#shiverrose

[residences-of-the-darkforest]

for the not-so-nice oc asks: failure, mistake, and nightmare for hawkjay, lovagecreek, shiverrose, clawbear, and applefoot?

(picked some of my underrated faves!)

Hawkjay

Failure: What's your OC's greatest failure? Have they been able to move past it? Does anyone else know about it?

In her eyes, Hawkjay's biggest failure were her murders. She let darkness consume her and turn her into something that she wasn't--or at least, into something that she didn't want to be.

She thought she was doing the right thing up until she woke up in the Dark Forest. The fact that she was condemned for her actions showed her that there was no noble reason behind those actions--she was a murderer, and nothing else could be said.

She doesn't really try to overcome it, as she views it more as something to live with than move on from. It's likely she vents to her brother.

-

Mistake: What's the worst mistake your OC ever made? What led to them making it? Have they been able to fix it? How have they moved on?

In technical terms, the biggest mistake that Hawkjay made was telling Rainpaw of her murders, which resulted in her being killed. However, Hawkjay herself views this as a good thing.

-

Nightmare: What does your OC have nightmares about? How do they deal with their nightmares? Do they tell people, or keep it to themself?

Hawkjay remembers those moments of thrill that she felt when she killed, and it terrifies her. She doesn't like being a killer, and she certainly doesn't want to like what she did. But sometimes when she's dreaming, she relives those moments, only it's a little different--sometimes she draws it out. Sometimes she laughs. Sometimes she kills more.

It's not so much subconscious fantasies as it is horror at what she's done replaying over and over in her mind, following her. They were quite frequent in her life and first few moons of death, but now they are rare, and her family help keep her mind focused on happier things.

She keeps it to herself, but...sometimes her family can tell that something is going on when she wakes up shaking.

.

.

Lovagecreek

Failure: What's your OC's greatest failure? Have they been able to move past it? Does anyone else know about it?

Time had greatly eased the burden on his heart, but back when he had lost his daughters to sickness, he believed that he was a failure of a father. He failed to keep them healthy and safe (it didn't matter if the medicine cat said there was nothing that could be done). He failed to protect his mate from the heartache, which he thought about every time she had screamed in agony over their loss.

His family knows about it and comforts him when the memories get bad, but how can he ever really move past something like that?

-

Mistake: What's the worst mistake your OC ever made? What led to them making it? Have they been able to fix it? How have they moved on?

It wasn't a mistake, not really, not when it was intentional, but...

he should have never killed Bluedove.

-

Nightmare: What does your OC have nightmares about? How do they deal with their nightmares? Do they tell people, or keep it to themself?

First it was nightmares of his family.

Sometimes it would be his daughters dying of sickness, and no matter how hard Lovagecreek searched for herbs, they would always die and Aldersun's screams of sorrow jolted him awake.

Sometimes it would be Bluedove's ghost appearing, begging, asking why he had done it. And then he would wake up and look at her kits that he had taken in, the ones that looked so much like her, and he would think about what he took from them.

Sometimes it would be those kits finding out what he had done and turning on him. Not that he wouldn't deserve it, but...

After much time passed, the nightmares slowly stopped. But Lovagecreek would get the occasional dream of losing someone in his family--though this time it was someone in his new, Dark Forest family. His kits falling to sickness, or everyone disappearing, or Ratbirch crying because the kits are gone and no matter how hard he looks, Lovagecreek can't find them and he thinks he's lost them forever--

but then his mate never fails to wake him up, assure him everything is okay, and hold him close.

.

.

Shiverrose

Failure: What's your OC's greatest failure? Have they been able to move past it? Does anyone else know about it?

Shiverrose doesn't regret her actions. Her only failure was not getting the job done, something she's not shy about admitting.

She doesn't pay too much attention to the affairs of the living world. In that way, in a sense, she has moved past it (though she will still jokingly bring up how she could have done it if Kiteburn hadn't killed her when she's in his presence).

-

Mistake: What's the worst mistake your OC ever made? What led to them making it? Have they been able to fix it? How have they moved on?

Shiverrose's first instinct would be to say 'not killing Kiteburn before he had killed her', but she's not all too upset with her death (and she quite likes the crystals embedded in her skull).

If she had to choose something she DOES regret, it would be not killing one by one. Time in the Dark Forest fueled her darkest desires. She regrets not taking it slow so that she could watch as cats suffered one after the other instead of a simple burst of sickness all over. It would be easier to focus on the pain and suffering of the cats she hated then, instead of having to split her attention so many ways.

The again, Kiteburn would have likely killed her before she could manage to take out too many. Oh well.

-

Nightmare: What does your OC have nightmares about? How do they deal with their nightmares? Do they tell people, or keep it to themself?

When she was a kit and young apprentice, Shiverrose would have nightmares about not being good enough due to her bad leg.

Now she knows it would have never meant anything anyway.

(Greyheart, her best friend, would console her)

.

.

Clawbear

Failure: What's your OC's greatest failure? Have they been able to move past it? Does anyone else know about it?

Clawbear believes that his greatest failure was uhm. Well the assessment was really hard and his mentor told him that he would have to try again, but his parents were the leader and deputy and they told him that he passed! So actually no failures, he did good!

-

Mistake: What's the worst mistake your OC ever made? What led to them making it? Have they been able to fix it? How have they moved on?

Of if he had to choose it would be....NOT TAKING THAT BIG RABBIT FROM THE PREY-PILE. He was too tired to eat, but it looked so good...It still makes his mouth water.

-

Nightmare: What does your OC have nightmares about? How do they deal with their nightmares? Do they tell people, or keep it to themself?

Last week he had a nightmare that his rock was just gone! No one could find it anywhere. When he woke up he had to find a reflective surface just so he could see (and feel) that it was still there.

.

.

Applefoot

Failure: What's your OC's greatest failure? Have they been able to move past it? Does anyone else know about it?

Personally, he believes that his worst failure was ever stooping low enough to fall for a non-WindClan cat. He moves past it by focusing on his afterlife now. Nothing else but the present matters (and he for sure definitely doesn't just say that to avoid his own guilt).

