbringing

The Mothermouth Moorland War came to a cruel and bloody quietus at the claws of Brokenstar's ShadowClan, ending a three-generation long conflict with an event called the WindClan Massacre. Along with the rest of their Clan, a pair of twins was forced into exile; Downwind and Hillrunner.

They looked out for each other, and ferociously protected the tattered Clan while living in the Tangle of Thunderpaths. It was hard, but they had each other and that was enough.

After Bluestar's champion, Fireheart, fetched WindClan to bring them home, Downwind soon gave birth to her first litter. A pair of sisters; one of them practically a little copy of her mother... and the other one who looked hilariously nothing like anyone in their family. The twin girls were named Nightkit, and Tawnykit.

They'd barely settled in before Nightstar and Crookedstar turned on them, attacking to try and drive them out AGAIN. If it wasn't for Bluestar and her reinforcements, ThunderClan's charity, they might have succeeded.

But this time, Downwind refused to run. Hillrunner saw her twin, limp, red, and ragged outside the nursery. The kits were too young to remember her, or to understand the significance of their new Mi's anguished cries that night. They came so far together, only for Hillrunner to lose her other half in the place where things were supposed to get better.

NOTE: On adopting the kits, Hillrunner is then considered their "Mi," a primary parent in Clan culture. Her biological relation as the aunt is superseded.

Nightkit and Tawnykit only knew Hillrunner as their Mi. They only know that Downwind was identical to her-- except for a scar across Hiller's nose.

Hillrunner was notoriously short tempered, paranoid, and easily offended. She shouldn't have been raising kits alone, but what choice did she have?

She was CONVINCED that she'd failed Downwind that day, and that something could have been done to avoid the WindClan Massacre. So she was dedicated to making sure her own kits were better prepared.

They knew the whole territory by heart by their 6th moon, and even major abandoned tunnels below the moor

Most apprentices don't learn how to differentiate individual warriors out of scent marks until a moon or two into training. Night and Tawny knew it before they became 'paws.

Ever trying to ask a question, or tell Hillrunner that they didn't want to do something, was "backtalk;" argue too much and she would hit them with a punishment.

Punishments, "lessons," were usually strenuous physical tasks, like doing laps, moving large objects, or being made to carry a stone in the mouth for hours.

The sort of thing, in hindsight, was probably meant to be a sort of "cover"... the Clan thought the 'Lessons' were harsh but 'understandable'. No one would step in.

If Hillrunner was angry though, she would also just straightup smack them. She was less creative when she was in a mood.

As an adult, Nightcloud will tell you how messed up it used to be... but sometimes she preferred when Hillrunner was moody. If she got hit, the creative "lesson" wouldn't be applied to Tawnykit too.

Because Nightkit got in trouble more often than Tawnykit, there was a sort of sour resentment between them, mixed in with the unbreakable sense of solidarity.

Tawnykit: "You got US in trouble. But no one else in the world knows what we're going through. I love you. I'm going to take this out on you when we're alone. I can't believe you did this to me, I can't believe our Mi did this to us. Can't you try harder?? We did nothing wrong. Why am I paying for YOUR mistakes?"

Hillrunner says she, "Just wants you to be safe. ShadowClan won't hit you with their claws sheathed! This is what real life is like! If you'd just LISTEN to me you'd know this is for your own good!"

The little family was "close," in the way that mice tied together at the tail are close, even as they desperately pull at the knot and gnaw at each other's flesh.

Hillrunner convinced them the world was terrifying, that they couldn't entirely rely on their clanmates, and the most important thing in life is Gan, blood-family.

"The ONLY ones who will turn out for you, who you can rely on, who will be there until the end, is your family. The only way you'll lose us is if you're not strong enough, and I'll make you strong. I promised. You'll see!"

When she finally became Nightpaw, Hillrunner continued to try and have control over her... but the new mentor, Addersong, would not be bullied. And he would not let his apprentice get pushed around either.

He taught Nightpaw that now that she was an apprentice, she was free to make her own choices.

If she needed him around when she confronted Hillrunner, he would be there.

And if she needed to be the one to do that alone, he would support that too.

But on one condition; he would never tolerate someone speaking down to his apprentice in front of him. THAT is a matter of his pride. Capiche?

That was a term she could handle.

She had always known that she didn't want to be like Hillrunner, and that one day she'd be free of all the torment she was put through, but Addersong was the one who showed her the way out. Protected her when others didn't.

It gave her a sense of newfound confidence, and freedom. Like maybe the world WASN'T so terrible after all. And maybe... there's people out here who are kinder and more loving than she was ever allowed to believe.

And then, Hillrunner died in a TigerClan attack

And she began to wonder if it was HER fault when Tawnyfur fell to BloodClan

And suddenly Addersong's lessons felt far away. And maybe that was a good thing.

Hillrunner tried to teach her that family, KIN, was the most important thing in the world, and Nightcloud began to reject that. And now they are all dead.

She didn't appreciate them enough while they were alive. And now they are gone.

So... she pushed Addersong away. He figured she needed space to mourn.

WindClan Civil War

While Addersong was composing Tiger's In A Heap with his buddies and others were baking Tiger-shaped tunnelbuddies to welcome relations with BloodClan, Nightcloud was joining the group that was critical of the decision.

Especially when Snapper and Leo-- sorry. They call themselves Snappaw and Brushpaw. When those two joined the Clan. Ex-BloodClan traders. Not to mention Pigeonflight's... charge, also acquired from BloodClan

Nightcloud felt like she was the only one who remembered that they fought BloodClan. That Clan cats died in that battle.

Until she found others, echoing the same feelings she did, and more.

Mudclaw was the most legitimate member of the group, organizing this group of cats with "concerns."

Those "concerns" started having weight when things began to sour in the Moor. The poisoning, the Mothermouth's collapse and the death of Barkface and his apprentice, Blackfur... eventually a warrior, Runningbrook, was SHOT by a human as if she was a grouse.

Someone called the two apprentices "jinxes," pointing out the bad luck they'd brought to them, and it stuck.

But Tallstar did nothing. Didn't listen to the concerns, and insisted that Snapper and L-- Snappaw and Brushpaw, that they were part of the Clan now.

Eventually they were all forced out of their home, and sent on a journey following Crowfoot and the other Chosen cats to a new land. Tallstar just continued to look weaker and weaker.

All around Nightcloud (and the cats who would eventually become the Rebels), the Journey was uniting the Clans in a way that was never seen before. Apprentices were trying out ancient recipes that had been untouched for generations. Warriors from WindClan were helping to carry kits from ShadowClan.

It was terrifying. It felt WRONG. It filled her with a sense of deep dread and unease. No one was enforcing the boundaries that made the four groups into Clans.

When they arrived at the lake, what would HAPPEN there? Would there even BE a WindClan? Or would they just get lured into forming the new TigerClan?

Through all of this... Mudclaw seemed strong, and sure of what needed to happen next. He was certainly more of a leader than the feeble Tallstar, who had allowed the jinxes to follow along on the Great Journey.

So when Tallstar was allegedly on his deathbed, and mysteriously swapped his deputy to Onewhisker, Nightcloud was one of the very first to call foul play.

It felt like an awful betrayal, to know that Firestar, one of the FEW cats outside of WindClan that Hillrunner spoke fondly of, could be trying to pull the wool over their eyes.

But just LOOK at the other witness-- Brambleclaw. Son of Tigerstar. This was a PLOT, and Onewhisker should be ashamed of himself!

Mudclaw jumped at the opportunity Nightcloud presented.

But... the newly honored Crowfeather came forth too, to calm the tension.

"Brambleclaw is a LOT of things and untrustworthy isn't one of them," Yet, he put up a smokey-black paw when his friend's eyes lit up, "But a change in deputy? To Onewhisker, of all cats?"

Onewhisker: "no offense, right? ...right?"

"So if no one here is lying, then Tallstar's brain fell out on the way here and I'm not going on ANOTHER journey to look for it. Mudclaw is the rightful leader of WindClan."

His endorsement of Mudclaw sent the Clan reeling. His own mother, Ashfoot, came forth to argue against her son, and his aunt Morningflower pointed out that Mudclaw was his mentor.

OF COURSE the two jinxes also argued in favor of Onewhisker. Leo had even joined in the first place because he wanted to be with him.

The compromise that the Clans reached, at ThunderClan's treacherous suggestion, was that they would wait until StarClan could sort the matter out and confirm the rightful leader.

But of COURSE ThunderClan felt like they could wait for StarClan. THEY had two Clerics, Leafstripe and Cinderpelt.

In the meanwhile, the Clan started to split in two. Those who were backing the feeble Onewhisker, and those who were supporting the powerful, charismatic Mudclaw.

Nightcloud refused to allow her Clan to fall into the claws of ThunderClan's ambition. WindClan could not be allowed to be seen as WEAK. Weakness invites invasions. Invasion invites death.

Not everyone that joined Mudclaw's side of the rebellion believed that ThunderClan was lying. Crowfeather believed it was the truth. Mudclaw himself did as well, though he didn't discourage beliefs that benefited him.

Nightcloud absolutely did believe that ThunderClan lied. And that cats outside of the Clan can't be trusted.

...and then.

