#rainkin

[bonefall]

This is a bit of a vague, broad request (so sorry about that!) but do you have any more info on the Dappletail extended family that hasn’t made it to our ears yet? Any masterposts about them or about individual cats like Darkstripe? I loved the Cricketclaw post a lot and I’d love to see more of these complicated goobers!

Sure! But it won't be comprehensive-- I need to make them a whole post like I did for the Dragonkin family over in RiverClan.

I've been calling them Dapplekin lately, but if we zoom out a little further, I've been calling the whole family the "Tawnyrain" line. I think we could call them Rainkin for the example here.

The Rainkin family descends from Rainfur and Tawnyspots. Tawnyspots is now the FATHER of Dappletail and Thrushpelt, bringing him in line with the statement that he was an old deputy when he retired.

Tawnyspots was an old friend of Sunstar. I imagine he also had a ton of apprentices, he was a responsible and nurturing kind of guy.

Rainfur was gorgeous. She was light golden with those lighter "dapple" stripes you see in Dappletail and her kits.

She is also where the humor came from. She loved the CORNIEST jokes. For some reason I just find it very funny that every cat in BB whose prefix is "Rain" gets a sense of humor.

Tawnyspots: "Hey Rainfur!! What did the tired honeysuckle say to the oak? Leaf me alone I'm bushed!"

Rainfur: (WHEEEEEZE)

The family gets the mane from Tawnyspots.

They were just NICE people, y'know? I think Bluestar looks back at them fondly, they were like the super sweet neighbors in the apartment next to you who would bring over extra food in old, stained tupperware.

And that extended to their kids. Dappletail and Thrushpelt are extremely meaningful to Bluestar, the both of them are sweet as overripe blackberries.

Dappletail has a really BAD case of resting bitchface. I channel a bond villain when I draw her or think of her voice.

She loves telling stories and explaining things, because she is good at it.

When Ravenkit and Dustkit's mother died and their uncle was extremely sick, and she'd just lost Featherkit and Darkstripe skeddadled with Graykit, she looked after them.

I think Ravenpaw's love of storytelling comes from her. Unfortunately though, she gave him a great power, as a kid he had a bad habit of Making Shit Up.

It definitely comes from Dappletail, who never says "I don't know." She will hypothesize, speculate, and seek answers, but doesn't use idk.

"Dappletail, where is the tunnelbun?"

"I saw it last shift, Graystripe had it. He probably took it."

Her kits all actually have the same biofather. I don't know who it is though, I imagine she met him after Rosetail told her a secret story about her honor sire in Chelford, but it might be a Clan cat. But he's monochrome gray; all of her kits are the same color as him.

THRUSHPELT meanwhile, ALSO a ball of sunshine,

I wrote a joke about him saying howdy ONCE and it became a core memory. Guy who says howdy.

Thistleclaw: "THIS IS ENGLAND WHY ARE YOU SAYING HOWDYYYY"

"Well howdy doody thistleclaw"

"AUUUGH"

He definitely says Hello in some weird way. Guy who answers the phone with Yellow. Man who says shucks unironically

And then surprises you by being one of ThunderClan's strongest fighters. If you swear in his good Christian Minecraft server he'll fucking gut you

Dappletail is not the stronger twin. Thushpelt is as thick as a twig but you get in a fight with him and you hear Dark Souls

That's part of why Bluestar could never allow ThunderClan to get taken over by Thistleclaw. The strongest fighter... goes on the front lines.

Moonflower was the strongest fighter too, once.

Unlike Dappletail, Thrushpelt also never needed to know the full story. Bluemoon ADORED him. If she was ever about to overshare for his sake, with the thought that he deserved to know, he would stop her.

"If I should know it, I will learn it in StarClan."

When Bluestar picked her first deputy, she knew it had to be him.

And he was a fantastic deputy, and a great uncle. Super supportive guy, calls you Sport and ruffles your mullet.

He got taken out a few weeks after Featherkit, which was devastating to Dappletail. She is comforted, however, by the idea that Thrushpelt can look after her.

I got into Cricketclaw and Darkstripe recently so I'll try not to repeat too much

Cricket and Dapple were actually extremely upset that Graystripe halted the fight over his kits.

Cricketclaw especially, she doesn't give a shit about Crookedstar and his sadness, she would have invited him to Cry About It, "MY nespring"

Dapple is 50% more diplomatic; "Silverstream is gone. Stormkit and Featherkit's family is here."

Feathertail's name makes them both Emotional, she actually has a tail pattern a lot like Dappletail's

On that note, yeah. They both did not want Featherpaw and Stormpaw to go back. They were both actually pretty upset about it

Cricketclaw got in a FIGHT with Mistyfoot for saying they could go home

How dare you even SUGGEST that actually, go back to the Clan that WANTED TO EXECUTE THEM???