Most, however, agree that his greatest failure was the fact that he was born.

-

Mistake: What's the worst mistake your OC ever made? What led to them making it? Have they been able to fix it? How have they moved on?

Well, obviously his biggest mistake was become mates with that she-cat! And the fact that he got her pregnant, on top of that! But, well, it takes two to tango, so it's not like he's entirely at fault. But again, nothing he can do about it now, so what does it matter?

It's mentioned in his profile but he liked the attention she gave him because he wasn't getting much of it back home.

-

Nightmare: What does your OC have nightmares about? How do they deal with their nightmares? Do they tell people, or keep it to themself?

Of course he doesn't tell anyone! Why would he show anyone signs of weakness?

Why would he tell anyone that he's....

That he's sorry.

It doesn't weigh in him heavily and he doesn't have full-on nightmares, but there's always the nag at the back of his mind, always the lingering sorrow. But he's still an ass

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

How do all the Med Cats get along? Aside from uh, well I doubt Runningbird is too excited to talk to any of them.

This ask has been sitting in my inbox for over

a

YEAR

I remember that it was sent while I was doing those "ask a character and have them respond in drawing form" because that's what I was gonna do with this ask, and that's why it was taking so damn long to answer

but I'm in my second year of university now, so chances are I'm not gonna have the chance to draw the answer as I've been hoping to do since *checks notes* MAY OF 2022.

So let's just answer it now, shall we?

(I SUSPECT that the person who sent this is someone still following the blog 00 so hopefully they can see their question go answered at last!)

The Medicine cat Community in The Place of No Stars

Many would at first think that no one helped anyone but themself in the Dark Forest, and they're partly right.

Why do medicine cats get together?

Well, that could be for many reasons. They genuinely enjoy the company, they're with someone they can relate to, they enjoyed healing in life and still do, they want to be special, or maybe they just like to help with herbs so that they can stave off their own boredom.

Individually, it's the same as in life--everyone with proper med cat training knows everything that a medicine cat should know.

In groups, particularly in the med cat community, tasks are more divided by skill.

Fleathistle, for example, is a wonderful healer, but even more than that he's great at growing plants. He's responsible for at least 80% of the herbs that grew and can be useful in the Dark Forest. He, with the help of his mate and close friends, created the 'Dark Garden,' where a field-full of different herbs and medicines grow, many of which unheard of in life, as Fleathistle experimented with them, creating some herbs from scratch.

Now, Fleathistle is still a medicine cat. If you need healing, you can go to him as much as you can go to anyone. But if you need particular herbs, it's better to go to him above anyone else. (This is in a similar sense of 'all toads are frogs, but not all frogs are toads' if that makes sense?)

++

Myrtlewing is another case of 'the best one to go to in a certain situation.'

True, Myrtlewing would also be the scariest one to go to, as in life he experimented with his patients, putting their lives and health at grave risk for his own curiosity and entertainment, but it's due to these experiments and others he performed on cats that makes him so useful.

Myrtlewing would tear cats open and apart and test out how to keep them alive for as long as he wished in spite of their horrible injuries. Because of this, if a cat were to receive a horrible injury, he's the best healer to go to because of his knowledge of how to keep the cat alive.

In simpler terms, he's the "surgeon" of the group, the only one able to heal a cat's torn up insides--though he's nowhere near as talented as human surgeons.

He's the one to go to if someone is in grave trouble and / or if someone has a particularly horrible injury.

++

Shiverrose's talents as a healer lies most notably in how she cures sickness.

Like all medicine cats, she's great at healing wounds, but illness is where her skills really show.

She has great memory and fantastic critical thinking skills, which allows her to come to a diagnostic conclusion much quicker than other medicine cats.

She only needs to hear a list of your symptoms to figure out in a matter of seconds what is wrong with you and what may be best to heal you with (she may also go to Fleathistle for the second part, as he knows more about the Dark herbs than anyone else).

She would probably be just as good with wounds if such injuries were troubling to figure out too. It's tricky to figure out why someone may have a dry throat and bellyache, it's rather easy to see why their leg was broken.

----

There are also those who were medicine cats in life but no longer wish to heal, and therefore do not count as part of this Medicine Cat Club.

Sageleaf, for example, would very much like for everyone to leave her alone forever, thank you.

=========

@ambitiousauthor @frightnightindustries @starfalcon555 @wills-woodland-warriors @umbranoxs @elementaldeityoffood @liberhoe

[wills-woodland-warriors]

DarkForest Kits - an updating list 

bold = death

italics = born outside of the dark forest

FishDrop (bio FungiChomp, adoptive FadingFlea)

TawnyTrot (bio HornetLeg, adoptive fadingflea) 

AmaranthTuft, PoppyPerch, RosewoodSpring, RaspberryThorn, HarlequinCress, WeepingWobble, SpiceBushTumble, FoxgloveChirp, LavenderMottle, SweetpeaSnaggle, OysterGlow, FennelBones (fadingflea bio babies) 

CypressKit, BadgerKit, PebbleKit (adopted by Doesong and SparkTail) 

FrostKit, MoleKit, BrokenKit, AshKit (adopted by EmberDawn and GorseHeart)

FressiaKit, DoeKit, JayKit, ProteaFang (EmberDawn and GorseHeart bio) 

OwlGaze, LizardTalon, BreezeWhisper (bio WebStripe and DahliaBreeze)

WebFang, LilyClaw, SilkTangle, PetalStripe (bio WebStripe and LilyWater) 

MyrtleKit, AlderKit (bio SwanTail and LupineFrost) 

BlackKit, MudKit (adoptive FernDoe and JackDawFoot

JackDawKit (bio SwanTail and DahliaBreeze)

BeechBlaze, RowanShade, GooseStep (bio WebStripe and LupineFrost) 

CherryKit (possibly kidnapped by Gramps) 

RosyKit (bio PeanutFur) 

CandyKit (bio CrunchSnow)

JellyMoss, PineNutPounce, GlitterKit, StrawberryKit (bio SmokeFleck)

PaleShine, SilverCloud, ThistleTooth (TansyFang x WebStripe bio)