Mudclaw started working with non-WindClan cats, namely Hawkfrost. The rebels were joined by reinforcements, given quiet support and aid, handed the knowledge that they would have extra backup if things got violent.

At first, Nightcloud was one of the most vehemently opposed to them.

At first.

But... Hawkfrost has some good points about all of the Clans needing to be strong and independent.

And he's right, that; "ThunderClan's plotting won't stop with one Clan. Tigerstar came from ThunderClan, after all."

And, if things go wrong... they will need the extra claws. They couldn't fight against the remainers alone.

"Hold on, who says we'll be fighting anything?"

Wide, innocent blue eyes, "You can't believe that ThunderClan will just let the word of StarClan shine through, can you?"

He's... reasonable. He's right.

So, in the BLINK of an eye, she and Crowfeather were surrounded by Thistle Law supporters. OPEN ones.

And Mudclaw himself didn't seem to mind all that much.

For Nightcloud, it was too late to have doubts, especially when Hawkfrost's lie made such perfect sense. When the Moonpool was discovered by that THUNDERCLAN Cleric, Leafstripe, Honored by the new name Leafpool, that was the last push she needed to ride into battle with Mudclaw.

ThunderClan had to be stopped at ALL COSTS before they installed a fake, sniveling little mouse to do all of their bidding. If Onewhisker had to die to prevent it?

Then... so be it.

They created a plan. Onewhisker was organizing WindClan to carry out a Muirburn, a carefully controlled fire to return the territory to heathland.

They would sabotage it, and throw him into the same fire meant to cleanse their new home. It would be symbolic, practically religious in its righteousness.

But CROWFEATHER betrayed them. Bolted to his friends in ThunderClan, that daughter-of-Firestar and the Tigerkin liar.

During the battle, Nightcloud leapt on Leo and went for a ferocious bite to the back of the neck. She was ripped off by another warrior just in time, taking a chunk of his scruff with her.

It gave him a permanent, gnarly scar. A reminder to Nightcloud of how close she came to killing him, and how much she hated such a kindhearted tom.

The tide of battle turned as the ThunderClan reinforcements came behind Crowfeather. In that instant, it was as if StarClan had torn open the sky, and the heavens were bleeding rain upon the burning moor.

Nightcloud fled along with the other rebels, and bore witness to StarClan's smiting of the false idol.

With a clap of lightning, a tree from the Gathering Island toppled down, crushing Mudclaw beneath it.

She stopped running, staring in breathless awe. The rain washed away the mud and the ash that clung to her pelt, and for the first time in moons, she felt like her mind was clear.

It was like, for a brief moment, the song of fear and anger behind her eyes forgot the lyrics, leaving her with cold reality.

"What have I DONE?"

That sabotaged Muirburn was one of the most short-sighted, cruel, evil things she can imagine any cat taking part in... but at first, her regret was just in the amount of destruction it had caused, not in the ideology she'd fought to defend.

The heinous act had caused the peat below the moor to catch on fire, and WindClan was playing Whack-A-Mole with the various little blazes that kept popping up in the area; and THAT was what initially made her regret her role in the Civil War.

But... she had to work next to Snapstorm and Brushblaze, just like any other Clanmates. Pigeonflight's daughter had also come into her own, Cranberrysplash. And ThunderClan continued to send aid to help with the reckless disaster she'd been part of.

She still grappled with a strong, immediate distrust of strangers... but it was tempered by the sobering realization she had while watching Mudclaw die.

And the shame, knowing that she'd been taking out her grief of losing Tawnyfur and Hillrunner on all these innocent cats.

Onewhisker's lenience... was mercy. All along.

She tried to punish herself for ever criticizing her new leader for "weakness." WindClan needed all the paws it could get to fight the fires and continue to feed the Clan, and Onestar was the cat who understood that.

He showed unfathomable kindness and wisdom by giving her and the other rebels no punishment.

She vowed to atone for it. She would not waste her second chance.

Nightcloud had been so busy trying to make up for what she'd done, fighting fires, building dens, and carefully rotating hunts to manage the prey populations that she barely registered that she didn't see much of Crowfeather after the night of the Muirburn.

While WindClan was gossiping, she was largely left out of the loop for being distrusted at the time.

When he came back, they started spending a lot of time together.

Mateship & Abuse

She liked Crowfeather. They'd been in each other's orbit since the Civil War, and she admired his judgement at nearly every turn. Mudclaw seemed like a good choice for a lot of people, but Crowfeather had seen when his true colors started to show. He made a truly heroic choice at the end. So when he expressed interest in her, it felt like she was going to be his next good call.

Nightcloud had so, so much to prove.

In spite of his absence, Crowfeather was a hero to the Clan. The warrior blessed by StarClan to bring them to their new home, a land of a thousand more stars, he who betrayed the traitors.

And in spite of that. He had a loneliness. He requested a name to honor the cat of another Clan, a lover he had lost on his mission

He is loud, passionate, and yet there seemed to be a niche in his heart he wanted to fill.

So... she wanted to be his missing piece, in service of the great love that binds a Clan together. To help him.

To prove she could mean something to someone, and be trusted in turn by a Clan that, rightfully, looked at her with suspicion.

but she didn't LOVE him so much as she RESPECTED him.

and he never saw her as much more than an in-Clan replacement for Leafpool, especially while he was secretly reeling from her dumping him and cancelling their elopement plans.

It didn't really strike her that they were mutually using each other; Crowfeather to affirm his loyalty to the Clan, and Nightcloud to prove she could love and be loved.

And neither of them were even accomplishing that. But, there's a difference between them.

While Nightcloud was trying, GOD she was trying... Crowfeather quickly grew frustrated that she was a person, and not just the perfect image of the "true love" that Feathertail and Leafpool would have given to him

So he started FINDING things to criticize about her. Reasons that he could use to justify why it's not HIS fault he's not happy, but hers.

She's clingy. She's too cold. She's less attractive when she's carrying their child. She's too demanding when she tells him to help out with the kit.

NOTHING she did was right, and meanwhile, even when Breezekit was young, Crowfeather was an awful Ba.

Depending on his mood, he was either too rough or too distant, a dichotomy he used to describe as Nightcloud being unable to make up her mind. Does she want him to help, or does she want space??

Problem is, you can't be fair with unfair people. When Crowfeather would say ANY of this, she would try to take his words in good faith

And Breezekit's formative moons were spent watching his mother twist herself in knots, trying to avoid whatever his father was complaining about that week.

But it NEVER satisfied him. It never COULD.

and worst of all...

Whenever she DID fight back, dragged down into explosive arguments after biting her tongue again and again, Crowfeather would ALWAYS bring up Feathertail. She's dead, and so Nightcloud could never defeat this ideal, NONEXISTENT image of this nearly perfect hypothetical lover that he could have had.

Crow: "And YOU don't even care. You CUT me, Nightcloud! I am being flayed and left to DIE from infection, and you don't even care."

Night: "Of course i care, I'm here aren't i?? Feathertail loved you, but I do too! And I'M in YOUR Clan, in case you haven't NOTICED."

Crow: "Oh you love me do you? I don't think you do. There's a reason I loved Feathertail enough to be so tempted away from my Clan, but YOU'RE such an awful person that YOU happily did ARSON."

Night: "I... I wasn't-"

Crow: "Wasn't trying to betray your Clan? Wasn't trying to make me feel like some kind of animal?? What WERE you trying to do, then?"

Night: "I've ALWAYS tried to make up for what I did, I was trying to-"

Crow: "To WHAT? To hurt me? Like you always do? All I wanted was you to see that I'm-"

Night: "Can you cut it out?! I wanted-"

Crow: "STOP Interrupting me, this is exactly what I mean! Feathertail NEVER made me feel this way, she would let me finish and listen to everything I have to say before trying to jump in. WHAT have I done wrong exactly? What IS it this time?? Hm???"

Night: "I-- Crowfeather I'm trying! I didn't mean to make you feel that way, and I'm not trying to fight. I just don't know what you want from me, I'm-"

Crow: "I say it over and over and over!! Are you stupid? I should have been with a rabbit, at LEAST it would have given me faster children!"

Night: "Can you stop being a CHILD for a minute and TELL me what you want me to do? In simple terms? Or is that just too much?"

Crow: "Fine. But im not going to repeat myself again. I don't deserve this, you're lucky I'm gracious."

When Breezekit became Breezepaw, Nightcloud had lost patience with this treatment. She still tried to be gentle with Crowfeather, but he was starting to force her into making a choice; Was she going to protect her son? Or was she going to keep endlessly trying to appease her husband?

In her head... SHE might "deserve" it. She knows she's "difficult." And that a lot of the things Crowfeather says about her are "true"

And if she's lonely, she "brought it on herself" by doing awful things. That's why she tries so hard to atone for them.

But Breezepaw is her BABY, and Crowfeather makes him feel like a little brat. Yells at him, finds reasons to pick on him, gives him the cold shoulder when he's done wrong...

At first, it looked like overprotectiveness, because she was often shoving herself between Breezepaw and his father, never backing up Crowfeather when he was punishing their son, and "downplaying" her son's rude behavior.

In reality, those were the actions of someone who was trying to prevent arguments from turning into abuse.

