IC DUE DATE: October 31st, 2024
APPLICATION DEADLINE: October 20th, 2024

Trufflekit
Gender: she-cat
Markings: black and red mackerel torbie
Eye Color: green
Fur Length: short
Build: thin
Extra Features: n/a
Health: alive
Genotype: XoXO Bb Dd AA McMc tata spsp ww CC ii Ll
Album: [ x ]
Taken by: OPEN

Pumpkinkit
Gender: she-cat
Markings: red mackerel tabby
Eye Color: green
Fur Length: long
Build: average
Extra Features: n/a
Health: alive
Genotype: XOXO BB Dd Aa McMc tata spsp ww CC ii ll
Album: [ x]
Taken by: OPEN

Nettlekit
Gender: tom
Markings: black and red mackerel tabby
Eye Color: green
Fur Length: long
Build: tall
Extra Features: two-balled boy (male torbie)
Health: alive
Genotype: XoYXOY Bb Dd Aa McMC tata spsp ww CC ii ll
Album: [ x ]
Taken by: Egotistic

Frostkit
Gender: tom
Markings: dominant white
Eye Color: heterochromia
Fur Length: long
Build: thin, wiry
Extra Features: n/a
Health: alive
Genotype: XOXO BB Dd Aa McMc tata spsp Ww CC ii ll
Album: [ x ]
Taken by: Captain

LITTER CONTEXT

It was one fateful night that the pair first met at a Gathering. During this time, their respective clans were still at each other's throats. He decided to sit next to a tom with long red fur from Lichenclan. Hazelpaw enjoyed their conversation even though it was just small talk. To him it was nice, to Redpaw it was a one way ticket to Minnowstars shit list. And sadly that's what happened.

With Minnowstar looking upon Redpaw with disgust and LichenClan growing increasingly hostile, Redpaw struggled to find any solace among his clanmates. Instead, he thought of Hazelpaw and the moments they had shared by each other's side.

It was during battle that Redcloud was finally able to make his escape. He fled to RedwoodClan, abandoning his clanmates and joining Hazelberry. He spent many moons as a refugee of RedwoodClan while the war raged. When Minnowstar was slain, he decided to stay with Hazelberry instead of returning to the home that had never accepted him. Settling into warrior life, Redcloud and Hazelberry spent a lot of time together. It was many moons before finally they confessed their love to each other and became mates.

Time passed by slowly for them until the day Curlycloud and Oaktalon had their first litter together. This made Hazelberry start to think about what Redcloud and his kits might look like. He waited a bit before bringing it up to Redcloud, wondering if he felt the same way. If he too would like to have their own little family besides the two of them. The kits would be their only family by blood in the clan but there was just one problem. Who would they ask to carry their kits? They thought long and hard until one name came to mind. One molly that they had seen longing to mother a kit of their own.

They asked their close friend, Whitewhisker, if she would be willing to be a surrogate for their kits. Whitewhisker gleefully agreed. They were overjoyed to hear her agree to becoming their kits surrogate. While there was little expectation for her to stay a part of the kit's lives, she threw herself into motherhood in her own unique way, creating an unusual but loving family.

FUTURE PLOT PLANS

With everything currently happening in the clan involving those with mixed blood being frowned upon or not being given the same opportunities as those of full blood, Hazelberry and Redcloud are scared of how their kits will be treated. Being first time parents, the last thing they want is their kits to be looked down on just because they might have some Lichenclan blood in them. As far as they know all the kits could have mixed blood or not. There really is no way of knowing for sure. Their atypical family is also somewhat taboo in RedwoodClan. It is expected that each kit has two loving parents, and changes to that structure are seen as unusual and taboo. Something that the group doesn’t really care about. All they want is their kits to feel loved and accepted.

Around the time the kits reach 6-7 moons, just after becoming apprentices, Hazelberry and Redcloud will go on an excursion to find a good place for the family to celebrate their kits becoming apprentices. They will be attacked by a couple of rogues that will end Redcloud's life. Hazelberry will return to camp with his mates body, half dead himself, only to die in Asterstorms den. His wounds being too grave for the medicine cat to treat in time. Whitewhisker will do her best to fill the role of parent, but will never be able to be the fathers that the kits lose.

HAZELBERRYS’ PARENTING STYLE

Like any first time dad, Hazelberry will struggle to find a form of balance. Between his duties as a warrior and trying to spend time with his mate, he wants to make as much time as he can for his kits. He might seem a little worn on the edges when visiting them in the nursery but he hides his weariness with a warm smile and a kind word for his kits. Always there to listen to any story they might have of their little adventures. He will even trade stories with them about his great hunts and his time as an apprentice, trying to prepare them for what's to come when they come of age.