SlugWing, SpiderSpots, HawthornFrost, TansyKit, CarnationLeaf, HawthornKit, FawnHeart (BegoniaLeaf and WebStripe bio)

WaspKit, NightKit (Adopted by FennelBur and SableFleck)

MellowTooth (adopted by Wordweaver and DasiySong, bio WebStripe and WaxFeather)

WormKit (adopted by LoonFur, FallenFire, RoseFrost)

TreeSpall, DrizzleStare (bio AlderStar and HootPetal)

BlazeStrike, HoneyFlower, HawkFlight, StoneFrost (bio AspenRoot, KiteBurn, RookStorm, surrogate ShiverRose)

MoonTail, DaisyPelt, ThrushRun, RedSnail, AntPounce (bio BrownMouse and WebStripe) 

JumpPool, SnipNight, CrabNeedle, MinnowBlink, PranceKit/Ears (bio BrownMouse and NightStar) 

TigerKit (adopted by RoomStorm, KiteBurn, AspenRoot)

SmokeyFlame, BarkTail, SandKit/Spark, DeerTongue, WoollySpark, LeafCurl, YellowEar, EarWigKit, AphidHeart, ClaridaeGoose, bio SmallJump and BasilTooth, SparkTail as the surrogate)

KestralStorm, GoldenDusk, RookLight, CrowPine, RavenCall (bio Jackdawfoot and Ferndoe)

HareTuft, AdderClaw, LarkSnow (bio BirchFlight and GorseHeart)

SootShade, CloudStep (bio EmberDawn and foxfire)

Chukarvole, Pasquelull, Tritoniafinch, Choughwolf (bio EmberDawn and GorseHeart)

StarlingKit, BuzzardKit, AspenKit, DuskKit (GrouseMane and MyrtleWing, BrownMouse as surrogate)

DoeSnap, DaisyHeart (bio Hiverose and SandFoot)

MouseHollow (bio SandFoot and FrostWish)

ThistleHollow (bio SandFoot and Shademask)

OtterBounce, TurtleBreeze (adopted by PoppyHill)

OppossumKit, RaccoonKit (bio SkunkSpots and TangleStar)

LionKit, BirdKit (bio FlickerPine and TangleStar)

CreekKit (bio GhostWatcher and TangleStar)

WaspRib, FallenIris, (Bio MyrtleWing and AlderStar, surrogate TangleStar)

ShrikePaw (adopted by MyrtleWing, AlderStar, GrouseMane, HootPetal)

LightKit, LittleKit, RoseKit, SweetKit, BubbleKit (bio MellowTooth and WillowRuffle)

CardinalKit (bio TawnyTrot, ProteaFang, and doner webfang)

ToothwortLeaf, LilacLight, OrchidSnap, ButtercupBloom (bio FoxgloveTrot and MellowTooth)

AppleKit (bio sandfoot and cherrystar)

AntKit, CinderKit (adopted by AspenRoot, KiteBurn, RookStorm)

LavenderKit (adopted by HillMinnow and BlackDawn)

HootKit, FlareKit (adopted by CricketClaw)

TrillKit, CardinalKit (bio ProteaFang and doner WebFang, adopted by TawnyTrot and ProteaFang)

WoolCarderStripes, AshyToes (bio TawnyTrot and doner WebFang, adopted by ProteaFang and TawnyTrot)

SprinkleToes, SyrupSplash, SkrunklyBelly (bio CreatureFall and SnakeWhisker, surrogate CrunchSnow)

OspreyKit, CoyoteKit, ScorpionKit, IbexKit (bio DoeFire and LilyClaw)

GlasswortSnap, IndigoCloud, SassafrasKit, CeladineSniffle, LoquatKit (bio RosewoodSpring and HawthornFrost)

OakKit, SkyKit, BloodKit, DustKit (bio Motheyes and SnowWing)

ScabKit/Drip, BlightKit/Train (bio BlackFinch and FallenIris)

VultureKit, PoplarKit (bio HoneyFlame and SpiderSpots, doners are SmokeyFlame and AdderClaw)

RhubarbKit, AlmondKit (bio SpiderSpots and HoneyFlame, surrogate HawkFlight)

MallowBlight, JayFrost, LightFern (adopted by EmberDawn and GorseHeart)

GlassRiver, PagrusRose (bio Shallowfig and Banshee)

CoalFlower, PebbleHare, CricketFreckle (bio WebStripe and CloudFang)

AngelFishTooth, FidgetGills, TetraTail, BlueSpore (bio GoldfishFur and CreatureFall, with BrownMouse as surrogate)

RedRuffle, SandKit, IvyPurr, AntlerPaddle (bio TetraTail and FennelBones)

MeowyRibs, SeaNymph, MouseNectar, RosemaryWarble, BullFrogThistle, GingerKit, AmbrosiaWater, CinnamonKit (bio SkrunklyBelly and FennelBones)

EmberPoppy, ParsleyKit (bio FennelBones and CrunchSnow)

Dullahan (bio AlderStar, MyrtleWing, and HootPetal)

KITS UP FOR ADOPTION:

PalePaw

Mates - an updating list 

GrouseMane X MyrtleWing X AlderStar X HootPetal 

EmberDawn X GorseHeart X Foxfire X BirchFlight

JackDawFoot X FernDoe

FadingStar X FleaThistle 

FidgetGuts X MottleCry

AspenRoot X RookStorm X KiteBurn

Avery x BristleBlaze

BasilTooth x SmallJump

FallenFire X LoonFur X RoseFrost

FoxFlake X ShiverRose

HawkWhistle X Lola 

GustTalon X AshFlower

GremlinPaw X LaughingMoss

LighteningSpring X RedBloom

FungiChomp X SmokeFleck X BrownMouse X NightStar

SwanTail X LupineFrost X DahliaBreeze

FennelBur X SableFleck

WordWeaver X DaisySong

TawnTrot X ProteaFang

FoxgloveChirp X MellowTooth X WillowRuffle

BlackDawn X HillMinnow

SkunkSpots X TangleStar X FlickerPine X GhostWatcher

BlazeStrike X DrizzleStare X KestrelStorm

WeepingWobble X DoeFire X LilyClaw

RosewoodSpring x HawthornFrost

SnakeWhisker X CreatureFall X GoldFishFur

FallenIris X BlackFinch

SpiderSpots X HoneyFlame

ShallowFig X Banshee X FennelBones

SkrunkyBelly X FennelBones

Ex-Mates

FungiChomp X BrownMouse

GoblinSnap x GremlinPaw/Frost

SnakeFern x SparrowFall

HiveRose x SandFoot

CoyoteTuft X RoseClaw

FleaThistle X BrownMouse

Let me know if I missed anything! @residents-of-the-darkforest @liberhoe @ambitiousauthor @starfalcon555