Those were things HILLRUNNER used to do with her, though at the time, she didn't realize that Crowfeather was in the same positions that her Mi had once been in

In fact, she continued to grapple with the deep feelings of shame, that she might be like Hillrunner when she was trying so hard to be different.

But the truth remained, that she recognized the same patterns that she was forced to be hyperaware of, and was trying to stop them before they escalated.

It took MANY years, well into Breezepelt's adulthood, AND well into her divorce, before she realized that.

Protecting her son was as reflexive as a hunting crouch. It was just something she did.

Unfortunately, Crowfeather was the one with power in this situation. And his immense sway was palpable. If he vented to a Clanmate about how hard it was to have a mate who undermines him and a son who defied him, they'd believe him.

So, Breezepelt started getting written off as "a problem kid" by the adults.

What changed... was Hollyleaf's reveal at that fateful Gathering.

She had been desperately trying to "atone" for what she'd done for years, guilty and shameful that she'd been complicit in an attack that had gotten cats killed and set the peat on fire. She kept proving herself, over and over, as Crowfeather held his love for an outsider up over her head.

And then she finds out he was HIDING this from her, ALL THIS TIME. There'd been ANOTHER MOLLY from another Clan she was being compared to.

Unlike canon; Crowfeather knew. He didn't need to be told. Hollyleaf looks just like his father Deadfoot. Lionblaze has his tail tip. Jayfeather is a miserable git.

They were born 2 months after Leafpool left him, choosing her Clan and her CLERIC FRIEND over HIM. He isn't stupid.

Emotions ran high and, right in front of his wife, at a PUBLIC GATHERING, he made another love confession to Leafpool. That she never should have abided her vow because she belonged with HIM.

Leafpool was fucking mortified. On top of her life crumbling as the secret was revealed, she was undergoing the cat equivalent of being cornered in a public space as an unwanted ex begs you to acknowledge your LOVE.

Leafpool is completely and utterly out of love for Crowfeather, not a SINGLE flicker of it left in her heart, but NIGHTCLOUD felt like Leafpool's tears were because she missed Crowfeather soooo much.

And after YEARS of being compared to FEATHERTAIL, only to find out she was being contrasted to LEAFPOOL all along??

And that Crowfeather really WOULD just break the code for any OTHER lover? Even "a treacherous, vow-breaking, abominable little [cat meow censor] FROM ANOTHER CLAN?"

AND A CLERIC?????

YEARS of trying to unlearn bigotry, keeping lessons about unity kept close in spite of the growing tensions between the Clans, having an open mind towards the people she'd unfairly judged, trying to atone for following Mudclaw... What's the point??

She was humiliated, embarrassed, scandalized. For moons she'd tried to appease him, and then he goes after HER SON, and then DOES THIS.

But something was different.

Onestar had enough of Crowfeather and his shenanigans.

By making a fool of himself at that Gathering, he made a fool of the WHOLE Clan.

Not only did he sire kittens with a Cleric, in a half-clan relationship, vanishing for a week to go on a holiday as the Clan was fighting peat fires, but he didn't even have the decency to NOT TELL AN ENTIRE GATHERING THAT HE DOESN'T REGRET IT.

Onestar snapped.

CrowFEATHER is an Honor Title. CrowFOOT was in respect to his deceased father, Deadfoot.

These names are both too honorable.

And even a DISHONOR Title is too good for this sort of behavior.

If he cannot behave like a Clan cat, then he WILL NOT BE ONE.

For one moon, Crow, no suffix, just Crow, would live on his own in total exile.

It was such a scandal that Nightcloud was horrified. The whole Clan had turned to look to her, see what she would do, desperate to know how she was reacting and what she would do next.

But... their tune changed.

They weren't looking at her like Crowfeather's ungrateful mate. They were curious about her judgement.

CrowFEATHER had convinced so many people that Nightcloud had been the problem, with his immense sway and influence.

But what he did was shocking and abhorrent to WindClan. Now he is just Crow, a rogue on the border.

And Nightcloud is as reliable as she always has been.

What really causes Crowfeather to begin to change here in BB, is that when he comes back... nearly everyone has been better off without him.

After a moon, Crow came back thinking that Nightcloud would snarl at him, or they'd fight, or she'd weep, or... something negative.

But instead, she greeted him. Cordially. Casually. With the tiniest little lilt to her tone that you only hear when you're forced to welcome someone you dislike.

For the rest of BB!OotS, they were together but... distantly. If it wasn't totally over, it was visibly dying.

They had a few more fights, public spats, but now that the Clan didn't seem to have Crowfeather's back...

He started to lose his nerve, and she stopped feeling terrible for things that happened long ago.

Now WindClan was following Nightcloud's lead on Crowfeather. When she was gracious, so were they. When she was pushed to snapping, they saw him like the unreasonable one.

But, honestly? That attention made Nightcloud uncomfortable.

She disliked the sway she now seemed to have over her ex-mate's reputation. She hated him and everything he did, especially in the few times that he would STILL try to deflect blame onto her, but... wielding that kind of social sway, after being an outsider for so long, it felt heavy and toxic in her belly.

Between OotS and AVoS, she realized that she's not like him. He reveled in the spotlight and influence he had over the Clan as a result of his power, adored attention and drama and being able to command it. Crowfeather would complain that life was so unfair, but he ENJOYED how the rules were applied so loosely to him, and how well he was treated because of the pain he'd gone through.

She doesn't.

In fact, she even resents the finicky opinions of her Clanmates. That earning their respect, in the end, was something she had absolutely no control over. She'd gone through so much for so long and so very few cats had ever had her back, and to be vindicated now of all times?

It was sour. Not comforting.

If she made any mistakes during OoTS, it was enabling Breezepelt's growing xenophobia in the midst of her own pain and frustration. She didn't KNOW that he was being recruited by the Dark Forest. If she did, she would have done something to try and stop him.

Breezepelt and AVoS

The worst part of it all was that none of this newfound reputation carried over to her opinions about her son. Breezepelt continued to be hated and distrusted because of his role in the Battle of the True Eclipse (BOTTE), where the Dark Forest killed so many warriors. He'd fought until the end of the night.

Of course she was disappointed in him. Of course she knew he'd done something awful. But she had too, so many years ago.

The fact he had also been a victim of Crowfeather's slander was disregarded in the eyes of WindClan, and for his role in the fight, Onestar gave him and his complicit friends Dishonor Titles.

Breezepelt became Dodderheart-- a reference to a parasitic type of bush, native to heathland, which strangle and kill the flowers. Harespring didn't get off without one. Darkseeker had sought his biological father in the Dark Forest, Mudclaw, and then the BOTTE had killed his Mi and biological uncle, Torear.

Nightcloud tried to encourage her son to follow Darkseeker's lead in seeking atonement, but he had decided that this meant; "My own mother had taken HIS side, that damn traitor who threw me under the boar so that he could save his own reputation, distancing himself from THE REST OF US so that he can climb the ranks! WELL!"

When The Kin arrived at the lake, lead by the mysterious Darktail, Nightcloud was powerless as the pied piper called forth cats of many Clans.

He appealed to everyone who felt alienated. Every HalfClan cat still dealing with stigma, every young warrior frustrated by the dogged separation of the Clans... and, especially, to all of the Dark Forest trainees who still lived.

It was a trap, and Breezepelt was drawn to it.

As the situation got worse and worse, Nightcloud could only watch from afar as Onestar responded with furious embargoes, aggression, and fury towards any type of contact with Darktail's cats.

Along with Brushblaze and Harespring, now deputy and having shed his Dishonor Title, she plotted ways to undermine Onestar's strict orders and try to reach her son.

And.... Crowfeather, too.

To her surprise, he wanted to help.

The irony was overwhelming. Yes Breezepelt, or Dodderheart, damn Onestar's pernicious name, YES he had been making his own choices for a long time, but Crowfeather knew full well who had set him on this path.

In spite of how he'd try to deflect the blame for seasons on seasons.

Hedgehogs took flight that day, because his response was, "You think I don't know that? ...that's why I'm here."

Someone else might have wanted to shove that back in his face, drink in every drop of smugness they'd earned, tell Harespring to kick him from the help efforts for causing so much pain in the first place..

...But Nightcloud isn't like that someone else.

Breezepelt was what mattered to her. Anyone who was going to help was another alibi, another mouth to carry herbs, another set of claws to fight by their side.

...is that what working with others really means, at its core?

Maybe it's not love that truly binds us, but a sense of duty. The commitments we make to each other, and the honor to keep them.

She loves her son. And by extension, she loves Heathertail and Harespring who love him.

But her Clanmates... she doesn't love them. Or Crowfeather.

And Crowfeather wasn't here out of love for her. Maybe not even love for Breezepelt as a person. He was here for honor. Repentence. To right a wrong.

Whatever reason he was here; it still meant he was HERE. To help.

In that moment, she thinks back to the words of Hillrunner. That only blood-family would ever turn out for you, and strength was what allowed you to keep them.

Looking over to Brushblaze, thinking to her Clanmates, she finally had the wisdom to see the words for what they were

It was the scared, broken philosophy of a molly who had lost everything a hundred times over, clinging to something that made sense, trying to scare her kits into never leaving her side.

Nightcloud was truly unlike her. Surrounded by allies of all kinds, united in their goal to rescue her son and other Kin captives and victims.