I don't think Cricket could compose herself enough to say goodbye, and she was FURIOUS at Featherpaw for taking the offer. Her final words to them was probably just at Stormpaw alone;

"Don't let your sister decide your whole life for you. You'll always be OUR family."

I don't think Stormpaw actually appreciated it much. Stop making this harder! I know this is a bad idea! I have to be there for Featherpaw when this shit all goes south, god damn it!!

Dappletail and Graystripe are sad but supportive of the twins' choice. Cricketclaw is maaaad

And Stormfur and Feathertail... man

Feathertail sees the good in everything, to a fault. She believes it will all work out if we stick together, and that everything that happens is meant to be.

Stormfur does not agree

He watched his whole ass mentor get wasted, PARTIALLY by his uncle.

He saw people he thought where his friends watch his execution, some curious, some cheerful. All of them just watching.

People don't die clean. His blood didn't anoint the earth, it just gushed and choked. There's no such thing as a noble murder

Everyone rejects the Dishonor Title they gave Stonefur, saying that Tigerstar was not ordained by StarClan.

Stormfur doesn't see how that matters. The stars watched, too.

It was Deerfoot, Swansong, Jaggedtooth, Wetfoot, Mosspelt, and others who saved him... and it was normal cats, just like them, who built the Bonehill

So again; what does it matter that Tigerstar wasn't given the authority by StarClan to change his name?

His mentor was named Heartworm. And that is the only angel he prays to.

If they hadn't gone back to RiverClan, Feathertail never would have been chosen for the journey. Never would have died.

And the destruction of the Forest killed his family in ThunderClan. Devastated them. Even Graystripe was taken.

So when Leopardstar nodded at the "sign" Mothwing claimed she saw, when RiverClan hardened in TNP, and when it kicked out the pawful of Tribe cats who had come to help these ingrates get set up in a new territory...

He was done with Clan Culture. There was nothing left here, for him.

I don't even plan for him to be in love with Brook yet, going to the Tribe was about getting the fuck away from all this.

Yes Feathertail's grave is there too, but I think his feelings are super complicated.

Cricketclaw was right, he let her decide his life, and because of her he didn't get to say goodbye to his family. He would have been in ThunderClan, maybe even been able to save some of them.

At the Tribe, he lives in the Cave Ward. The least populated ward, and practically a temple-town.

At first he thought he would be more of a hunter, but he quickly learned he really doesn't like how you hunt in the highlands. It's a VERY leggy activity, lots of hiking, running, coordination. It was different than he expected.

Anyway I'll stop there because I could write an SE on how Stormfur adjusts after his immigration and I would actually be interested in doing it. Like, really take the chance to show how the BB!Tribe works and explore the feelings of moving to a new place.

It's a theme that's personal to me as a writer tbh.

Graystripe meanwhile... he never gets over Silverstream. Not even with Millie. I don't think he realizes it, but he really is always looking for the glimpse of himself in a happier timeline

And boy oh boy does it fuck up his next litter.

I've spoken about them all before and I plan to collect it all in one place at some point, but briefly,

Graystripe can't ever take a side when Millie treats Briarlight poorly, and just ends up enabling Millie's ableism

Millie is frantic over Briarpaw's injury, and says some AWFUL things right to her face, making the entire situation about herself

But Graystripe will be like, "your mother says things she doesn't mean :( she loves you, you know"

He can't deal with the possibility of losing Millie, too. Or any of his kids. It's something that Briarlight and Blossomfall come to realize, with time and wisdom.

Bumblestripe meanwhile... he's not really smart enough to ever realize that. He just keeps breaking himself on trying to get Graystripe to see him

But Gray is ALWAYS seeing his first litter, and comparing them. No milestone goes by where he's not cheerfully bringing up some story of how their older siblings were, how he wishes they could see them.

That's where he goes, in the end. After extreme carnage from the Impostor, Graystripe decided that he wanted to spend the last of his life with Stormfur in the mountain.

(Graystripe's Vow is now Ferncloud's Parting, FERNCLOUD is gonna go confront her brother)

Thankfully, Briarlight had her mentor Honeysnake to help her realize her worth... but Blossomfall and Bumblestripe meander for meaning into really toxic, dangerous places for their whole lives.

Blossomfall trains in the Dark Forest because she feels so alienated and disconnected from the Clan at large, only stopping in the BOTTE in the last wave when she faces up against Briarlight

She confronts Briar, and she just... cocks her eyebrow. "ILL END YOU" "no you won't."

Squirrelflight actually tried to tell Bramblestar to make an exception with his Dishonor Titles for the DF trainees, realizing that that Blossomfall's problem was alienation.