[l-axative]

I love your blog so much! ♥

aw thanks

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Medical Collar (short story)

“What is it?” Fleathistle asked, trying not to seem too anxious as he was led away from his herb garden. He had been neglecting his ferns. They seemed to be wilting more than usual…but he didn’t want to seem rude, and forced his chin up. 

“Here!” Shiverrose exclaimed at last, stopping by an old log. She ducked into it and a moment later, pulled out a circular, collar-like…plants? 

Fleathistle tilted his head curiously. “What is it?”

“Well, you know us medicine cats have been starting to wear these things, given how hard it can be to come across any useful medicine–yourself not included. And I thought ‘you know who could really use one?’ So here you are.”

“But I’m not….” Fleathistle began, then trailed off. Shiverrose was looking at him doubtfully, and to be truthful, he didn’t believe what he was going to say, either. He leaned forward and sniffed at the…what would he call it? Medical collar? 

Whatever the proper term for it would be, the medical collar was very clearly well made. Tough vines looped around four times, holding the structure tight. Fleathistle could see leaves folded perfectly to make pouches all along the inside. “Those must have been hard to make!”

“They were! Twolegs make folding things look so easy. But we got it done!” 

“It looks great! Does yours have this many pouches?”

Shiverrose shook her head. “I figured you would have a tough time deciding which of your herbs to carry with you, and then when you’ve gathered your entire stock, you'd need something to keep them separate. You can do berries in one pouch, leaves in another, or maybe stuff for bellyache in one and stuff for infections in the one next to it.”

“Ooh, that! I’ll do that!” Fleathistle could hardly contain his joy, it was fizzing through his paws and he hardly resisted the urge to bounce on them. His heart swelled with warmth so strong that for a moment it threatened to overwhelm him. It wasn’t only a gift, but it was a symbol: the medicine cats–true medicine cats–were accepting Fleathistle as one of them, even though he never formally trained as one, much as he desired to. 

He reached out a paw, tempted by the soft moss wrapped between the vines. “Ahh!” Quick as a flash, he pulled his injured toe beneath his belly. Blinking at the collar in confusion, he noticed sharp thorns poking from the moss, almost entirely hidden. His heart fell. Had this been a trick? No, he told himself quickly. Shiverrose was his friend. She wouldn’t hurt him, and she certainly wouldn’t have put this all together for an easy thorn-in-the-paw joke.

“Myrtlewing Eye-Out’s idea,” Shiverrose explained. 

“It’ll hurt to wear!”

“I made sure it doesn’t,” Shiverrose promised. "The thorns only poke outward, and the leaves and moss block you from it. It’s only meant to harm anyone that might try to harm you.”

Fleathistle’s ear twitched at that idea. It had been a long time since Hornet–.....since someone tried harming Fleathistle. He didn’t like the thought that it might happen again, but he did appreciate the precaution. He wondered if it was only Myrtlewing’s idea, remembering the mischievous gleam in Fadingstar’s eyes when he watched Shiverrose lead his mate away. His heart swelled further.

“Put it on already!” Shiverrose picked the collar up and raised it over Fleathistle’s head. He flattened his ears so that the thorns wouldn’t catch on them. Sure enough, Shiverrose was right. He didn’t feel thorns poking at his skin at all, in fact, the collar was quite soft, pressing like a mother’s nest where it touched the back of his neck and hanging loosely-but-not-too-loosely by his throat. 

Shiverrose circled around him twice, then nodded in satisfaction. Grabbing the collar between her teeth, she lifted it back off of Fleathistle. “So that’s how you’ll put it on,” she told him. “I suggest putting the herbs in first.”

Fleathistle nodded, paws shifting with the effort to not race around in a frolick. “Thank you! Thanks! Thank you! Tell Myrtlewing I said thanks, too!”

“Ferntuft helped as well,” Shiverrose told him, “he helped gather the vines.”

“Thank you!” Fleathistle couldn’t think of anything else to say, he just had to express his gratitude for as long as he felt it–which may very well be forever.

“Do you want help filling it up?” Shiverrose offered with a twitch of amusement.

“Oh, yes!” Fleathistle replied, and just about took off back to his garden, the ferns only a distant thought in his mind now.

===========

@wills-woodland-warriors I was thinking about the Fleathistle thing your sent earlier...

Fleathistle belongs to Wills, Ferntuft belongs to @elementaldeityoffood

--One reason medical collars are used is because for many, herbs are very very rare to come by in the Dark Forest, especially ones 'healthy' enough to be useful. Fleathistle lives right by the huge garden of them so doesn't need the collar in the same sense that they do, but then again this is more about what the collar represents. Besides, the boy travels.

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Dark Forest Symbols

Because there are so, so many cats and no Clans to separate them into, keeping track of who’s who and who has what rank can be difficult. Luckily, the cats here have formed a plan.

Leaders have ‘crowns’  

These include anything circular or partially circular that fit on the head. It doesn’t matter what it is made of, and often leaders make it their own. 

Leaders who wish to give advice or conduct ceremonies, they will wear a fully circular crown. If they wish to be left alone but still want to be recognized as a leader, they will wear an open crown.

Examples:

Alderstar has a bramble/briar crown with long, sharp thorns (poking mainly outward). 

yes this is a Christ crown on Google

--

Blackstar has a crown made of holly berries and leaves (though because  this is the DF, they are mostly rotting).