She was entitled to her reasonable distrust, but not held back by it. She never would forgive Crowfeather, but they could work together. For Breezepelt.

Hillrunner wasn't completely wrong about strength. It was an asset.

But so is faith.

After they'd brought Breezepelt home along with many others, bedraggled and shaken by their experiences, Nightcloud was absolutely shocked by how graciously Onestar seemed to be towards them.

She didn't question it at the time, but when Onestar spent his final life stealing a plan Breezepelt admitted was his own, to sacrifice himself drowning Darktail, it suddenly made sense.

After Harestar took power, she had cemented herself as one of his favorite warriors. A powerful, loyal brawler, who was willing to do anything under his command. Breezepelt had accepted at this point that he was never going to have a position of power due to his past; and that was okay.

She spent a lot of time with the grandkits Breezepelt eventually had with his mates, Harestar and Heathertail. For the first time in a long time, she's finally at peace with the family she's acquired.

Trivia and Misc

I'm tempted to swap Crowfeather and Nightcloud as deputy. I feel like Nightcloud makes a very interesting one.

At the same time though, I do like the drama of Crowstar and Squirrelstar as opposing leaders, so I'm still unsure.

For some reason whenever I think of Nightcloud, I think of ABBA songs lmao. Thank You For The Music, or maybe Knowing Me Knowing You.

As you can see, I split up Crowfeather's Trial and shuffled it around. I feel like for most of OotS, Nightcloud and Crowfeather are doing nothing but arguing and the development feels incredibly rushed because it's all in an SE, so I've pushed a major event back.

They also never actually describe their verbal arguments; so I'm using them to make my take on Crowfeather more clear. He's emotionally abusive.

Something that I often feel isn't done enough is abusers who are popular, and also funny. How devastating it feels for someone you love to mock you in public, and then a bunch of people laugh because "you deserve it."

Or just see you as the aggressor by default

Knowing you can't do shit about it because they're just more loved than you. Their word vs yours.

(especially when paired with trauma that makes you forget major details so you can't even recall any examples in the moment, so you just get painted as clingy and whiny)

All that said, there's a ton of abusive cats in BB, most of them never improve or get better, but Crowfeather will.

And from Nightcloud's perspective, that's a good thing. And I want to capture that deeply bittersweet feeling.

She's happy he's not so terrible anymore... but god, it doesn't undo any of the AWFUL things he did and said to her.

Anyway, I really want to fit Nightcloud's buddy Pickle in somehow, but I'm still working it out. Pickle was such a cute character

Hillrunner and Downwind are repurposed Missing Kits! WindClan is ridiculously tiny so I had to stretch it pretty thin.

I don't see a ton of Nightcloud origin stories, so the one I figured made the most sense was picking up on the observation others have made about her "coddling" behavior

In-canon, because Crowfeather is abusive to his kid, it suddenly implies that a major reason why Nightcloud is so protective of Breezepaw in arguments is because she's trying to prevent it from escalating into abuse.

Eventually I'd like to build out some more friends, and expand on her budding friendship with Brushblaze. Not to mention Willowclaw.

Maybe I should repurpose Crowfeather's Trial into an SE about Nightcloud... Nightcloud's Thaw, maybe. Something about a change that's a long time coming, so I can show her new backstory and how she reacts to all the changes in WindClan towards her reputation.

And that's Nightcloud! I think she deserves an AU where she gets to be a more fleshed out supporting character, as a treat <3

[lynzishell]

Character Introductions

We have a lot of new-ish faces in this part of my story, and that’s because we’re getting to know Atlas, Asher, and Lex’s friend group! They’re all going to be sticking around for a bit, whether they’ll be background characters or take on more important roles remains to be seen. Either way, I thought it would be a good idea to take a minute to officially introduce them all and tell you how they all know each other.

Now, I say “new-ish” faces because all of these characters were in The Past arc in the last part of my story. Some of them had dialogue, but most were just milling about in the background. The important thing to know is that they’ve all been friends for years and have become a pretty tight-knit little group.

If you'd like to know more about each of them, then proceed below the cut:

Preferred Name/Nickname(s): Evan Gender/Pronouns: Nonbinary, They/Them Sexuality: Queer

Traits: Genius, Geek, Creative, Perfectionist, Outgoing, Morning Sim Personality Archetypes: Sage & Artist Career: Video Game Level Designer at Rainy Day Entertainment

Important Details: Evan is probably the most recognizable atp. They were one of the first people Asher met on his first day at Rainy Day, and the two of them have worked closely ever since. They have amazing compatibility and have developed a pretty close friendship over the years. As far as the rest of the group, Evan has known them since they started at Rainy Day about a year before Asher did. The only one they knew prior to that is Charlee.

They tend to get stuck in the details, but it makes them very good at what they do. They’re extroverted and very sweet, but often clueless when it comes to certain social cues. It’s nearly impossible for them to hide what they’re thinking or feeling, which can be either annoying or refreshing depending on the situation.

Preferred Name/Nickname(s): Charlee, Peanut (inside joke – only Evan calls her this) Gender/Pronouns: Cis woman, She/Her Sexuality: Bisexual

Traits: Good, Geek, Bookworm, Vegetarian, Goofball Personality Archetypes: Sage & Jester Career: Manages a local bookstore

Important Details: Often found with her nose buried in a sci-fi book, or on the computer going down random rabbit holes about some conspiracy theory or another. Absolutely believes in aliens, ghosts, vampires, and time travel. Full of useless facts, puns, and pranks.

Charlee grew up next door to Evan, and the two of them have been best friends since childhood. However, she didn’t meet anyone else until the day she met Blaire. At the time, she had just started working part-time at the bookstore and Blair was visiting while on a book tour. The two unexpectedly hit it off, and Charlee was later introduced to Lex and Tess… only to find out that Lex worked with her best friend! And the rest is history.

Preferred Name/Nickname(s): Blair Gender/Pronouns: Cis woman, She/Her Sexuality: Lesbian

Traits: Self-Assured, Creative, Bookworm, Noncommittal, Dance Machine, Muser Personality Archetypes: Artist & Lover Career: Author – Writes mystery novels

Important Details: In the middle of a long series of mystery novels and becoming quite famous. When she’s not writing, Blair has a passion for dancing and kick boxing. She is blunt and flirtatious and would do literally anything for her friends and family. She lost a sibling unexpectedly at twenty years old, and it changed her entire outlook on life. She’s regularly championing for her friends to follow their dreams (including Atlas and Asher), and she’s the first person most of them are likely to call if they’re ever in trouble.

Blair used to date Tess and is currently dating Lex. She met Lex at a queer speed dating event when she first moved to San Myshuno. They didn’t hit it off romantically at first and remained just friends until a few years ago.

Preferred Name/Nickname(s): Tess Gender/Pronouns: Cis woman, She/Her Sexuality: Lesbian

Traits: Art Lover, Creative, Perfectionist, Neat, Loyal Personality Archetypes: Artist & Caregiver Career: Financial Analyst for a big corporation in Uptown (fun fact: the same corporation Dawn worked at when she first met Phoenix)

Important Details: Tess is good at her job, but she hates it. She has a passion for photography, and Blair is constantly trying to talk her into taking the leap to open her own studio, but she’s afraid of letting go of the perceived stability/security that comes with her corporate job. Maybe she’ll do it one day, but today is not that day.

Tess and Blair used to date, but they quickly realized it wasn’t going to work out since Tess prefers exclusive romantic relationships, and Blair very much does not. However, the two have remained very good friends. Through Blair, she met Lex and the rest of the Rainy Day crew.

Preferred Name/Nickname(s): Jensen or Jay, Jenny (Ash is the only person that gets away with calling him this) Gender/Pronouns: Cis man, He/Him Sexuality: Bisexual

Traits: Outgoing, Geek, ADHD, Loyal, Music Lover, Gregarious Personality Archetypes: Jester & Lover Career: Video Game Developer at Rainy Day Entertainment (will likely be promoted to replace Atlas as Lead Developer)

Important Details: Jensen is only one in the group that was friends with Atlas before anyone else. The two of them have worked side-by-side for nearly ten years… though both of them are usually wearing headphones… but they do chat a fair amount and are pretty good friends.

Jensen is super laid back and can get along with pretty much anyone. Once Lex and Evan started inviting him out with the group, he clicked with everyone else instantly. Aside from Atlas, he gets along most with Charlee, Blair, and Kamryn… and apparently, he’s hooking up with Charlee now… I didn’t see that coming, but I love that for them.

Preferred Name/Nickname(s): Kamryn, Kam Gender/Pronouns: Cis woman, She/Her Sexuality: Pansexual

Traits: Self-Assured, High Maintenance, Music Lover, Dog Lover, Materialistic, Night Owl Personality Archetypes: Hero & Sinister (interesting combo ??) Career: Video Game Character Design and Animation at Rainy Day Entertainment

Important Details: While she enjoys her job, Kamryn’s passion is music. She produces House music and DJ’s regularly at various local and out-of-town clubs. Blair and her often butt heads on whether she should leave her job to pursue music full-time. From Kam’s perspective, her day job pays the bills and allows her to make the music she wants to make, the way she wants to make it, without the pressure of needing to make money from it.