She wanted Blossomfall to be put into a Secondary Apprenticeship, specifically for the Construction Patrol since Dustpelt was killed. Something where she'd see her work pay off, and she'd be helping to take care of the Clan.

But Bramblestar rejected it, because it would be unfair. If everyone else is getting Dishonor Titles she will get one too; she shouldn't be REWARDED for what she did. It's a punishment.

So she was Shredbloom for a while. None of her problems were addressed and she ended up joining The Kin later, eventually being rescued by Heathertail and her plan.

Returning to ThunderClan was on her family's vouch, bringing the kits she'd given birth to in The Kin with her, and she was on THIN ICE

She mouthed off at the Impostor in typical Blossomfall fashion once, early in his reign, and she got hit with a DEVASTATING second Dishonor Title; Clearface.

"Because it would be better off if we could see right through her."

Bumblestripe became one of the Impostor's favorite lackeys, exploiting his failed relationship and resentment of Dovewing

Briarlight was murdered in the dog attack that Sparkpelt barely survived, and Stemleaf is killed in the assassination attempt on the Impostor.

Bumblestripe accompanies the old people, Ferncloud, Cloudtail, and Graystripe, during Ferncloud's Parting. He says goodbye to his dad in the mountain, and finally meets the Famous Stormfur...

And learns that he's just some fucking guy.

You live your whole life trying to hold up to this standard of a distant, unknown brother in the mountains, and then you learn he was Just A Dude all along.

He went further south with Cloudtail and Ferncloud too, to make sure they were safe. They are old and it is a long journey.

And that's where they all are to the current point of BB! In ThunderClan, the active Rainkin Family is Bumblestripe, Blossomfall, Plumstone, and Shellfur, and all of them want to support Spotfur as she raises Stemleaf's children.

They refer to themselves as "Graykin" currently; their last relevant ancestor. In Clan Culture, families tend to split at a grandparent or great-grandparent.

[kthecritter]

its me! the local conceptkin, i was wondering if i could request a laptop wallpaper for storms? specifically rain, thunder, and snow storms, maybe with some imagery of a landscape after a storm, and no symbols please

here you go, I hope you enjoy! I’ve actually been questioning being a storm conceptkin :)

[crazy-iwascrazyonce1]

could you do a ghostkin flag? (specifically related to cold or stormy/rainy weather?)

ofc! Sorry for the wait/gen- (I actually like the way this one turned out)

alternative versions:

[tumberkin]

Can I pleasssse have rainkin and cloudkin stimboards??? I would love that so so much!

- deer 🌧️ (@kindkin)

Rain & Cloud Stimboard!

i hope u like it :3

[fictionkinfessions]

I've noticed that much of my confessions here are... well, a bit depressing, so I suppose I should talk about something more lighthearted.

In my canon, I believe I was autistic (there wasn't really a word for it in Outworld, but I'm almost certain I was), and one of my focused interests was frogs. Unfortunately, I can't remember a lot of the species found in Outworld, but thankfully there are plenty here in Earthrealm that are just as fascinating. Here's a few of my favorites:

The Purple Indian Frog. Of course, it's purple, which is obviously my favorite color, but it also looks very strange... Its large nose (which it uses to burrow into the ground) looks like a pig's, and it sounds like one too.

The Coqui. It reminds me of the frogs that would gather around the pond in the Hanging Gardens, and its sounds are quite endearing.

The Dyeing Poison Dart Frog. Poison Dart Frogs in general are a favorite of mine, but the colors on this one are the most beautiful, in my opinion.

The Desert Rain Frog. No, it's not just because it's called a "Rain" frog. Rain frogs are very unique as they do not start off as tadpoles, they crawl instead of hop, and they cannot swim. That, and I just find them adorable. They squeak like little toys!

The Purple Harlequin Toad. Yes, I know that this is not a frog, but I still find it very interesting. Unfortunately I can't find much information on it, and it seems to be critically endangered, but it is certainly a beautiful creature.

The Hairy Frog. This one is just bizzare, but I can't help but love it. Males have hair-like appendages on their hind legs called dermal papillae that help them absorb oxygen underwater, and they can also break their toes in order to create bone "claws" to defend themselves from predators. It reminds me a lot of Havik and his... unique abilities. I'm sure he would appreciate the comparison.

I know this has very little to do with fictionkin, but I just thought I would take a moment to be more positive. It's very nice to be able to discuss simpler things such as this.

-Rain (Mortal Kombat 1, #💜🌧)

x

[otherkinotd]

Today's otherkin of the day is Rain, who is rainkin 🌧

-requested by anon

[fangsnpaws]

unhinged thirty days of otherkin challenge

2 ✩ warm or cold ocean water?

as a cat therian: ew, water. neither. /j

as vampirekin and rainkin i would prefer cold; as satyrkin and lovekin i would prefer warm!