--

Tanglestar has a crown made of thin, twisting twigs with small leaves.

like this, but half-circular

Medicine Cats have herbs 

They may simply choose to have certain leaves or flowers stick from their fur, or they may have necklaces made of vines (to hold it together) and herbs. 

Medicine cats with necklaces are typically more sought after, as they can carry some herbs in them.

Myrtlewing uses thorns as a necklace (he mixes the tail he took in it), though carries herbs as well as poisons in his neckerchief. 

--

Stoatspeck colours his coat with anything white, as he likes standing out.

--

Shiverrose has purple herbs along her back.

Daycare workers have mushrooms

Like medicine cats, they use ‘necklaces,’ unlike them they only have one thing connected to the vines: a glowing mushroom. The mushroom not only symbolizes that they work at the daycare, but also shows their rank.

Yellow symbolizes the leader of the area (Fungichomp),

--

orange symbolizes secondary leaders

--

blue symbolizes volunteers and new workers.

Last idea comes from @elementaldeityoffood

===============================

Yes making the crowns and necklaces are tough because of their paws, but with time, they manage it!

After he accepted his fate, Omenstar began helping new leaders by making crowns for them.  Ferntuft begrudgingly (not really, he actually enjoys the work) helps make necklaces because he's particularly handy with his paws

Taglist: @ambitiousauthor @wills-woodland-warriors @umbranoxs @liberhoe​ @starfalcon555​

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Foxflake’s guide to courting:

Try to show off to your crush

Prove your battle capabilities

trip on nothing because you forgot your paw is only hanging on by tendons

fall flat on your fucking face

and boom! girlfriends

can confirm Shiverrose fell in love with her when she saw her trip over nothing and fall flat on her face

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Confusing Lack of Feelings (short story)

Fallenkit tried not to make her discomfort obvious, but her whole body was tense, ready to spring at a moment’s notice despite the fact that she knew–she knew–that she was safe in her dad’s embrace. She wasn’t discreet enough. 

Myrtlewing paused his grooming. “What’s wrong?” he asked, because he always has to ask when he notices someone of the Eye-Out Thorns is unhappy. Why does someone like him care? 

Pipitfeather died just over two moons ago. Myrtlewing hadn’t so much as shed a tear.

“Nothing,” she mumbled back.

“You lie as well as your father,” Myrtlewing told her gently. Too gently. “Would you mind not making me pry like he does before he admits that something is bothering him?”

Fallenkit sighed. Sitting up, she turned to face him, his paws still stretched out on either side of her. Her voice was scratchy as she spoke. “Was he really your son?” They had looked similar enough.

Myrtlewing’s eyes remained blank. “In the blood sense, yes, he was. I didn’t know he even existed until he arrived here as an adult, however.”

“Does that make a difference?”

Myrtlewing shrugged. “It does for me.”

“Would you not care if you met me as an adult?”

Myrtlewing’s eyes widened only a fraction as he realized his mistake. “I don’t know,” he answered. “But I would like to get to know you. And I love you the way you are now, adult you would be the same, only with more great traits for me to love.”

Fallenkit wished that what he was saying was helpful. She knew that it was kind, endearing, but she also knew her dad was a wonderful liar, and that everything he was saying could be utter dung. “Do you not love blood?” She still didn’t understand why she was so different, why Myrtlewing was so furious about seeing her hurt at the same time he stared at Pipitfeather’s decaying, dying form without a twitching whisker.

“I don’t think blood is everything,” Myrtlewing answered. “I didn’t love Pipitfeather, he never bothered talking to me. I did respect him, because if he is my kin then he is good, until he attacked you. There was nothing for me to love or respect then.”

Fallenkit wished that she could shake her head and have all the jumbled thoughts she had spill out of her ears, so that her dad’s words could fill the space and make sense. She knew it should, she knew it sounded reasonable, and she knew that her mind was so overfilled with confusion that more words only added to the collection instead of dispersing it.

She wasn’t even sure if her dad’s lack of emotion was what bothered her the most. It was her own.

She had been comforting by many healers���Myrtlewing, Fleathistle, Shiverrose, even Pumpkinpatch who also hates her father, every one of her kin from great ancestors to siblings, and her aunt Ferndoe. They had all said the same thing, that they understood she was hurt and confused, that it was okay to cry.

The problem was that Fallenkit only felt the confusion in addition to anger. She was angry at Pipitfeather and all those cats, most dead again now, for tricking her, for earning her trust and shattering it so that she looked like a fool. She was angry because they had hurt her and Waspkit for revenge they had nothing to do with. She was confused because that is the only thing she felt, and she was confused because Myrtlewing seemed to feel nothing, besides his concern for her.

Waspkit was still having nightmares. He still didn’t like talking about what had happened.

Fallenkit only had bad dreams for a few nights before they went away, and her reaction when she woke up was no where near as intense as Waspkit’s wailing. He cried about being attacked and witnessing Pipitfeather’s horrible death. 

Fallenkit didn’t think seeing it had been a huge deal until others started to say that it was.

What was wrong with her?

Her dad was the same. She knew that much, they were open about it, how he had trouble feeling things unless it was for those he already cared deeply for–that itself also confused her. How could you care deeply for someone and care nothing for another? How do you begin to care deeply for someone if you feel nothing for them to begin with?

Was it really a blood issue? Did she get it from him, or because he raised her?

If she talked to someone else in her blood, someone not on his side and who felt things, who was normal, perhaps she could be normal then, too.

She had been silent for a while in her thoughts, so Myrtlewing had resumed his grooming. After a while longer, he began to doze off. His chin rested on her back. Carefully, she slipped out and began moving through the thorns to the outside. She was almost there when behind her, someone spoke.

“Where are you going?” Wolfpool asked. He and his siblings, as well as their parents–everyone in the family, in fact–had temporarily moved back to the main den after the kits had been attacked. Fallenkit should be grateful for it. Yet she felt nothing.

Of course she should have known that they would be extra ditiligent. There were multiple guards keeping watch on each side. Fallenkit wasn’t allowed to leave without an adult. 

Wolfpool was an adult.

Debating on a lie, she decided to tell the truth. Wolfpool looked at her, then looked around them. “Okay,” he said more hushed, “duck under my belly so they won’t see you.”