When she met Ash, she was so happy to finally meet another Dog Lover! They’re always talking about their dogs and sharing photos. Maybe when Ash gets another dog, one that actually lives with him in the city, they can take their dogs on play dates!

Preferred Name/Nickname(s): Aubree, Bree Gender/Pronouns: Cis woman, She/Her Sexuality: Bisexual

Traits: Creative, Loves the Outdoors, Foodie, Vegetarian, Cheerful, Observant, Mediator, Compassionate, Morning Sim Personality Archetypes: Artist & Jester Career: Video Game Architect at Rainy Day Entertainment

Important Details: Aubree is amazing!!! Next to Atlas, she’s the most introverted of the group. She’s one of those people that is really quiet, she just kinda sits back and listens, but then when she speaks, she says the most insightful things.

She hates conflict and avoids it at all costs, but she’s great helping others navigate it and find a middle ground. She has a unique ability to see and understand others’ perspectives and is usually the first person everyone wants to come to for advice.

Lex has adored her since she first met her, and immediately befriended her. It took her a while to feel comfortable with the group, but now they’re all like family to her.

Her and Atlas are interesting together... I feel like if he opened up to her, she'd have great advice for him... but they rarely talk. In fact, what he likes most about her is that she's one of the few people willing to just sit in comfortable silence... and vice versa.

[trentonsimblr]

Full Name:  Emmett Timothy Winston

Nickname(s): Em

Titles: Prince, Son of Trenton

Parents: Eleanor Rutherford & Ryland Wellington

Sibling(s): Payton Rutherford, Aubrey Rutherford

Partner: Maria Yakovlev ("dating")

Children: none

Ex-Partner(s): none

Best Friend: Athena McCormick

Friends: Dorian Carmichael, Finnegan Carmichael, Lenerd Yannik Joachim (@funkyllama)

Enemies: kinda the Ingebretsons?

Character Tag

[sodasnapz]

BRIEF CHARACTER PROFILES

All my main Infamy's end characters have Toyhouse pages now with updated info :D If interested in the whole pages you can find them here on my toyhouse!

If you're just interested in the summary's here they are :D!!

[mzhydes-funtimes]

Its really disappointing the sheer lack of anything lady mechanika i find on the internet

The tumblr tag just has someone reposting the book covers, the subreddit is mostly cosplay and lewds of lady mechanika, like wtf

Its a genuinely amazing series I'll give a summary of the main cast that we know the most about aka whove been around the longest and a general plot summary because more people should be into this and it upsets me that theres probably only a few thousand people who like it worldwise, at least considering how big the fandom is (basically non existent)

Our main character: Lady Mechanika is a sorta half mechanical half human person, but NOT a cyborg or android, it's more of almost living metal? Idk how to describe it but anyways in public shes a royal, expensive looking person wearing, as one of the other characters puts it in comic set 1: very frumpy. Very poofy and fanct looking dresses, however when shes in action she wears the most butch clothing imaginable. Think steampunk highwayman+american revolutionary war military clothing. (It would be easier to show and not tell but imma try to show by telling) in terms of badasstry i would compare her to Bayonetta but human and machine instead of magic.

Then we have the side main character: Lewis. He's an inventor who creates fancy machines and is sometimes hired by lady mechanika, but he does go out on adventures with her throughout the series. Think of him as sokka but also fire nation inventor. He curses a LOT but overall is friends with Mechanika, regardless of if she says theyre friends or not, theyre clearly friends considering how much she relies on him.

First main side character: Dr. Charles Littleton. He's not as important to the story as his daughter but he often has information for mechanika to occassionally progress the plot or to start the comics adventure. Hes the brains outside of mechanika due to being a medical doctor and also being rich, owning his own mansion, hes also good friends with Mechanika

The final character ill go over here is also a main side character: Allie Littleton. The daughter of the doctor, shes obsessed with Lady Mechanika to the point of because of Mechanika not fitting the stories about her she doesnt believe that mechanika is who she says she is, she becomes a bit more important in later sets but for now I'll leave you with: shes a sort of half tomboy half kinda proper girl. And dont be getting any ideas either, since i know lots of people sexualize Lady Mechanika, this girl is like 10. But if we exclude mechanika shes also one of the most entertaining imo lol. Like she straight up argues with Lady Mechanika this person who is intimidating even to the cops, who mind you the cops dont fight with mechanika.

Theres one more side character thats sort of the "marketable" character in the series but they come LATE into the story like 2 or 3 to lastest set of comics.

Anyway onto the plot:

Lady Mechanika is on a quest to find the person who made her the way she is now as she can remember being human before this but not much of her specific past. Sometimes shell find some people from her past showing that her creator has been in the town but left before she got there. The people left behind help mechanika put more of her memory back together, and with the help of lewis and dr. Charles theyre also discovering and putting a stop to the plans of the main antagonist: blackpool a, as far as i remember, crime ring with powers pretty high up on the totem pole, i dont remember if its government or company based but they do have a famous inventor in their ring, -or is it a corporation? Yknow what the specifics dont matter all yoy need to know is that they are big and powerful and sometimes do things that mechanika finds out about and needs to stop.

And its steampunk with some occassional horror elements, definitely body horror considering mechanika and the first character other than mechanika we meet who looks like mechanika, and even one who doesnt. It also has minor elements of magic in it as well, but most of it is technological, with occasional magic sprinkled in.

And as ive said its a really good read, chapter 0 is free to read, either as a free comic book day or on the website

[thehunlord]

Lemme summarize all the trouple characters/Zelek's girls so I can pretend y'all know these guys

Zelek: narcissistic princeling asshole who believes him and his girlfriends/wives can do no wrong. Also he's the token cishet male

Hasumi: ex-god complex, crown princess, dommy mommy, housewife who "didn't ask to be here" but she explicitly did

Poppy: innocent, cute, party girl with abandonment issues who's only crime is being too horny and willing to do anything

Violet: ex-idol, wannabe, girl failure who will do anything for attention very much including lying, constantly, for the dumbest of reasons

oh and they're all poly. All dating and screwing each other. Hasumi and Zelek are married legally, Zelek and Poppy are married in a weird fey way, and Violet and Zelek hate each other

I will explain in more details about their different relationships once I figure out how make the conspiracy board somewhat legible

[warriors-reshuffled]

Leopardfoot

A sleek, black molly with green eyes. Faint rosettes only visible under direct sunlight. She wears no accessories, having left the life of a warrior behind.

Leopard- spotted, a good hunter

foot- and stealthy cat, someone trustworthy

Sister of Patchpelt. Mother of Nightwhisker and Moonclaw. Mate of Pinestar and Reena.

Leopardfoot and her brother Patchpelt were born as loners. They would stay by each other’s side, wandering the territory and fending for themselves. Thunderclan knew of the siblings, but they never causes trouble so a young Pinestar let them be.

When the pair were senior apprentice age, they grew ill and couldn’t survive as they used to. A patrol brought them to camp where the siblings were gradually nursed back to health. They were fascinated by how the clan took care of each other -young, old, and sick- so when the offer came to join Thunderclan they both said yes.

A part of Leopardfoot always longed for that classic romance she heard in elders’ stories. So when Pinestar started semi-courting her, she eagerly accepted. Unfortunately there was a miscommunication. Lep wanted love, while Pine just wanted kits to keep his bloodline alive. So when the litter was born he left Thunderclan for kittypet life.

Leopardfoot was heartbroken. Abandoned by her mate, her kits born disgraced. She couldn’t help but feel that Thunderclan was turning their back on her. So in a clan that honors the sun, she named her surviving children Nightkit and Moonkit. After all, everyone made it clear they didn’t belong.

Her brother Patchpelt stayed by her side. He became a shoulder to lean on and prevent Lep from spiraling further. And he did truly help. But the death of her tiny son to whitecough was the straw that broke the camel’s back. She couldn’t stay here any longer.

So Leopardfoot returned to the life of a loner, wandering the territory forever alone.

Until one day, while skirting around the Windclan border, she stumbled upon an odd group of cats. They called themselves the Wanderers, a group of cats always on the move and always looking out for each other. They were friendly and warm and oh so inviting. So with nowhere else to go, Lep was folded into their midst.

At first, Leopard kept herself and arms-length away from the others. She didn’t want to let herself get attached, only to lose them. The whole time she braced herself for tragedy…

And yet that tragedy never came. The Wanderers were kind to her, as well as to any other cat they met. They made friends wherever they went. They survived cold winters and scalding summers together. They scrounged up medicine and healed each other.

Not every cat was suited for the life of a warrior. But Leopard fell in love with the Wanderers’ way of life. As well as falling in love with a certain spunky molly.

Reena had taken one look at the pretty leopard-spotted stranger and fell right in love. She would constantly bring Lep gifts, telling the corniest jokes to get her to laugh. At first, Leopard was quote confused by this strange, chatty molly. But over the moons slowly fell for the sweet dork.

The pair never had any kits together, but that wasn’t a concern. They had each other and each other was all they needed. Leopard is more than happy to relax into her mate’s soft side and watch the clouds drift by.

She just hopes her children are doing well.

Kits under the cut until i finish their profiles

Nightwhisker

A sleek black trans tom with blue eyes

Almost a carbon copy of his mom, aw. He tends to be pretty quiet, staying out of the center of attention. One of the stealthiest cats in Thunderclan and a great hunter. Despite this he chose to become a crafter instead of a warrior.