[elliott-the-creature]

Never realized until now how connected to water I was/am. As a kid, I was described as a fish out of water, and I would always find an excuse to be around water and swim. I felt more free and comfortable in water, and was a natural swimmer. Rain was and still is my favourite weather, and I would revel in the calm and endless hum of it. When I went scuba diving last year, I had never felt so connected to a place in my life. I felt free, I felt confident, I felt like myself.

My personality is similar to water too. I can be as calm and relaxed as a still lake, as chattery and free as a bubbling brook, and as fierce and wild as the ocean. And even though I’m not as graceful and flowy as water, I still feel like water. Idk if my star sign (pisces) has anything to do with it, but I like to think it does. My mind feels as endless and expansive as the ocean, but still teeming with thoughts and emotions like aquatic flora and fauna.

Something somewhat related, but I also feel kinda like snow. Winter is my favourite season, and any kind of snow makes me happy. It’s probably just an appreciation of snow more than anything though.

[theclansofnoctusrp]

GRYPHON GALLERY - SCREECHSTAR

she/her | 85 moons | Rainbringer of the RainKin Screechstar is a Lammergeier gryphon with red/silver eyes, pointed ears, and white skin. Her white base is tinted with a reddish fade, mainly located at her chest/throat; with black wings, fluffy tail, and markings along her face to accompany the look. Large, powerful curled claws with a tough hooked beak are also to be mindful of. A thick mottled coat & feathers litter the she-gryphon’s body, covering her past scars. The Rainbringer’s height reaches about 19 hands at the shoulder with a wingspan over three times her size (57 hands). Screech’s feathers on her head & neck often fluff up to present an even larger, intimidating form.

Screechstar was born alongside two littermates, Shrimpcub and Mistcub. While both of her siblings looked like her lovebird mother, Breezeflower, Screechcub herself resembled her absent father. Because of her odd appearance, Screechcub found it difficult to fit in and make friends. Still, she didn't let that get her hopes down; she was fiery and ambitious, and by the time she was named Screechpaw, she had proven her position in the RainKin was not one she was willing to give up.

Screechflight graduated tyroship with flying colors. Though her close brother Shrimppaw had passed away and the rest of her family was distant, Screechflight made a name for herself as a passionate warrior dedicated to her Kin. A moon before the Conflict, she was elected as deputy. She made it out of the Conflict with blood on her talons, as it is known she was the one who dealt the killing blow to Sunstar out of vengeance for Rainstar. Screechstar wants the RainKin to be prepared for if something as horrible as a war ever happens again.

⭐The Clans of Noctus is open to applicants!⭐

[autumn-b0nes]

Ok so I’ve been researching and analyzing myself, I still don’t know if it’s a specific kind of water (rain, lake, ocean) but I think it might be a hearttype.

I have one other hearttype, a mourning dove, and this feels similar to that.

Back into the research pile I go 👋💧

Looking into elementkin stuff bc as i learn more about it im questioning waterkin 🥲

[the-fallen-collective]

Venti’s kin list

Therian: ☆ Selachii (all sharks) ☆Raccoon ☆ Midwestern wolf (ID) ☆ All foxes (ID) ☆ European shorthair cat (domestic) ☆Otter

Otherkin: ☆ TBH creature ☆ Kitsune ☆ Fae ☆ Siren ☆ Vampire (ID) ☆ Seraph (ID) ☆ Cryptid ☆Spacekin ☆Starkin ☆ball jointed doll ☆ Thrones angel ☆ marionette ☆ Demon ☆ Concept of irredeemable villains

Fictionkin: ☆Ticci Toby (creepypasta) (ID) ☆Kim Dokja (Omniscient reader veiwpoint) ☆ Nikolai Gogol (bungō Stray Dogs) ☆ Grian (hermitcraft, evo, yhs, life series) ☆ Shi Qingxuan (heavn officials blessing) ☆ Yumeno Kyūsaku (bsd) ☆Sigma (bsd) ☆DDLC (conceptkin of entire game) ☆Glitchtrap (fnaf) ☆ Bloodmoon (the sun and moon show) ☆ Paimon (genshin impact) ☆ enderman (minecraft) ☆ Lazari (creepypasta) ☆ Cozy Glow (my little pony) ☆ Ocellus (my little pony) ☆ Mizi (alien stage) ☆ Tobias Schneien (ghost eyes) (ID) ☆ Grell (black butler) (ID) ☆ Ui-chan (loli god requiem) ☆ Marko (lost boys) ☆ Mark (fnaf au tormentor) ☆ Security Breach (conceptkin of the whole game) ☆ Samara Morgan (the ring) ☆ Aiura Mikoto (saiki k) ☆ Charlie (charlie the unicorn) ☆ Nimona (nimona) ☆ Poison Ivy (harley quinn tv show) (ID?) ☆ PM Dazai (bsd (beast?)) (ID) ☆ Julia Argent (carmen sandiago) ☆ Elizabeth Afton (fnaf) (ID) ☆ Candlehead (wreck it ralph)