Fallenkit did was told. It was difficult to manuver around the remaining branches that blocked their path, and to move as fast as her nephew while mud sucked all along her legs. She stayed hidden while Wolfpool asked anyone who passed them for directions, until at last they stopped at a large rock. It was tilted, leaning heavily against another, with vines draping down the entrance.

“Hello?” Wolfpool called.

A young, black tom with orange and bright flecks stepped out. He raised a brow. “Uh, yes?”

“Is Tanglestar here?” Fallenkit asked, stepping out.

The tom blinked at her. He turned to face the entrance. “Tanglestar! You have–uhm–visitors?”

There was shuffling, and a mumbling response, then a sleepy black tom with bigger orange and white splotches stepped out into the red light. When his eyes met Fallenkit’s, they stretched wide.

Fallenkit held his gaze firmly. “Are you my other dad?”

=============================

--Fallen calls Alder “father,” Myrtle “dad,” and Grouse “papa.”

--The Pipitfeather thing happened 2+1/2 moons ago. Fallen and Wasp are about 3+1/3 moons old, roughly.

Fallen is a ‘wise beyond her years’ kit while Wasp is a sweet baby.

--Remember how I said that Fallen feel nothing like Myrtle does, but questions it? Here we are!

--Taglist: @ambitiousauthor @wills-woodland-warriors @umbranoxs @starfalcon555 @liberhoe @elementaldeityoffood (if you weren’t tagged it’s most likely because Tumblr doesn’t tag some usernames for some reason, not because I forgot or don’t care!)

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

RookAspenKite bio kit 1/4, Honeykit/Honeyflower!

-oldest and only female of the RookAspenKite bio litter

-named after Rookstorm's grandmother Honeyshade

-most closely resembles the litter's surrogate carrier Shiverrose, her bio dad is Aspenroot

-inherited Rookstorm's NPD

-a spoiled AF daddy's girl and she knows it

-a disaster lesbian with a big AF crush on Proteafang

SHE'S SO PRETTY and can definitely see Shiver and Aspen in her

and I absolutely adore the fact that Kite and Shiver went from "killed the other / planned to kill the other to being close enough for Shiver to be a surrogate to Kite's kit. Truly amazing

--

ref by Turukhan

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

RookAspenKite bio kit 4/4, Stonekit/Stonefrost!

-named after the Moonstone, where Kiteburn murdered Shiverrose, as a way to spite StarClan (Shiverrose suggested the name)

-bio son of Rookstorm, takes after him appearance wise

-the sweetest and gentlest of the RookAspenKite bio kits, very similar to Aspenroot in personality

-loves his dads and siblings very much, but is closest to his "uncles" Batlight and Gorseheart (especially the former)

-best friends with Treespall, has a bit of a crush on him

--aw Treespall has a best friend

--sweet fluffy boy!!

--Shiver suggesting the name is so chaotic, imagine having to explain that to Stone

-------

ref by turukhan

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Mentors and Apprentices

*if in parantheses, it says ‘bio’ it means those parents are no longer taking care of the kit. If it doesn’t, and also has the + next to more names, then the kits are poly born and the adoptive parents in that case are simply more parents, not replacement.

Alderstar

--mentored Webfang  (WebLily bio son, ScaleIvy adoptive)

--mentored Magpieshine (his and his poly’s adoptive daughter) along with Myrtlewing

.

Aloemist

--mentored Slugwing (BegoniaWeb bio son, her adoptive son)

.

Avery

--mentored Hawthornfrost (BegoniaWeb bio son, Aloe adoptive)

.

Batlight

--mentored Stonefrost (son to KiteRootAspen, surrogate kit of Shiverrose)

.

Bristleblaze

--mentored Petalstripe (WebLily bio son, ScaleIvy adoptive)

.

Butternut-Squash / Shatteredbreeze

--mentored Hawkflight (son to KiteRootAspen, surrogate kit of Shiverrose)

.

Clawbear

--mentored Sandspark (BasilJump son, surrogate kit of Sparktail)

.

Cloverfox

--mentored Carnationleaf (BegoniaWeb bio daughter, Aloe adoptive)

.

Cricketclaw

--mentored Eelstream (his apprentice in life as well, adoptive kit of AveryBristle) 

--mentored Crowpine (kit of JackdawFern)

.

Cricketfur

--mentored Treespall (son to AlderHoot, +GrouseMyrtle adoptive son)

--mentored Spiderspots (BegoniaWeb bio daughter, Aloe adoptive daughter)

.

Doesong

--mentored Dusksong (son of Grousemane, +MyrtleAlderHoot adoptive, surrogate kit of Brownmouse )

--mentored Cypresstail, Badgerfoot, and Pebblespots (hers and Sparktail's adoptive kits) along with Sparktail

.

Emberdawn

--mentored Proteafang (her and Gorseheart’s bio daughter)

--mentored Drizzlestare (daughter to AlderHoot, +GrouseMyrtle adoptive daughter)

--mentored Ashmint (her adoptive son) alongside Gorseheart

.

Fadingstar

--mentored Leafcurl (BasilJump daughter, surrogate kit of Sparktail)

.

Ferndoe

--mentored Fawnheart (Begoniaweb bio daughter, Aloe adoptive)

.

Foxflake

--mentored Honeyflower (son to KiteRootAspen, +her mate’s surrogate kits)

.

Frondecho

--mentored Goosestep (bio WebLupine, DahliaLupineSwanCam adoptive)

.

Grousemane

--mentored Stonefern (his and his poly’s adoptive son)

--mentored Owlgaze (WebDahlia bio daughter, DahliaLupineSwanCam adoptive)

.

Gorseheart

--mentored Doefire (his and Emberdawn’s daughter)

--mentored Ashmint (his adoptive son) alongside Emberdawn

--unofficially mentored Smalljump

.

Hawkjay

--mentoring Mudpaw (adoptive daughter to JackdawFern)

.

Heronclaw

--mentored Blazestrike (son to KiteRootAspen, surrogate kit of Shiverrose)

.

Hillfeather

--mentored Yellowear (son to Basiljump, surrogate kit of Sparktail)

.

