#tornflake

[elementclangen]

Moon 208-Greenleaf

Whelp, that streak of good luck ended.  The greenleaf rains hit hard, and, being underground, the camp is prone to flooding.  ElementClan also doesn’t have many water-blessed cats (only Cilantro-69-and Silverpsots-26), so they are at a serious disadvantage if their were to cave flood.  Which, of course, it did.  Lightheather (25) was the first one to sound the alarm that the waters were rising.  In the aftermath, he can’t help but wonder if tragedy would have been prevented had he had acted sooner.  The nursery, where Cypressbadger (74), Cilantro, and the kits were hanging out, was hit hard.  Lotuskit (4) and Rubblekit (4) didn’t know how to swim.  Cypressbadger was able to get Rubblekit out, but, when she went back to try and help Cilantro and Lotuskit, she found that Cilantro had hit her head on a treebranch, sinking to the bottom of the cavern with Lotuskit in tow.  Cypressbadger tried to save them, but was unable to and drowned as well.  Fry (114) helped Chiku (142) to safety. He regretted that he never had the chance to confess his feelings before he succumbed to the waves.  Timberarch (125) tried to help Tornflake (35) and Glowquake (44), both of whom were injured, to safety, but the waves took all three of them. After the floodwaters recede, Chiku lies next to Fry’s body as the Clan sits vigil for him.  His world has ended with Fry’s.  Chiku never considered the possibility that he would one day be without Fry and wishes that they had had more time together. Primcrest (50) and Wildcave (91) are devastated by the loss of their father.  Primcrest wails when she sees Fry’s body, laying still and cold.  If she were more talented with her water magic, could she have saved him?  Once the vigil ends, Primcrest curls tightly in her nest, her throat raw from crying.   For Wildcave, Fry was his last tie to his life before the Clan.  Losing him feels like losing a tail, or a limb, or his shadow.  Wildcave relied on Fry, trusted him, and contemplating moving on from the loss seems impossible.  He and Primcrest hold each other close, taking comfort in their sibling bond.  Primcrest also lost Glowquake, which tears at her.  Primcrest takes comfort in Rubblekit.  Despite they’re rocky start, he reminds her a lot of Cragpaw. Then there’s Frecklestone (35), who lost her only surviving family member.  And little Rubblekit, who lost his mom. He doesn’t really understand what happened, so Creekstar (62) tries to explain it to him.  It’s hard.  She can’t help but blame herself for how the Clan is faring.  How could she do better?  The Clan has known so much loss.  Will it never end?  

[elementclangen]

Moon 204-Newleaf

Cypressbadger (70) has had her kit!  He’s a little wind-blessed kit named Rubblekit (0).  Cypressbadger isn’t telling anyone who the other parent is and no one is claiming him.  Interesting. Although there are rumors that Cypressbadger has recently been seen with a cat from RaccoonClan.  Maybe Rubblekit’s half-clan?  Cragpaw (7) still has greencough and is getting frustrated.  He’s the son of the deputy-he should be stronger than this!  Fry (111) checks in on him, wanting to make sure his grandkit is alright.  He’s not alright and loudly informs Fry of that fact.  Primcrest (46), while also not happy that her kit has greencough, is glad she got out of the nursery before Rubblekit arrived.  She thinks he’s annoying.  Her kit was never that annoying, right?  Her mate, on the other hand, has an entirely different view of Rubblekit.  Glowquake (40) is excited to have a cousin and wants to spend more time with Rubblekit.  Tornflake (31) and Lightheather (21) continue to grow closer to each other.  They have a great time heckling a neighboring Clan at the gathering and Lightheather feels giddy about getting sent on the same patrol as Tornflake.  Hmm.  Maybe Primcrest is trying to set the two up?  Despite initial worries, Queenyspeckle (80) is proving to have none of the thirst for power and control that Yuccawillow did.  He’s just glad to help out and does his Clanmates’ chores with a smile on his face.  Another kittypet has joined the Clan, a powerless tom who takes the name of Vaxxstreak (90).  He seems nervous about being in the Clan, but he agrees to join because of the medical treatment the Healers can offer.

