#it was my mom's idea. my datemate used to stay over for like a full month each visit

[plushie-lovey]

My datemate's birthday is coming up, and he's hoping for it he can get all of his stuff from his parent's place (and in turn a visit from his mom, since she hasn't seen him in what will be a full year and four days on his bday). Out of everything he's excited to have his favorite stuffed animal to cuddle with again, a 3ft tall emperor penguin who's called Penguin (recently named Cuddles. But we still just refer to him as Penguin). I bought Penguin for him in a goodwill for like $4 about 2 years ago, and it's been my love's favorite thing ever since. He says Penguin is the perfect firmness for cuddling, as he likes a stiff stuffed animal. He really misses holding him. So I hope his mom comes thru and brings all his stuff. But at the very least, Penguin.

[bonefall]

This is more my headcanons from my extensive list and research of background cats

Sorreltail

Adored the hell out of her dad Whitestorm.

Likes knowing all sorts of plants, especially poisons, she wants to make sure what happen to her never happens again.

She also has a bug obsession that she can’t explain.

She has after effects of being poisoned that hit her hard especially since she was so young when it happened. She has some stunted growth compared to her brothers, tremors, insomnia, stomach problems, shortness of breath, and trouble with coordination which was how she got hit by the monster in the first place.

She curses herself sometimes for leaving camp but usually has her brothers to relax her.

She and Cinderpelt worked together with methods to help her live a decent life, taught Leafpool the methods as well, they grew close and as they prepare Cinderpelt’s body. Sorreltail sees no better name for her dark-furred daughter, Cinderpelt’s niece.

Ferncloud

She’s pretty calm like her suffix suggests. She seems like the cat others would go to talk with since she has such as calming presence.

She loves her life in the nursery. Always staying strong that cats who live in the nursery do just as much as the ones who hunt and patrol. “Without us, the clan would be rootless as in upturned tree”

What cats don’t realize is that she can benchpress you. She isn’t helpless and cats shouldn’t try to believe she is (slight complex from training under Darkstripe).

She’s had nightmares of the nursery being under attack and can be pretty hardheaded when it comes with who enters the nursery (foreshadowing the great battle).

She’s also pretty snarky when you get to know her better. Her and Ashfur can be pretty catty.

Together

I’d think these two would bond over how Darkstripe affect (whether how small or little)

Also have sparing sessions or simply relaxing together when they were in the nursery together.

Coming in CLUTCH with the excellent analysis of backstory + application to canon events, this is excellent, thank you.

With this, based on the suggestions that @toasted-spiders and @chocolatecoatedtitties added too, I think I know where to go with them now.

Sorreltail

She's definitely an active sort of person, on the restless side. ThunderClan is full of more level heads (Daisy, Ferncloud, her mate Brackenfur) so I think having her as a curious and outgoing person will be helpful.

She'll have a lot to contribute in the Ash Era (post-TPB to settlement at the Lake), especially as a Squilf Enabler. As a mentor and a mom, Sandstorm probably bemoans that StarClan saddled her with TWO troublemakers.

That idea of her having lingering injury from that poisoning is genius. I know what I'll do for her-- Sorreltail will have Epilepsy. Specifically, she is prone to absence/"daydream" seizures and sensitive to bright lights; the headlights of the car plus the stress caused her to have one. That was how she got hit and had her training delayed.

This might be a fun way to work in some scenes with BloodClan. I was looking for a way to incorporate some fun ideas I had for them-- namely that they steal medicine from the Cutter, Secret of Nimh style. Cinderpelt and Littlecloud having a sort of 'side novella' where they invent treatments for epilepsy sounds like it'd be fun to plot out!

I also know I definitely want Brackenfur to introduce her to Speckletail as his datemate before Speckletail eventually dies taking out that bulldozer with Thornclaw. A nice little bookend to Speckletail as a character- she gets to see Lionheart's children having families of their own.

I like that bug hobby. I'm less fond of the poison/herb one since I see that as more of Brightheart's thing, but I'll totally do something with Sorreltail enjoying insects. Maybe she can have a pendant of a little butterfly chrysalis, which acts like a "pill" container for an extra dose of valerian root?

Also if I was giving characters favorite foods, hers would be grasshoppers.

Ferncloud

It seems like there's no getting around Ferncloud being nurturing and motherly as a main character trait. That's not a bad thing; I just want to avoid too much overlap when possible, and I was thinking of having the "Nursery Organizer" role to go Daisy

Especially since Daisy is going to be a bigger political player in my rewrite, as an ally of Squirrelflight... maybe I can approach Ferncloud as more of the nursery's 'teacher'? Someone who tends to engage the children in activities where Daisy's more of a person who maintains the physical needs of the people in the nursery

I will definitely be making Ferncloud pretty ripped. I imagine Brindleface was also a thick molly; if Ashfur is built like a cheetah, Ferncloud can be more of a leopard.

I'll definitely be taking the snark and anxiety. I really like the idea that she was Ashfur's best friend for a long time, and it would catch you off guard how catty they could both be... but, eventually, their harmless trashing becomes malicious, and that's when Ferncloud realizes her brother is becoming a different person too late.

Just because I'm thinking about it now, her favorite food would be vole

Story Stuff

-The idea of linking a common trauma through Darkstripe is juicy, I need to pick up on that.

-Bonefall Brokenstar, famously, has left the Dark Forest to help re-create SkyClan, so he isn't there to kill Ferncloud.

-Additionally, Brackenfur has been dead for well over a year when the Dark Forest attacks, so both halves of the Bracken/Sorrel couple would be dead if she dies here.

-This also poses an issue for Lilyheart & Seedpaw. Their father is dead by the time they would have been conceived, so their parents will have to change.

-Soo... I'm thinking of killing Dustpelt here, making Lily and Seed Dust/Fern kittens, and letting the girls get out alive together.

-They could end up in the Elder's Den together, but I'm considering killing one off where Dustpelt would have died.