Hootpetal

--mentoring Redpaw (her adoptive granddaughter)

--mentored Perchclaw (her adoptive son)

.

Jackdawfoot

--mentored Lilyclaw  (WebLily bio son, ScaleIvy adoptive)

.

Kiteburn

--mentored Smokyflame (BasilJump son, surrogate kit of Sparktail)

.

Lightningspring

--mentored Spruceplum (her and Redbloom’s adoptive son)

.

Lighttail

--mentoring Beampaw (his, Stonesun, and Volenight’s adoptive son)

.

Loonfur

--mentored Breezewhisper (WebDahlia bio daughter, DahliaLupineCamSwan adoptive)

.

Lovagecreek

--mentoring Blackpaw (adoptive son to JackdawFern)

.

Magpieshine

--mentored Cloudstep (daughter to EmberFox, +BirchGorse adoptive daughter)

.

Mottlecry

--mentored Shellminx (BirchFox’s son, +GorseEmber adoptive son)

.

Myrtlewing

--mentored Silktangle (WebLily bio son, ScaleIvy adoptive)

--mentored Magpieshine (his and his poly’s adoptive daughter) alongside Alderstar

.

Perchclaw

--mentored Adderclaw (son to BirchGorse, +EmberFox adoptive son)

.

Pitchfang

--mentored Barktail (Basiljump son, surrogate kit of Sparktail)

.

Poppyhill

--mentored Turtlebreeze and Otterheart (her adoptive sons)

.

Primrosepetal

--mentored Feathergale  (BirchFox daughter, GorseEmber adoptive daughter)

.

Proteafang

--mentored Maplefang (her adoptive/poly sister, BirchFox daughter, GorseEmber adoptive daughter)

.

Redbloom

--mentored Kindlehill (her and Lightningspring's adoptive daughter)

.

Robinmask

--mentored Deertongue (BasilSmall son, surrogate kit of Sparktail)

.

Sharkstar

--mentored Starlingstrike (son of Grousemane, +MyrtleAlderHoot adoptive, surrogate kit of Brownmouse)

.

Snailstar

-- mentored Aspenlight (daughter of Grousemane, +MyrtleAlderHoot adoptive, surrogate kit of Brownmouse)

.

Snowwing

--mentoring Wormpaw (his adoptive brother)

.

Sparktail

--mentored Beechblaze (WebLupine bio daughter, DahliaLupineSwanCam adoptive)

--mentored Cypresstail, Badgerfoot, and Pebblespots (hers and Doesong's adoptive kits), along with Doesong

.

Stoatspeck

--mentored Buzzardblaze (daughter of Grousemane, +MyrtleAlderHoot adoptive, surrogate kit of Brownmouse)

.

Stonefern

--mentored Larksnow (son to BirchGorse, +EmberFox adoptive)

.

Stumpstripe

--mentored Haretuft (daughter to BirchGorse, +EmberFox adoptive)

.

Tanglestar

--mentored Wollysun (son to BasilJump, surrogate kit of Sparktail)

.

Vireosong

--mentored Sootshade (son to EmberFox, +BirchGorse adoptive)

.

Volenight

--mentoring Lunarpaw (his, Stonesun, and Lighttail’s adoptive daughter)

.

Warblermoon

--mentored Toadjay (BirchFox son, +GorseEmber adoptive)

=====================

I’m sure I’m missing some, so let me know! There’s also plenty who need mentors.

Tag list:

@ambitiousauthor @starfalcon555 @wills-woodland-warriors @elementaldeityoffood @liberhoe @umbranoxs

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Wolfpool probably got the tabby markings from Shiverrose, since she's Blazefire's bio mom!

I may or may not have forgotten that Blazefire would have needed a mom to be born

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Medicine Cat Community in the Place of No Stars

Many would at first think that no one helped anyone but themself in the Dark Forest, and they're partly right.

Why do medicine cats get together?

Well, that could be for many reasons.

A) They genuinely enjoy the company,

B) They're with someone(s) they can relate to,

C) They enjoyed healing in life and still do,

D) They want to be special,

E) or maybe they just like to help with herbs so that they can stave off their own boredom.

Even All of the above or another reason entirely!

----

Individually, it's the same as in life--everyone with proper med cat training knows everything that a medicine cat should know. They all know most of the same thing and can do most of the same tasks.

In groups, particularly in the med cat community, tasks are more divided by skill.

The cats

Fleathistle, for example, is a wonderful healer, but even more than that he's great at growing plants. He's responsible for at least 80% of the herbs that grew and can be useful in the Dark Forest. He, with the help of his mate and close friends, created the 'Dark Garden,' where a field-full of different herbs and medicines grow, many of which unheard of in life, as Fleathistle experimented with them, creating some herbs from scratch.

Now, Fleathistle is still a medicine cat. If you need healing, you can go to him as much as you can go to anyone. But if you need particular herbs, it's better to go to him above anyone else. (This is in a similar sense of 'all toads are frogs, but not all frogs are toads' if that makes sense?)

++

Myrtlewing is another case of 'the best one to go to in a certain situation.'

True, Myrtlewing would also be the scariest one to go to, as in life he experimented with his patients, putting their lives and health at grave risk for his own curiosity and entertainment, but it's due to these experiments and others he performed on cats that makes him so useful.

Myrtlewing would tear cats open and apart and test out how to keep them alive for as long as he wished in spite of their horrible injuries. Because of this, if a cat were to receive a horrible injury, he's the best healer to go to because of his knowledge of how to keep the cat alive.

In simpler terms, he's the "surgeon" of the group, the only one able to heal a cat's torn up insides--though he's nowhere near as talented as human surgeons.

He's the one to go to if someone is in grave trouble and / or if someone has a particularly horrible injury.

++

Shiverrose's talents as a healer lies most notably in how she cures sickness.

Like all medicine cats, she's great at healing wounds, but illness is where her skills really show.

She has great memory and fantastic critical thinking skills, which allows her to come to a diagnostic conclusion much quicker than other medicine cats.

She only needs to hear a list of your symptoms to figure out in a matter of seconds what is wrong with you and what may be best to heal you with (she may also go to Fleathistle for the second part, as he knows more about the Dark herbs than anyone else).