[elementclangen]

Moon 203-Leaf-bare

Cragpaw (6) has been apprenticed to Lightheather (20)!  And he immediately comes down with greencough.  Joy. Meanwhile, Lightheather’s (30) paw-walking display seems to have endeared him to Tornflake, who brushes against him while correcting his stance and looks away with a purr.  Xhosa (71) is getting used to clan life and has proven herself to be quite the hunter.  Even Fry (110) compliments her, which means a lot coming from a senior warrior.  In preparation for her kits, Cypressbadger (69) is trying to harness her motherly instincts and reminds Silverspots (21) to grab something to eat.  Silverspots is getting really tired of his Clanmates’ inability to communicate and is thinking of teaching them communication skills.  Would it even help though?  Creekstar (57) proves that she’s an attentive leader by bringing Cypressbadger her favorite food in the nursery.  Rumors fly.  Could Creekstar be the other parent of Cypressbadger’s kits?  How would Wildcave (86) feel about that?  

[elementclangen]

Moon 202-Leaf-bare

It may have been too soon to thank StarClan for an uneventful leaf-bare.  Poolbounce (38) was bitten by a snake and died.  Timberarch (119) joining the Clan could not have come a moment too soon.  This leaves Glowquake (38) as the only surviving member of his siblings.  And Silverspots (20) and Lightheather (19) without their father.  They’ve known so much loss in their young lives, first their birth parents, then their siblings, and now this.  At least they still have each other.  Chiku (136) has also decided to retire to the elder’s den.  He’s been feeling his age.  And Fry (109) has been feeling old too.  Maybe he’ll follow Chiku to the elder’s den at some point.  Cypressbadger (68) has announced that she’s expecting kits.  But who could the other parent be. . ..Cypressbadger is already ready to be done being pregnant.  Even the smallest things can completely set her off and she sends gusts of winds whirling around the cavern. Wildcave (85) is still obsessed with Cragkit (5).  He knows that the young cat will be an apprentice soon and wants to savor his time with the innocent little kit.  Speaking of Cragkit, he’s excited to get out of the nursery.  Primcrest (44) is less eager for that and promises to always look out for her son.  And she’s been rolling around a little too playfully with Glowquake.  Cragkit could have gone without seeing that, but maybe he’ll have little siblings soon?  The newcomers to the Clan are not a fan of Lightheather.  Queenyspeckle (78) prays that he’s not on patrol with him tomorrow and Safariaster (109) gives him bitter herbs on purpose.   Lightheather decides to see what life is like for Tornflake (29) and tries walking on his forelimbs for a bit.  Hmm.  He might have to try that again.  He may have been boosting himself a little with wind, but he kind of enjoyed it.

[elementclangen]

Moon 198-Leaf-fall

All of the romance brewing in the Clan made Poolbounce (34) feel confident enough to confess his feelings to Tornflake (25).  And he got rejected.  Tornflake does like Poolbounce, romantically, but he just isn’t ready for a relationship yet. In the wake of this, Poolbounce finally turns to Cypressbadger (64) and gives her the attention she’s been craving.  He complains about his struggles with his feelings for Tornflake.  Cypressbadger does her best to be sympathetic, but is really just excited that someone is coming to her for advice. Unfortunately, Freedusk (77) couldn’t beat redcough.  It was hard watching the good natured cat waste away in front of them, and the Clan mourns what could have been.  Creekstar (52) has also been spending more time with Cragkit (1).  It’s actually making her want to have kits of her own with Wildcave (81), when he’s ready.  Glowquake (34) is still being a doting father.  He always makes sure to spend time with his kit and check in with how he’s doing.  Wildcave is excited to have a young cat in the Clan and tries to set a good example for Cragkit.  