Songkin: ☆ Houdini In Chains ☆ Loli God Requiem (song +music video) ☆ Rabbit Hole (song +music video by Will Stetson)

Copinglink: ☆ Avagado6 art ☆ Sunset Shimmer ☆ Edgar Allan Poe (bungō stray dogs) ☆ Muichiro (demon slayer) ☆ Rui (demon slayer)

Otherhearted: ☆ Qi Rong (heaven official’s blessing) ☆ Will Wood’s music ☆ Double Trouble (she-ra)

Kinsidering: ☆Rainkin ☆Computerkin ☆ Elijah (oc) ☆ Alessa (silent hill) ☆ Jack Kennedy (dsaf) ☆ Cinderpelt (warriors) ☆ Janet Hodgson (the conjuring 2)

FNAF kins

FNAF 1: Freddy Bonny Chica Foxy

FNAF 2: Toy freddy Toy Bonny Toy Chica Mangle (ID) Balloon boy Puppet Toy cupcake

Withered: Withered Freddy Withered Bonny Withered Chica Withered Foxy

Shadows: RWQFSFASXC (ID) Shadow puppet Shadow BB

FNAF 3: Phantom freddy Phtanom chica Phantom foxy Phantom mangle (ID) Phantom puppet Springtrap

FNAF 4: Nightmare foxy Nightmare fredbear Nightmare Nightmare mangle (ID) Nightmare cupcake Nightmarionne Jack o bonnie

Sister Location: Circus baby (ID) Ballora Funtime foxy Minireena Bon bon Ennard

Rockstars: Rockstar freddy Lefty

Mediocre Melodies: Mr hippo

Security Breach: Glamrock chica Eclipse Tangle Dj music man Helpi

Pizza Simulator: Scrap baby Helpy Security puppet

Other: 8 bit baby Arctic ballora 8 bit cupcake Fredbear Bloodmoon Grimm foxy

[bonefall]

What roles are Willow Tail, Quick Water, and Fern Leaf going to be like in your rewrite? I hate most of DOTC but I do enjoy a lot of the side characters, especially them

Willow Tail I know what I'm doing with, Quick Water and Fern Leaf I'm less sure of.

BB!Willow Tail -> Willow Flayed Bare

Willow is a young molly from the Wind Coalition who fought at the First Battle. Her first name was Tabby, and she earned her title for presenting a large, weaved willowbark basket to the Wind Runner. She's an artisan with a useful talent.

Since I completely overhauled Moth Flight's Vision into Moth Flight's Vow, which has a NEW origin for how the Cleric's Vow occured, I'm still reworking the Bunny Bones plot that I'm fond of.

I'm unsure if it's going to be a novella or a catalyst for the conflict of another book. It might be a good way to create an opportunity for Quick Water to run her rebellion

Willow has a petty dispute with one of Clear Sky's kittens; Tiger Sky. It's a TINY bananas squabble. She doesn't like seeing her rude ass sunbathing on the moor, so she starts leaving bunny bones on the border and accusing her of stealing to get her banned from the area.

Skystar, being the man that he is, takes the accusation that one of HIS warriors, his oldest (remaining) DAUGHTER no less, VERY personally. What started as a mean girl moment quickly exploded into total war.

I LIKE the way that the original plot was so unjustified and avoidable it's painful. I just wish it was framed as the miserable, violent moment it should have been. I'm planning on keeping Willow's blinding, but it's the final straw for Tiger who can't stomach this any longer.

Willow is likely going to end up in the River Kingdom, exiled for starting the conflict. She might still get retooled; in a later draft she may become a ShadowClan Mountain Cat.

Quick Water

Aside from a brief moment in Sun Trail where they give her the trait of being 'vain' and being woman 34 that Clear Sky smacks around to relieve stress in Forest Divided, she's suuuuper neglected in the main arc imo.

I haven't read past the part where they unceremoniously kill Sun Shadow in Shadowstar's Life, so I hope to revisit it before retooling Quick Water more. I hate how DOTC takes every opportunity to shit on Tall Shadow when she doesn't fucking do anything.