She would probably be just as good with wounds if such injuries were troubling to figure out too. It's tricky to figure out why someone may have a dry throat and bellyache, it's rather easy to see why their leg was broken.

++

Ferntuft's particular talents do not appear in the medical knowledge itself. Instead, he's the best when it comes to distracting patients from their pain, either by making them engage in conversation or just listen to him talk, or even by making them watch his loose face slip around (for patients that can stomach it).

++

Butterflywing's particular skill also does not hang in the specific medical knowledge, rather her talent involves the types of patients she has.

Out of all of the cats, Butterflywing is the best when it comes to kits and their wounds, and how to treat them different or similarly to an adult's (ex. how much gentler to be to the body, if they react differently to certain medicines than adults do, etc.)

++

Firefeather, in life, could heal other species as well as cats. As well, she is great at autopsies--though in the Dark Forest, both can be incredibly tough.

++

Nightspot has a wide range of knowledge that include any and all diseases. Much like Shiverrose, they're great at finding and healing sicknesses.

Nightspot is also great with creating new herbs to combat a new disease (ex. if these two herbs fight bellyache and eye pain respectively, then bred together they might help this patient who has eye pain and a bellyache).

++

Blacksnow is great at measuring and analyzing the reaction to different medications. She's the one to go to if you're not sure a new herb is good or bad, or if there's side effects.

Finding that a herb causes one cat more pain while relieving another cat may also allow the medicine cats to find that the first cat has something deeper going on.

++

Ripperclaw is the best cat to go to if someone has a medical problem involving mental health.

If cats close to Claudrat or Snipvoice (Ripperclaw's friends), they direct them to him.

He uses the NightClan system to diagnose.

----

Now, what does individual vs group mean exactly, in this case? Or, in other words, how does this community interact?

Well, if you're sick or hurt, you can go to any of them and they can heal you.

As a collective, they know each other's skill and who is better at what, and if need be, can recommend you to them (or if it is urgent, direct them to you via messenger).

For example, say you think you have a bellyache, so you go to whoever is closest--because they can all deal with that. But that med cat finds out that the actual issue is internal bleeding. This means that the problem is internal and severe, in which case you would need to see Myrtlewing.

----

And others

There are also those who were medicine cats in life but no longer wish to heal, and therefore do not count as part of this Medicine Cat Club.

Sageleaf, for example, would very much like for everyone to leave her alone forever, thank you.

=========

@ambitiousauthor @frightnightindustries @starfalcon555 @wills-woodland-warriors @umbranoxs @elementaldeityoffood @liberhoe

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

What are some headcanons you have about FleaThistle? I’m making a list of headcanons for him :) - @wills-woodland-warriors

ooooh hmmm

--he chitters when he's both really happy and really nervous

--because he, out of everyone, knows the most about herbs in the DF (being the one that basically created most of them), he's on a 'do not harm' list. He likely does not know of this list or that he's on it.

--he and Shiverrose are good friends and she helped him figure out what new herb mixtures do (volunteering as the subject. ex, would give herself bellyache and see which herbs are best to treat it).

--he probably met Myrtlewing through Jackdawfoot

--He had a "happy panic attack" after finding out he would have his first litter. Fading has tried giving him something to relax him before telling him big news, but then Flea has started to associate the relaxing herb with big news and he starting becoming overwhelmed just at the sight.

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Hollymist family

Ratthorn (mother), Stonefrost (father), Treespall (adoptive father), 

Heatherfrond (brother), 

Kestralstorm, Goldendusk, Specklekit, Greykit (maternal aunts), 

Brindlepool, Driftstep, Haytooth (maternal half-aunts), 

Honeyflower (paternal aunt), 

Magpieshine, Mudpaw, Drizzlestare, Aspenlight, Buzzardblaze, Starlingstike (adoptive aunts), 

Rooklight, Ravencall, Thornkit (maternal uncles), 

Blazestrike, Hawkflight (paternal uncles), 

Perchclaw, Stonefern, Shrikepaw, Dusksong, Waspbeak, Blackpaw (adoptive uncles), 

Crowpine (pibling),

Ferndoe (maternal grandmother), 

Hootpetal (adoptive grandmother), 

Shiverrose (surrogate grandmother), 

Jackdawfoot (maternal grandfather), 

Rookstorm (paternal grandfather), 

Alderstar, Myrtlewing, Grousemane, Kiteburn, Aspenroot (adoptive grandfathers), 

Goldennose (maternal great-grandmother), 

Sandytail (paternal great-grandmother),

Honeyshade (paternal great-grandmother), 

Sweetwhisker (paternal great-grandfather)

Blacksong, Katniss, Sweettree (adoptive great-grandmothers)

Stormstar, Buck, Pigeonfang (adoptive great-grandfathers)

Grebeglade, Magpiekit, Swankit (adoptive great-grandaunts)

Aspenkit, Hollyclaw (adoptive grandaunts)

Duskkit, Stormfall (adoptive granduncles)

Greydusk, Egretkit, Starlingkit, Buzzardkit, Swanmist, Lightstream, Brokenwhistle (adoptive great-granduncles)

Mousestar (adoptive great-great grandmother),

Eelfoot (adoptive great-great grandfather)

==========================

*breathes deeply* did I miss anyone?

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

sad hcs!:

Brokenkit has nightmares about Gorseheart and Emberdawn leaving her. It always ends with her hiding from them somewhere in the den*.

Fadingstar worries about Fleathistle’s exes so much because he ‘knows he can do so much better than him’.

Foxflake used to get made fun of for being lanky. Because of this she tried several things* to shorten her legs.

Ferretrunner: lol none this guy is just an asshole

Frostswan: They sometimes thing that they’re still in starclan due to being yanked out of the moonpool mid-ceremony.

B-nut: He’s seeks warmth when he’s sleeping. But he only wants him mom’s warmth. Shame he’ll never get that again :)

* = I can elaborate if prompted

THESE ARE ALL SO SAD AND GOOD

Shiverrose loves her lanky girlfriend

and yes, elaborate!