[elementclangen]

Moon 196-Greenleaf

Brightfern’s family is shaken by her loss.  No parent wants to mourn multiple children, and Fry (103) wails over Brightfern’s body.  He makes a point of removing some foliage from Brightfern’s nest  before it’s cleared out.  Brightfern’s scent, and the strands of fur left behind, comfort Fry as he drifts off to sleep.  Wildcave’s (79) voice quavers as he talks about his sister, trying to get through the tale and return to grieving over Brightfern’s body.  He wants Brightfern’s vigil to be good, to show that she was loved.  Wildcave only returns to his nest when concerned Clanmates usher him there.  Tremors wrack his body as he dwells on how Brightfern won’t see another morning.  In better news, Cilantro (57) has come out as a trans she-cat and uses she/her pronouns. She feels comfortable in the Clan that has welcomed her. Feeling less comfortable, Silverspots (14) is still struggling with his mediator duties and doesn’t make any progress on mediating some border disputes with RaccoonClan.  Silverspots is also struggling in the romance department. Frecklestone (23) wishes cats would stop flirting with her.  She hates it, and she especially hates the gift Silverspots gave her. Freedusk (75) continues to endear himself to the Clan as Chiku (130) spars with him to help the sick cat regain strength.  However, Creekstar (50) points out that there’s still a chance Freedusk could die, which causes a bit of tension between the two of them.   Tornflake (23) feels like things have been going too well for him lately.  He’s been injury free for moons.  Although he knows something bad is coming for him-he can feel it in his bones.

[elementclangen]

Moon 192-Newleaf

Newleaf was supposed to bring a relief from sickness.  But instead, Fry (99) is still frostbitten and poisoned, and on top of that he’s gotten a running nose.  And Halfnoise’s (33) poison induced illness has turned into redcough. Safariaster (99) watches helplessly.  She’s tried to heal him and all of her efforts have been failing.  The end is coming quickly for Halfnoise.  At least Wildcave (75) is feeling better and no longer has greencough.  He recovered just in time to watch his last remaining kit die in front of him.  Despite a couple rough patches in their relationship, Wildcave just wants to make sure that he can spend his son’s last moments with him and savor all the time they have left.  Although it is hard to watch him waste away.  Chiku (126) is starting to feel his age and is listening to Peakspots (161) talk about when he was young.  Huh.  That also happens to be around when Chiku was young. Primcrest (34), being bed-ridden with poison, has had a lot of time to think.  Specifically about what her family with Glowquake (28) might look like. Because she’s upset over being unable to help Halfnoise, Safariaster is taking extra special care of Tornflake (19).  He appreciates Safariaster’s help with his various cuts and bruises, but he feels like the new Healer is babying him.  He survived just fine on his own for many moons without her.  This leads to the two of them getting in an argument.  Safariaster is also developing a crush on Fry and convinces him to go on a moonlit stroll with her.  Chiku’s a little jealous and he and Safariaster get in a fight.

[elementclangen]

Moon 191-Leaf-bare

If Wildcave (74) is going to have a new step-parent soon, he wants to get to know him.  So, he has a mock battle with Chiku (125).  The old tom does surprisingly well.  Wildcave has also been seeking out love of his own, and purrs for a long time at one of Creekstar’s (45) bad puns.  There’s also some romance between Primcrest (33) and Glowquake (27).  Primcrest sees Glowquake stumble while hunting and thinks it’s cute.  Creekstar encourages her deputy’s crush and tells Primcrest that she’ll save her a piece of fresh-kill if she wants to go out for a walk with Glowquake.  Tornflake (18) has been having a bit of a hard time dealing with his disability lately.  His warrior duties are proving hard on his body.  But the addition of Safariaster (98) to the Clan has helped him manage it better.  Frecklestone (18), having met Chervilcry in StarClan, wonders what she would think of Silverpaw (9) as a mediator.  He’s learning, but it’s taking a while.  Halfnoise (32) catches a rabbit that poisons the cats who eat it, leaving Primcrest, himself, and Fry (98) bedridden.  Fry also got frostbite.  Poor guy.