(Side note: it's kinda why i cant see Shadowstar as the girlboss ppl want her to be. Wind Runner is the girlboss. Canon!Tall Shadow is absolute girlfail. In BB, Tall Shadow is less girlfail but she still has the pervasive energy of... this isnt going to make sense to anyone but me BUT BB!Tall Shadow is SO girl obama to me. Well-spoken high road liberal who gets steamrolled by dirty fighters.)

So BB!Quick Water,

For one she's going to be part of a full family. It's either going to become the Water Family OR her name will change and she'll become Quick Tail.

I think she's going to become good friends with Shatter Frost, as Shadow's Clan early "conservative" types who think Clear Sky has a point.

They might end up with kittens, because DOTC is supposed to be about. Like. Ancestors. It's bizarre that they gave the Quiet Rainkin like 20 surviving descendants while everyone else dies off. Not cool actually.

In any case, I want to boost Quick's role significantly. Let her be one of Tall's key cats, either a hunter or a fighter. Something that isn't surprising when she eventually tries to toss Shadowstar out of power

Shadowstar actually survives this coup. She's one of the longer-lived founders in BB!DOTC, unlike canon where she was the first to go. Quick, meanwhile, is one of the VERY FIRST Dark Forest demons, which I can hopefully have a lot of fun with.

Fern Leaf

(CW: Canon!Slash and the racist trope he's written as that includes physical and sexual violence)

She is VERY up in the air currently, because I'm rejecting Slash as a villain completely. It was SUPER fucked up of them to make TWO stinky, born-evil native villains and then write one of them the way they did. Not only is it thematically RANCID, but it's also LAZY writing.

They have to make Slash a lustful creep so that Clear Sky looks better, because they DIDN'T WRITE A REAL REDEMPTION WHERE HE FACES ACTUAL CONSEQUENCES.

Like... I'm sorry, we understand that the way they wrote Slash is a really old trope, right?? "The natives will kidnap our women and hurt our children if we don't unite, and that's why the colonization of this land was totally cool" Warrior Cats is no stranger to xenophobia, but this time it went so far it invoked an outright racist trope.

(And then they just... totally gloss over that Star Flower is "young" compared to Clear Sky, who was less than 3 at the time, meaning she must be around the same age as the son he is actively abusing and EURGH Forest Divided makes me want to throw up)

SO.

Now that I have screamed about how ROTTEN this part is to stress WHY I need to gouge it out with a rusty spoon;

First of all, Slash has an updated name to help separate him from canon a bit. The Mountain cats call him Dashes for his leg markings, the Park cats call him The Silver Pelt for the color of his fur, his real name is Star-shine. Just "Star" in a casual context, his birth name. "Shine" is a leader suffix.

In-canon, Fern Leaf's purpose is to be abused by Slash enough that she reveals information to Gray Wing, and to contrast Beautiful Boy Clear Sky who beats the shit out of women and kids for good reasons so his abused underlings still wuv him.

So... no. Not keeping that. Lol, lmao even.

While I'm not totally against allowing Star to remain some type of harsh or even abusive towards his cats, IF that remains, I need to stress how much it is influenced by the constant stress and violence the Forest Cats are surrounded by. Harsh times don't cause abuse, but they do contribute, and even important, protective people can still abuse a victim.

Doesn't make it okay. Doesn't even make it easier to heal from. It robs you of the simplicity of it all-- being hurt by someone you desperately want to remember fondly.

Still, it's a very fine line to walk when I already have a big problem to fix here. I'm dealing with an egregiously racist trope, even if I HAVE already removed the MOST awful parts related to Canon!Slash's behavior (it's not appropriate for the tone I'm setting or something im comfortable writing).

But the physical abuse is a huge part of Fern Leaf. So, do you see my conundrum? I am confident handling the nuances of abuse, but this part of the story could use bleach.

I have a few ideas, one I'm leaning towards, but I'm still open to suggestions

Idea 1: Fern Leaf is one of Misty's kits

This was an earlier thought I'm moving away from, but it's worth mentioning. I already have Birch and Alder I'm doing this with, with Alder Claw eventually defecting from SkyClan, so adding Fern Leaf to the litter might be redundant.

In any case, Milkweed was mates with Misty. If this idea stays, Fern could be the one kitten she managed to escape with, forced to leave the other two behind. But then I wouldn't keep Fern's abuse, y'know?

(Plus Milkweed has so many kittens to pick from that I already need to shave some down. She's got like 6 in canon; I've gone over it before but a massive reason why WC's family trees are so tangled is because of "superqueens" like this. They tend to give one parent a lot of kits instead of giving a lot of parents a few kits.)

Idea 2: Fern Leaf is Star's daughter

Either with or without abuse, this is the one I'm leaning towards. It would mean she can show up a lot through the story as his ""lackey"" until Thunder and Bright learn that her and her dad are just like them.