Replaces Darkstripe

Always was super close to his sister. For a long time he felt like he didn’t really have anyone else in the clan, especially after Leopardfoot left

Developed a friendship with fellow-crafter Moss-shine. They briefly began courting though mutually decided it wouldn’t work out and broke it off. They’re still good friends

Moonclaw starts coming to him with strange ideas for traps and plans. At first thinks she’s trying out new ways of catching large prey

Then Runningwind dies. Mysteriously.

And Nightwhisker recognizes his own handiwork

He confronts his sister about it. Yet Moon only tells him she’s doing this for the good of the clan. She says Running had a mate in another clan and was on the verge of leaving, betraying Thunder. They had to stop that from happening

Nightwhisker still feels awful… but he sees his sister is only doing what’s right. So he bites his tongue and goes along with it

Started courting Robinwing after Fuzzypelt died (they are t4t). They would end up having two tiny kits, Chestnutkit and Dustkit

His relationship with Robin’s previous kits, Cherrypaw and Ravenpaw, is… alright. He’s very much the awkward step-dad inviting you out to go fishing for bonding time

Moonclaw

A large grey and white molly with green eyes

Almost the complete opposite of her brother, Moonclaw is brave and ambitious. She’s also not afraid to speak her mind at clan meetings.

Sort of takes Tigerclaw’s role in the rewrite

Under Thistleclaw, she takes her first life at Sunning Rocks. It’s mostly self defense. She waits for the guilt to come… and it never does.

Thistle tells her that it’s proof she did the right thing. One less River cat means less dead Thunders

Was trained by Thistleclaw until his death. Moon got bounced around between mentors before Snowstar took over her training

Because of this Moonclaw grew close to many of her clanmates. She truly wants what’s best for Thunderclan, she just thinks she’s the only one willing to do what it takes

Nursed an apprentice-hood crush on Goldenflower. As warriors they become mates. Being two strong and renowned warriors, the pair are often looked to as an example of an ideal Thunderclan couple

Is assigned Sandpaw to mentor. The two do have a good relationship, even when Moonclaw keeps encouraging her more aggressive traits. Kid has potential

On the surface seems to be a generic good warrior

[the-ouma-mansion]

Meet The Ouma Family!

We welcome all you guests who traveled through the forest into our hidden mansion halls, where the children of the deceased Machirin Ouma and Kankou Ouma now reside in. A strange bunch of quadruplets, but one we hope you will enjoy greatly. Ranging from oldest to youngest, they'll all be very pleased to make your acquaintance.

Kouchi Ouma

The oldest of only a few minutes, Kouchi Ouma tends to be rather quiet and reserved. Being raised in a church after the sudden and tragic death of their father Kankou months after the death of their mother has taught Kouchi a lot about patience and kindness. Serving as the Ultimate Preacher, Kouchi makes time for everyone and would do anything to protect the innocent. A family person through and through, their biggest concern and care is always the safety of their family.

When not reading or advising others, one can often find Kouchi gazing at the stars, tracing constellations and telling the stories of how the constellations came to be! They also enjoy other hobbies like sewing, knife collecting, and intellectual debate. While they do their best to seem presentable at all times, being a romantic at heart means they cannot help but let that mask slip a bit when around their crush Gundham, easily swayed into games of dramatics. He also takes a lot of night time walks.

Kouchi may seem quiet and responsible if a bit repressed, he's still got that Ouma humor and mischief in him if you give him a tempting enough opening. With a bit of a temper when pushed past his admittedly quite long patience, Kouchi can be a greater force to be reckoned with then one would have ever guessed, though endlessly loyal and perhaps a bit blind to those he manages grow fond of. With so much turmoil in his heart, is he really as unworthy as he thinks he is? (He/They)

"When it is your job to speak, and to speak with fervor, you must learn to press on even if it feels like choking."

Kokichi Ouma

The one everyone knows the best, a clever leader and quick with his tongue. Kokichi after the death of his parents has taken on the role of leader of the house, as he shelters both his family and the many people he's picked up for his organization. With more going on behind the scenes then anyone could ever know, the Ultimate Supreme Leader refuses to let his family suffer like they used to any longer.

With a love of mayhem and a wide protective streak of their youngest brother Kimochi, Kokichi always does what he thinks is best, unless it would be really really funny. The self proclaimed good twin to their youngest brother, Kokichi's strict moral compass keeps the more questionable habits of his siblings in check. Don't let any of that fool you though, he's an evil leader with eyes on big things capable of making the hard choices and you would be wise to not forget it.

Kokichi might be a prankster with his fingers in far more pies then anyone realizes, but he's a good friend and a beloved leader, though his siblings make sure he never gets too big of an ego. Get on his bad side though, and he'll be the only one protecting you from the more protective sides of his family. With such risks around each corner, is really as much of an unreasonable liar as he seems? (He/Him)

"Guess which idiot managed to get himself sick while on a top secret mission! It’s a tough job being such a generous supreme leader. I had to allocate staff to nursing him back to health, how wasteful!"

Koharu Ouma

Having to be the brightest star in any room despite being the smallest Ouma, Koharu is by far the flashiest and most fashionable of the family. Acting sweet and nice to the other reserve course students Koharu has quickly shot up as one of the most popular kids at school as he twists every detail of himself in public to be more palatable and praise worthy. Though he acts warm and sweet, he projects an air of almost godly presence and confidence. If you get blinded by his light and complicated vocabulary, you'll never see into his fiery core. Though peek behind his curtain at one's own risk, Koharu will not take kindly to challengers for his crown.

While one would assume most of his passion would lie in fashion, math, and makeup, his true interest lies in the animals around him that forms his largest obsession. Having a fascination with them since a young age and finding comfort in their simple easy to please natures, Koharu can often be found taking care of the local strays when he has free time. He's wildly protective of animals and hates those who takes advantage of them, seeing it as pointless cruelty, almost demonic in nature, that he cannot abide.

Koharu may see the world differently and less emotionally then most people, but that doesn't mean hes not the most loyal companion you can find if you manage to get his attention, let alone even a smidgen of trust. Is his heart truly as purely analytical as he makes it seem? (He/They)

"Find what you do effortlessly, then put effort into it!"

Kimochi Ouma

The evil twin to Kokichi's good twin, Kimochi is a bit of an odd one. Quiet and almost always smiling an empty smile when he's not pretending to be Kokichi, Kimochi may seem unassuming but a few incidents hard Kokichi pulling him out of formal schooling for safety reasons. As the body double for Kokichi and main protector of the secret organization, there is no line he won't cross or act he won't do if it's to protect those under his hand from any harm as long as Kokichi doesn't order him to stay out of it. Endlessly obedient to his leader, he doesn't often get to protect his brothers best he likes.

Despite this though, he does hold a kind playful side to those that he likes that don't hurt his family. Quick to judge someone, it's hard to change his mind from the more black and white views he quickly forms on people he meet. Despite this colder nature and constant mimicking of his brother, he's actually the clingiest member of the household, craving physical affection constantly when he can get away with it. With a love language of mimicry, Kimochi may be a bit greedier then most would believe.

Kimochi may seem cold and dangerous to outsiders, those who get close to him seem to get incredibly protective of him. Despite this though Kimochi prefers to settle his own problems alone, and to not worry or slow down those around him even to his own detriment. Can he really be summed up as just the evil side to Kokichi's good side? (He/Him?)

"The fight’s over and nothing hurts too badly. I’m okay."

---------

Muns: Welcome to the mansion! We hope you all enjoy the family we've created for Kokichi, with secrets and truths lying dormant, there's many things to learn, and many things you may wish you never did. With other characters to find in the area, and questions of what's good and what's not, can you discover everything there is to learn?

Asks are open!

[kurgy]

every time i export the text file it just crunches itself and throws up. unreadable >:(

edit: text under the cut

Josh Anders, or Joshua, is a young man who lives isolated and numb to the world around him.

While Casey interests him, Casey's own interest confuses him. As Casey pursues him and they become a couple, Josh becomes more expressive and emotional; vulnerable and open about his feelings, his desires, and eventually, a past accident that left him in a coma, waking years later a clean slate; the person he is now, to him, nowhere near the person he replaced.

'Joshua.'

Josh is reserved and quiet, mostly.

He prefers not being seen, sticking to corners like a shadow in every room he enters rather than interact with the world around him; engrossed in anything but his surroundings with books, phones, games, etc.,

Josh has a voracious appetite, and despite his difficulty gaining weight, eats his own in food and then some. He's always hungry.

Josh needs meat.

[truffu-lore]

A bit late for a character sheet, but better late than never~

Aella

Basics:
Daughter of the Once-ler

Sex- Female
Sexuality- Asexual

Height- 5’4
Age- 24 years old at the time of the movie


Appearance: Short for her genes. Slender body. Fair skin. Short, fluffy, black hair. Short bangs with one long strand hanging over one side. Blue eyes. Cyan-tinted pupils. Hyena ears. Sharpened canine teeth. Black gradients and spots on tips of ears, around eyes, and running down back. Hyena hackles on back of neck. Surgical stoma and large scarring on front of throat. Her voice is androgynous and robotic due to her medical device.