When they start to get a little older, by the time the nursery becomes too small for them, he will try to take them out for walks around the camp. Visit with any of the cats that he thinks would make a good impact on his kit's lives. Wanting them to see that there are all kinds of things they can do when they get older, nothing can stand in their path as long as they put their minds to it.

REDCLOUDS’ PARENTING STYLE

Redcloud took it upon him self to move into the nursery once the kits are born. He keeps his nest near Whitewhisker's, careful to make sure he keeps his promise of not overburdening her with the kits' care. Whenever they can be away from her, he takes them into his nest and never leaves them longer than he has to in order to patrol or hunt. He is an attentive father and quick to put the needs of his children above his own. If there is one thing he is sure of it is that he wants his kits to have a happier youth than he had.

Redcloud loves his children wholly from the moment they are born and it is this love that makes him nervous. What if he does something wrong? What if they don't like him in return? Redcloud tries his best to make sure every activity is safe and supervised, but with four kittens, there is only so much he can do. That won't stop him from trying, however, and it certainly won't stop him from fretting, especially as the kits grow and get into more and more mischief.

WHITEWHISKERS’ PARENTING STYLE

Whitewhisker will struggle to act as an authority to her kittens. Her relationship with them will be more akin to friends than to a mother and child. She will feed them and play with them and snuggle them, but will lack any ability to discipline or manage their lives. Her greatest flaw as a parent is her forgetfulness, occasionally abandoning her kits for small periods of time by accident before remembering and retrieving them. She believes very strongly in the power of kindness to an almost delusional level, and will be disheartened should her children grow to favor fighting or approve the exclusion of certain clanmates, but will do little to redirect them to what she believes is the morally correct approach. Above all else, Whitewhisker loves them wholly and completely, without any reservations, and will do so no matter what they do or who they become.

When Redcloud and Hazelberry die, Whitewhisker will draw her kits close to her and will try to insert herself into their lives as much as possible. She will attempt to grieve by helping others grieve, especially her kits. While she is close to both Redcloud and Hazelberry as their dear friend and co-parent, she understands that their children will suffer the most in their fathers' absences.

While Whitewhisker is deaf, she is able to communicate. She uses a mixture of body language and simple, easily readable words to express herself and is proficient in reading lips. She will be able to understand the kits when they are looking in her direction but cannot when their backs are to her or if they purposefully mumble.

LIVING RELATIVES

Grandmother Icesong (@ captain)
Aunt Mallowfrost (@ lightning) and Gorseblaze (@ maple)
Uncle Snowtalon (@ arialy) and Freezingsky (@ silverfire)
Cousin Lynxkit (@ lightning) and Wolfkit (@ rain)
SECRET!! Cousins (so you don’t romance them unknowingly) Ashkit (@ egotistic) and Rowankit (@ raven)

EXTENDED FAMILY (not blood related)

Uncle Barkheart (@ fallenreaper)
Aunt Elmlight (@ wolfie)
Cousins Martensight (@ wolfie) and Beavertail (@ emmy)
Aunt Streamwhisker (@ silverfire)
Uncle Milkweedleaf (@ wolfie)

THREAD IDEAS

- Hazelberry brings his children prey and teaches them how to pounce things that aren’t his or his mates tails (he does enjoy that, promise, but it won’t help them later on)

- Hazelberry decides to visit the nursery before bed and asks the kits to tell him a bedtime story instead. Wanting to see just what they can come up with.

- Hazelberry takes the kits out one at a time for one on one time with dad. Taking time to let each of them know that if they are half clanners he doesn’t care. He will always love them with all his heart.

- Redcloud awkwardly tries to explain to one or more of his kits how he came to be a RedwoodClan cat despite being born in LichenClan and why that makes some of their Clanmates wary

- Redcloud tries to play the villain in a kit game, but they can tell it makes him uncomfortable

- Redcloud teaches the kits how to fish for minnows in a stream close to camp bringing LichenClan skills into RedwoodClan's camp

- Whitewhisker gifts a flower to each of her litter that represents them and how she perceives them.

- Whitewhisker takes one or two of her children out of camp for a bit of fresh air, but accidentally forgets them outside for a few hours. What happens while they are unsupervised?

- Whitewhisker tries to explain the concept of death to her children with her relatively limited vocabulary.

• Kits are not first come first serve. Members must fill out the application to claim a kit.
• No name changes
• Deadline for applications 11:59 pm EST on October 20th (may extend if necessary).
• If you go inactive (no IC posts for a month) or leave the site, your kit will be placed back up for adoption.
• Please don't kill the kit without discussing it with us first! We want to see the kits active and living their lives. If it's a lack of interest rather than a narrative choice, we would love to re-adopt the kit.