If I nix the abuse (which seems wisest at the moment, honestly) then Fern can still be covered in her iconic scars, just from tangling with Park and Mountain cats constantly. Naturally she's at the forefront of battle patrols, she's fighting alongside her dad.

Plus, there's lots of opportunities for overhauling the dynamics from canon. Her mom didn't "abandon" them, she was probably attacked by the settlers. Star can be a good parent or just one with more complexity, instead of whatever canon was trying to do with Slash and this unrelated kid he hits.

(Re: very strange they refused to acknowledge that sometimes biodads are not worth forgiving or coddling. Interesting that Tom the Wifebeater and One Eye are sympathized with by the narrative for having kids. Curious they decided Canon!Slash of all characters would NOT be a father.)

Idea 3: Shuffle Fern into a Mountain or Park group.

AKA: prioritize the portrayal of intense physical abuse and her recovery, while avoiding tying it to the Forest cats entirely.

I feel like this one is the least interesting, but I'm keeping it on hand just in case. Like it says on the tin, she'd get any association with Slash/Star removed. I'd try to keep her developing a bond with Bright Storm though, since one of Gray Wing's... okayish moments was his interactions with Fern in trying to encourage her to leave.

(Even then, i really cant stand how the narrative concludes through Gray Wing that Slash is super evil because he doesnt feel love. And that he just decides to not tell Tall Shadow there's an evil group of cats spying on her and planning to invade because... Wisdom idk.)

If I do this, I will probably put her into WindCo. Their "homestead" system where individual families own mini-territories is a ripe situation for abuse to occur in, and the very structure of WindCo means that there's no one around to stop it or seek out for help.

Plus, maybe I could find some way for her to help out Thunder's crew as a WindCo insider. It's not a total wash, I just find Idea 2 more interesting.

[alterhumanblog]

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[bonebabbles]

Reunion scene analysis

This scene in DOTC is fucking fascinating and such an interesting example of how the writer ableism gets in the way of their storytelling.

So this is right after the forest fire in Thunder Rising, when Proto-SkyClan is taking refuge in Proto-WindClan after they saved the aggressive forest group's lives. Bumble has already been exiled and Jagged Peak's only action during the entire ordeal was to agree that she was fat and useless.

Now, Clear Sky is buttering up to Thunder, seeing that he can hunt and has value as an able-bodied person and possible recruit. It's causing tension between Gray Wing and Thunder, though it's worth noting that the narration only uses "father" to refer to Clear Sky.

They have a tense meal where Proto-SkyClan sits at their little separate lunch tables and glares at their hosts. There's a Quiet Rainkin family reunion here-- Jagged Peak is hovering on the side working up the strength to talk to the brother that exiled him, Clear Sky compliments Thunder and then,

Clear Sky spotted his younger brother, too, and whipped around to face him. Jagged Peak jumped, startled. “And you? What have you done to prove yourself?” Clear Sky demanded, scorn in his voice and eyes. “Well,” he added sneeringly, “you survived. That’s as much as you can do, now.” Jagged Peak’s shoulder fur bristled. “Actually,” he began, “I was responsible for looking after the camp and the cats who—” “So you stayed behind, where it was safe,” Clear Sky interrupted. Gray Wing couldn’t ignore that. He sprang to his paws and padded up to the group. “Jagged Peak is being really useful,” he mewed sharply. “Injured leg or no injured leg. He protected the cats who stayed in the hollow, and in case you didn’t notice, he did an excellent job of welcoming your cats into our camp. We need him, Clear Sky.”

...he's not. DOTC can never refute this point, because it's constantly defining cats based on their ability to contribute, up until its very last book. Bumble was exiled for exactly this, sent back to an abuser, for the idea that she wouldn't be able to hunt and would be 'another hungry mouth.'

Jagged Peak can't do what he used to. He can't heroically lunge into a forest fire like his nephew Thunder. He is disabled. But the writer here DOES believe that everyone must do work for the Clan at large

And they express that by putting it into Gray Wing's mouth. "No no no! He IS helpful we swear! He... protected the cats who weren't in danger! He welcomed you into camp! We need him, really, promise"

It's hollow, and that makes this whole scene uncomfortable. Gray Wing does not actually refute Clear Sky's philosophy. He does fundamentally agree with it, he's only correcting Clear Sky on technicalities.

"It IS bad to not contribute, but actually, Jagged Peak does justify his existence."

So... what if he couldn't?

Turning toward Jagged Peak, Clear Sky gave him a long look from intense blue eyes. “I’m sorry,” he told the young cat. “I take back what I said.” But Jagged Peak’s gaze was still full of pain and anger. “It’s too late!” he spat, “You clearly think I’m a waste of space. Why else would you have thrown me out of the forest? And now that I’m beginning to prove myself, you need Gray Wing to tell you what I’ve done.” He shook his head. “Will I ever be good enough?”