Wears a brown, long sleeve shirt with a yellow truffula tree on the front. Black, fingerless gloves. Brown, spotted pants. Black boots. Wears a thneed over one shoulder and wrapped around waist.

Her alternate form is a hybrid between a spotted hyena and a horse, sporting the ears, teeth, hackles, and spots of a hyena and the muzzle, body, legs, and tail of a horse.

Summery:

During the Once-ler’s rise to fame, one of the many women vying for his attention fell pregnant, and after realizing that she was just another body to him, she left the only-months-old baby with him as his burden to bare. Wanting to prove himself and do better than his own parents, he accepts the child.

The two become very close. Aella becomes the ear the Once-ler can vent to and the only family member who loves him unconditionally. Due to her early abandonment, she follows him closer than his own shadow and wants to be part of everything he does, helping him cook pancakes and watching him knit thneeds. Aella is very shy and distrusting of others, especially women, but she gets along well with the animals of the truffula valley and befriends her fellow baby, Pipsqueak, the bar-ba-loot cub.

As time goes on and as the factories demand more of his attention however, the Once-ler begins to neglect his toddler who is about 3 years old by the time of the final truffula tree’s axing. And after he blows up at her after an attempt to get his attention, she runs off and finds herself in a pit of pipes where one of them spews a heaping glob of sloppity slop on her.

Her throat and lungs become coated in the chemicals, and the pollutants begin to mutate her. Her pupils gloss over in a partially blinding sheen, and dark patches form around her eyes and down her back. She just barely makes it to her father before she collapses from exhaustion and exposure.

Due to the damage, she undergoes a laryngectomy and flush of her lungs, leaving her with a throat stoma and heavy scarring on her neck. She acquires an artificial voice box that makes her somewhat difficult to understand due to its robotic feedback. She gains the ability to transform between her normal human form and a hyena-horse hybrid at will, though it is also triggered by intense emotional changes. She can also spew black smoke from her mouth due to the residual build up of smog in her system.

After her close call with death and the downfall of the thneed factories, her and the Once-ler’s relationship rekindles despite the damage. She stays with him into adulthood. Her hobbies consist of knitting, hunting, and playing keyboard.

She first meets Ted in her hybrid form, acting as a watchdog just outside the lurkim. Intimidated by the stranger, she attacks him, but after learning of his struggles in a town taxing him for the air he breathes, she comes to sympathize with and strives to help him in creating a better world for all of them.

[bonefall]

BB!Profile: Fernsong

(Oops I finished this art months ago and am just now making this profile)

[ID: The Better Bones version of Fernsong. He is a thick, pale golden tabby with thin stripes and a flat, round face.]

Clanmew Name: Nanyanaya (Nan, generic term for fanned-leaf groundplants + Yanaya, singing)

Old Name: Fiddles (Pronounced "Fibuls")

Alignment: ThunderClan, ex-Kittypet

Relationships: Mate - Ivypool Ex-Mate - Minty Children - Bristlefrost, Flipclaw, Thriftear Friends - Stormcloud, Jessy, Daisy, Briarlight Person who hates his guts - Blossomfall Mentor - Lionblaze

Sweet man! Den dad! Guy who gets washed in by a big flood and lands smack in the middle of a messy breakup before being getting his hardass nightmare dad-in-law assigned as a mentor!

In cleaning up the Kin of your Kin prophecy and reworking the plot of Po3 and OotS, I made it so Ivypool is now the daughter of Lionblaze and Cinderheart, and secretly the child of Jayfeather and Poppyfrost! I always found the sheer amount of kids Canon!Lionblaze has to be pretty ridiculous, since it does nothing with those relationships and makes half of ThunderClan descended from Firestar in the process.

So, instead, the tree has been overhauled and BB!Fernsong is an ex-kittypet. The Firekin family is traced exclusively through Dovewing, Ivypool, and Hollylark.

And BOY does he enter in a doozy! ThunderClan's Tempest replaces Bramblestar's Storm, now full of different perspectives as ThunderClan recovers from the Battle of the True Eclipse. Fiddles finds himself drawn to the Clan as a refugee, accidentally becoming the final straw that breaks the camel's back in Ivypool's toxic relationship with Blossomfall.

(Note: At the time, Blossomfall has a Dishonor Title, Shredbloom, for her involvement in the Dark Forest. Shredbloom = Blossomfall.)

When he finally has the chance to return home, he realizes that Clan life offers him something Kittypet life never quite did; Community. While he's not much of a hunter or a fighter, he comes to feel needed and fulfilled by the connections he makes to lots of cats within ThunderClan.

More under the cut!

In ThunderClan's Tempest, he came from the same home as Minty. The family couldn't evacuate them, because they ran and hid out of fear.

She was his mate a few times, but in the way that some kittypets of the same house are. Purebreds. They'd had litters that the humans made sure were well cared-for, brought to new homes at six months.

They had a sort of love more out of convenience and safety than passion.

When he was found by ThunderClan, they brought him back to their base in the caves, and Daisy was able to help break the language barrier.

Ivypool, still destroyed from seeing her Dark Forest mentor Hawkfrost make a stand against his father and "die," started helping Daisy out with them. At first, she just needed to feel useful.

She had been in a relationship with Blossomfall (Shredbloom at the time) for a long time, at this point, and had even begged her to stop during the final wave of the BOTTE.

In a way, Ivypool felt like she needed to "save" someone from the Dark Forest, and for a long time after, she felt like she needed to save Blossomfall from her own pain.

But it was incredibly toxic. Blossomfall was controlling, Ivypool was touchy. They were fighting constantly, and Blossomfall was about to repeat it again.

Ivypool spending time helping out with Daisy, acclimating the refugees to Clan life, learning to communicate with them... made Blossomfall jealous.

When Ivypool broke it off with Blossomfall, it wasn't because she loved Fiddles yet, thought Blossomfall DID accuse her of just wanting to move on "with the KITTYPET"

It was just because she was sick of living like this.

Fiddles happened to just... be there. They had become friends, but weren't anything more at that point.

For him, it felt good to pay her back for all the comfort she provided him, and she was grateful that she had someone without bias.

He didn't have a side yet, so when he told her that what she did was the right thing, it felt honest.

Ironically, Bossomfall accusing Ivypool of "just wanting to go googoo over the new kittypet" pushed Ivy and Fiddles closer together.

It wasn't JUST Ivypool he got close to, though! Briarlight was also starting to realize that she needed to start distancing herself from her family because of Millie's ableism... and Fiddles was there for her, too.

Emotional support king, quickly becoming friends with everyone.

The fact that he was close with Ivypool AND her sister, though?

To this DAY, even AFTER all she'd been through and having adult children of her own, Blossomfall still can't shake the negative feeling she gets when she looks at Fernsong. But she's wise enough now to know it's somewhat irrational.

The Impostor DID exploit this, however. But that is a story for another time.

What's most important is that in this moment, Ivypool, Fiddles, and Briarlight became good friends.

By the time the floods had receded and the humans were coming home, he found himself not wanting to go. Jessy was hard at work on improving Briarlight's mobility device, Frankie was taking to battle like a fish to water, and he was falling in love with Ivypool.

He walked Minty home, made her promise she'd prevent their twolegs from missing them, and headed back to ThunderClan...

Where Bramblestar made him the first apprentice of his father-in-law to be, the hardass hero of ThunderClan, Lionblaze! Gulp!

CLOSING TRIVIA

He is NOT named after Ferncloud! Ferncloud survived the BOTTE in Better Bones-- DUSTPELT died.

Birchfall and Whitewing's daughter, Duststripe (prev. sorrelstripe) is named after him.

Fernsong's name comes from how Fiddles was convinced his name referred to a type of fern. What type of fern? He didn't know!!

So when he eventually picked his prefix, he simply chose the generic term for ferns; Nan.

(Ferncloud's prefix, Marssi, is actually totally different in Clanmew. It's a specific species, Dryopteris filix-mas, known as Manfern in English. A species used in medicine for treating tapeworm.)

When I design ex-kittypets that aren't just common street cats, I intentionally avoid referencing one specific breed with the idea that this universe's history is slightly different. Fernsong is designed as a mix of an exotic shorthair and a british shorthair. An Exobrit, if you will.

I've decided to make him come from a home that bred cats, just because I think that's an interesting idea.

Not a mill or an abusive situation, but he's had a life before Ivypool, like she had a life before him.

He will be a den dad in BB. Ivypool comes in to nurse their kittens, but Fernsong is their Mi and she is their Ba.

[allergic-to-four-leaf-clovers]

[Full Character Summaries: Forsaken Souls]

Feel free to send asks about them!!

(tw for alcoholism, uhh- just mentions of torture and murder and whatnot, y'know we ballin)

Character Summary 1: Rayan Hyacinth (he/it)

Rayan Cruz Hyacinth, although his birth name is Cora Cruz Maguire, is an ex-serial murderer and an immortal man stuck in his mid 30's. He is described to be slightly egocentric and very irritable, though sometimes these prominent traits are underlined by the way he acts when in the captivity of a group of his surviving victims, quite fittingly titled The Survivors.

Rayan has two known siblings; Madison Maguire, and Theo Hyacinth. Madison is the eldest daughter, Theo close behind, leaving Rayan as the youngest sibling. They are all originally from Dublin, Ireland.