[elementclangen]

Moon 190-Leaf-bare

Wildcave (73), who still feeling frustrated with his son, is spending some time with his surviving sisters.  He adores Brightfern (32) and greatly admires Primcrest (32).  He’s glad that his dad had more kits, although he does miss his littermates.  Lightpaw (7) is learning more about his mentor through training.  He’s really surprised that life as a deputy is challenging, especially as a dark-cursed deputy.  He never knew.  Silverpaw (8) doesn’t have the benefit of a mentor to help him and is still figuring out this whole mediator thing.  He tried bringing up Cypressbadger’s (56) slightly obsessive overprotection over her sister’s kits up to her but just started a fight with her.  Oops.  At least he’s doing well getting Fry (97) and Chiku (124) closer to each other. . .There’s also some romance brewing the healer's den.  Tornflake (17) has been in there a lot lately, and Poolbounce (26) has slowly fallen in love.  He wants Tornflake to understand how crazy he is about him.  Tornflake also enjoys spending time with Poolbounce and is planning a sneak attack on him.  Aww.   Safariaster (97)is excited to be a part of the Clan, although she is proving to be a little bit of a gossip and shared an embarrassing story about Wildcave he asked her not to tell.  As a result, Silverpaw is a little distrustful of her and is keeping a close eye on her.  The Clan is having good luck convincing kittypets to join and boost their numbers.  This moon, they add Cilantro (51) to their numbers, who has a fairly strong water-blessing.  He actually looks a bit like Yellowcreek and Gladepatch, making some warriors suspect that he may be a younger sibling of Yellowcreek’s or Yellowcreek’s nephew and Gladepatch’s cousin.  They know nothing of Yellowcreek’s family outside the Clan, so it’s possible.  His reports of seeing a starry-furred cat guide him to the Clan only bolster these theories.

[elementclangen]

Moon 188-Leaf-fall

Cats are starting to recover from the hardship that struck the Clan.  Primcrest (30) and Glowquake (24) are feeling like they can keep on living without their loved ones and have bonded over their shared grief. They have a sweet bonding moment when Glowquake tells her that he sometimes feels like he doesn’t have anything to say or that the words trip coming out of his mouth.  Primcrest tells him that she doesn’t think he needs to change anything about how he talks or acts-she likes him just the way he is. Tornflake (15) is also feeling much better and is ready to get started on his warrior duties, but Creekstar (42) has been working herself a little too hard and has come down with whitecough. On the plus side, the Clan has a new apprentice!  Silverpaw (6) has been made a mediator apprentice and is excited to get to work.  Without a mentor, Silverpaw is having a bit of trouble managing client confidentiality as a mediator.  Fry (95) decides to try confiding in him and Silverpaw responds by telling him that Chiku (122) has a crush on him.  Oops.  It turns out that Wildcave (71) may have some feelings for Creekstar afterall.  He knows which fresh-kill is Creekstar’s favorite and saves it for her.  Aww.  The Clan understands that it’s important to put up a strong front during challenging times, so Chiku and Tornflake heckle another Clan at the gathering together.  What a great bonding experience.  Cypressbadger (54) feels like Frecklepaw (15) is being too serious, so she’s hiding behind a bush ready to pounce on the Healer apprentice.  Frecklepaw is still stressed being the only healthy Healer, but she’s glad that her brother is doing better, at least.  With Creekstar sick, Primcrest has been busy.  She’s sad that she doesn’t have more time to spend around Lightkit (5).  She’s come to enjoy her down time around the Clan’s younger members. 

[elementclangen]

Moon 187-Leaf-fall

It’s not even leaf-bare yet and everyone in the Clan is sick.  Poolbounce (23) has come down with whitecough, leaving Frecklepaw (14) as the only working Healer.  She’s not ready for this responsibility!  There are more sick cats than healthy cats in the Clan at this point.  And she doesn’t have a strong enough earth-blessing to heal all of them.  In a spot of bright news, Tornpaw (14) has become a warrior!  He’s given the name of Tornflake in honor of his compassion.  He’s still injured though, and he’s impatient to get out and assist with the Clan’s desperately needed hunting and border patrols.  Wildcave (70), knowing what it’s like to lose siblings, is checking in on Glowquake.  He tells the younger tom to count on him when he needs help. He also notices that Glowquake is shivering in the leaf-fall chill and warms him up with a small fire. Creekstar (41) is distracted and hasn’t been noticing cats she normally spends time with.  She doesn’t even nod when Fry (94) says hello to her.  There’s too much she needs to step up and do for her Clan.  Being the only remaining kits, Lightkit (4) and Silverkit (5) are bonding.  They need each other to get through these hard times.  They’ve also been getting into the healer's den to spend time with their dad, and Frecklepaw has to chase them out.