What the scene is trying to get at is that Jagged Peak feels disrespected, and that his recovery isn't being acknowledged. That his self-esteem was destroyed by being exiled. But, instead, it reads like to me like Clear Sky very callously popped a comfortable bubble that Jagged Peak was living in

Jagged Peak ISN'T contributing like his Clanmates and THAT SHOULD BE OKAY. He is LOVED, He HAS innate worth, and that's the POINT of having a society in the first place.

Instead of challenging the notion of value being tied to contribution, this is about Clear Sky accepting Gray Wing's flimsy argument that Jagged Peak has 'proven' himself, and that he isn't acknowledging that 'progress.'

But why are we here? Why does Jagged Peak need to "prove" his life is worth living? Take note of this framing, and what sorts of values are treated as a given.

“I told you I’m sorry . . . ,” Clear Sky began. But Jagged Peak wasn’t listening. Turning his back on Clear Sky, he limped away to join Rainswept Flower. Clear Sky let out a sigh as he watched him, then turned to meet Gray Wing’s gaze. “I didn’t mean . . .” His voice trailed off. Gray Wing twitched his whiskers in exasperation. “You never do mean anything, do you, Clear Sky?” “I’m just trying to do my best for every cat!” Clear Sky protested, instantly defensive. “By humiliating your brother?” Thunder was watching the two of them, drinking in every word. Gray Wing couldn’t help feeling glad that the young cat was seeing firsthand that Clear Sky wasn’t perfect. But even thinking that made Gray Wing squirm with discomfort. Why do I care so much? Why shouldn’t Thunder be happily reunited with his father? “Well, I can’t help it!” Clear Sky snapped, his neck fur beginning to rise. “It’s not my fault Jagged Peak fell out of that tree. Every cat has to contribute, and weak cats just don’t count.” He gave a single lash of his tail. “It’s about survival!"

I drop the phrase, "Clear Sky's redemption arc was a mistake" a lot. What I mean by that is, the entire arc is built around the struggle for Clear Sky's family to help him become a better person. Instead of refuting what Clear Sky represents as a character, DOTC is stuck in a tar pit that can only focus on him as a person.

He doesn't mean to hurt anyone. He doesn't have any malice. Noo, he was a fundamentally good person the whole time, and Gray Wing is right to always always see The Good in him and fight against any nasty instincts to keep his family away from the eugenicist ghoul

But fuck, this arc could have been FANTASTIC if it didn't bother with trying to keep this character redeemable. If it was about toxic family, cutting off people that hurt you and continue to hurt you, recognizing and challenging the deep assumptions that you end up believing as a result of loving someone like this, breaking cycles of abuse and accepting that some people don't change no matter how hard you try...

But YOU can.

But instead, it's just the same trend we see every time that a male character hurts someone for a self-absorbed reason.

Sandgorse was a hero, actually, and that's why you should remember him uncritically Talltail.

Stormtail just wasn't present, Bluefur, but that's no big deal since he's here for you now.

Ashfur just loved your mom too much, Jayfeather, so him trying to murder you wasn't Hell-worthy

Bramblestar was just worried about ThunderClan, Squirrelflight, and you shouldn't have spoken over him at that meeting

Clear Sky actually loved his Clan all along and everything was hard choices, for survival and because he was so afraid, so you have to accept his apology (even though he never actually changes.)

[fictionkinfessions]

So, not too long ago, I had a dream where I (my "real" human self from this timeline, not myself as Rain) was looking at this website that had what seemed to be official profiles of different Mortal Kombat characters, and I immediately went to check the section for myself (as in Rain, not my human self. Is this confusing?). I don't remember many details, but I believe it said that I was 9080 years old and that my birthday, or at least what it would be if I lived in Earthrealm, was November 27th. It also said that Mileena and Kitana were both 10400 years old, but beyond that, I can't recall any other information.

I have no idea why I would have a dream like this, so I will assume that this is some sort of strange revelation of kin memories. I've had dreams about memories before, but most often it was a direct recreation of them with myself as my kintype. Perhaps because this is more personal information than an actual memory, it was different?

...I don't know. Either way, I always knew that I was younger than my sisters, but I never thought it was by an entire millennium. Edenians such as us do have very long life spans, but that much of a gap was very surprising.

-Rain (Mortal Kombat 1, #💜🌧)

x

[otherkinotd]

Today's otherkin of the day is Ghostbur, who is rainkin 🌧

-requested by anon

Today's otherkin of the day is Ghostbur, who is sheepkin 🐑

-requested by anon