Rayan stands at 5'9, with outgrown, dark brown hair styled to sweep over his right eye. He is transgender but has no dysphoria from his chest, and as such he embraces his feminine figure. He has green eyes and an accumulation of scars, mostly across his neck, back, stomach, chest and thighs. However, there is one scar across his right eye, where he had nearly been blinded. He has a lip piercing and multiple piercings on his ears, and a tattoo across his neck of a dotted like with the text "cut here" underneath. He also has a prosthetic leg, since his right leg was cut off by one of his torturers.

As previously mentioned, Rayan is immortal and an ex-serial killer. He has the ability to regenerate alarmingly quickly depending on the severity of the wound. However, there is one known way to somewhat kill him, through slitting his throat, in which he will come back after a couple of hours.

Character Summary 2: Foster Canavan (they/them)

Foster Zephyr Canavan is the creator and leader of The Survivors, and was one of Rayan's victims. They are in their late 20's, and are described to mainly be charismatic, though they're cruel toward Rayan, their past torturer and now victim.

They have no known siblings, nor do they have any parents on record; although they do have cousins, Esrana and Zayn Flynn. They changed their name to Foster after coming out as non binary, but nobody knows their birth name. They originated in Worcester, United Kingdom, and have a rather strong and deep accent.

They stand at 5'4, with black hair commonly slicked back or parted. They have heterochromia, their right eye being grey and their left eye being a light blue colour. They have multiple scars across their face and neck, along with larger ones on their back, and have a septum, eyebrow and a "snake bite" piercing.

Character Summary 3: Esrana Flynn (she/her)

Esrana Amara-Ivy Flynn, who is about 27 years old, is Foster's cousin and the co-leader of The Survivors. She is usually described to be sly and judging, though sometimes can be more affectionate and gentle with the others, especially her younger brother. Sometimes. When she isn't being soft, she demands a lot from the members of the group, her previously mentioned brother being the one she most frequently pressures.

As previously discussed, she has a younger brother, and both of them are the cousins of Foster Canavan. Her mother was a single parent, though the three of them got on with day-to-day life well, and had a relaxed childhood for the most part. She was born in Leeds, United Kingdom, though had moved around a lot and eventually settled in Redditch.

She stands at 5'10, with dark, olive skin and black hair she frequently leaves down, letting it fall down her back and shoulders in curls. She has brown eyes and full lips, yet has a father masculine physique. She has no scars because, unlike the rest of the members, neither she or her brother had actually interacted with Rayan prior to the group being created.

Character Summary 4: Zayn Flynn (he/they)

Zayn Felix Flynn is Foster's cousin and the younger brother of Esrana Flynn, currently only 19 years old. He is the nicest of the group, described to be compassionate and caring toward all of his peers, which is what gave him the job to be Rayan Hyacinth's caretaker during the immortal's captivity. Despite his sister demanding him to do so, he can never bring himself to hurt or re-capture Rayan.

As just said, Esrana is Zayn's sister, and Foster is their cousin. Zayn had been adopted by their mother when Esrana was eight years old, despite them looking somewhat similar. As far as they are concerned, Zayn cannot remember much of their childhood vividly. He has a slight Welsh accent, so he just assumes and says that he originated in Wales.

Zayn has slightly lighter skin than Esrana but they still remain similar nonetheless; his being an olive brown whereas his sister's is sepia toned. He has dark, amber eyes and soft features, and stands at around 5'2-5'3. He doesn't have any major scars, but has some burn marks across his arm from an incident during Rayan's captivity.

Character Summary 5: Ezra Hendrix (he/xem/they)

Ezra Atticus Hendrix is a member of The Survivors who had unfortunately lost his brother to the immortal. He is described to be energetic and bubbly, being the most lively of the group. Despite this, the 23 year old is just as cruel toward Rayan as Foster is, but at least he cares enough to patch Rayan up afterwards. Sometimes.

As previously mentioned, Ezra had an older brother, named Rome Felix Hendrix, who unfortunately passed away when Rayan had tortured and killed him. Xe, hoping to avenge xir dead brother, joined The Survivors after xe was introduced to it. Both xem and xir brother were born in Houston, Texas.

They have pale, ivory toned skin, and dyed red hair styled into a mullet. They have blue eyes and freckles, and stand at around 6'0, making them the tallest. They also have a tattoo on their face of an upside down cross between their eyebrows, and have multiple more tattoos across their body, along with dagger ear piercings. They mostly have scars across their arms and chest, some on their thighs and one on their lip.

Character Summary 6: Madir Ahearn (he/him)

Madir Echard Ahearn is the oldest member of The Survivors, and the most brutal when it comes to torturing Rayan; though he does so rarely. He's described to be closed off and cold, yet sadistic in the face of putting others in pain. He's in his late 30's to early 40's, give or take.

Madir was an only child and dealt with an alcoholic father and a mother who wasn't always there, and so due to their parenting he blocked contact with them as best as he could, which led him to disgust the sight of alcohol (to the dismay of Ezra). He was born in Munich, Germany.

He has sienna toned skin and green-hazel eyes, his hair a dull brown brown and streaked with grey and white due to having Poliosis. He stands close to Ezra's height at only 5'11. His right arm had to be amputated as he damaged it beyond repair whilst escaping from Rayan, so he has a prosthetic as a substitute for the missing limb. He has a tattoo sleeve on his arm along with a semi-colon tattoo, and has a stud piercing on his left ear, along with a lip piercing. He has small scars on his arms and biceps, along with his back and sides.

[trentonsimblr]

Full Name: Ryland Alexandru Zachary Wellington

Nickname(s): Trashland (non-canon nickname)

Titles: Prince of Westburg, Duke of Talosa

Parents: Kristopher Wellington & Rhea Wellington (Deceased)

Sibling(s):

-Full Siblings: Tristen Wellington, Donovan Wellington (Deceased), Blaze Wellington

-Half Siblings: Gracelyn Stanfield, Marjorie Breckenridge, Quincy Wellington, Kellen Wellington, Tomas Wellington, Oliver Wellington, Magdalena Wellington

Partner: Eleanor Rutherford

Children: Emmett Rutherford, Payton Rutherford, & Aubrey Rutherford (Non-biological)

Ex-Partner(s): Everly Ingebretson, Rachelle Frazier (@atreanroyals), and many, many, many, many more

Best Friend: Donovan Wellington (Deceased)

Friends: Tristen Wellington, Blaze Wellington

Enemies: Kristopher Wellington

Character Tag

[notalawyerdude]

Sam Winchester

what i view his main character trait to be: "a man who's bodily autonomy is stollen, time and time again, from infancy till death(s)."

I've said this before and I'll say it again. We've all said this before and will say it again. The writers said this the whole time. It's the obvious thing, and it's important

[inafieldofdaisies]

can I get 1, 13, 25, 35, and 39 for john and sabrina? (--direwombat)

1. How do they fall asleep? Wake up? Any daily rituals?

Falling asleep together when possible, John tends to play with Brin's hair, while she runs her hand over his tattoos.

Sabrina otherwise has trouble sleeping, she's the type to go "sleep is for the weak" and just finds it hard to stop her brain from overthinking late at night. So oftentimes she'd sit outside, look at the stars, play some music until she exhaust herself or she'd sketch to occupy her thoughts.

Both don't sleep in late, though Sabrina is a super early riser, has been for years so whenever she wakes up a bit later it feels like a miracle to her.

13. What do they do for fun? Do they have a favorite activity or do they like to switch things up?

Music. Just going for a drive. Swimming. Sabrina writes here and there, sketches a lot. Flying.

25. How much time do they spend together? Do they share their feelings, or hold things in?

Whenever they could, they spend time together.

Sabrina is big on sharing her thoughts and feelings, because she knows time with the ones you love is oftentimes limited and she doesn't want to have regrets.

John... quite the opposite, he loves to make people talk and share their secrets, but his own thoughts about Brin he avoids, poor lass has to pry stuff out of him a lot at the beginning.

35. Do they bring out the best in each other, or the worst? Do they have a fatal flaw?

Sabrina has the habit of bringing out the best in people, or tries to. She doesn't trust strangers easily but still believes you can find a light in anyone, no matter how dim it might be. Which at times feels like a flaw, a dangerous one at that.

John's flaw is being reckless at following Joseph's plans, not seeing how his own actions would lead to his demise, refusing to question things.

39. Who initiated the relationship? Who kissed who first?  When did they realize they were in love?

I'm gonna be short with this one to avoid spoilers.

First kiss: totally on John. A quite hilarious situation.

[the-whitehurst-files]

Meet Ida

The woman gave him a stern side eye glare. She scolded him in Danish, her words sounding nothing more than a garbled collection of vowels and the occasional harsher consonant to break it up to George's untrained ears. Whatever she said, it must have gone over Felix’s head, too. He barely flinched. That, or he didn't care. Nevertheless, Ida held out her hand to George for him to shake.

It's not easy having to babysit adults who should know much better, but someone has to draw that short straw. Dr Ida Moller knows the importance of efficient teamwork in cases such as Whitehurst. She wants to do the best she can. Only problem is she would have more luck herding cats.

Maybe there is an appeal to working alone. Sometimes.