{$title} Content Warning: death/murder, manipulation, unstable relationship (obsession/possession, delusion)
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RULES
Slots are FCFS, as this post is very late and I'd like to get the slots filled! Loose deadline is September 15 2025 but I may lessen or increase the time depending on interest and whether or not posts are filled out.
You may post to claim a slot without a full application ready, but please only do so if you intend to fill out at least the basics. If claim posts are not filled out by September 15, 2025 I will re-open the slot.
Application includes the basics: name, gender/pronounds, appearance, and planned personality. No word count requirement - I always prefer quality over quantity! Plot ideas and development blurbs are not required but strongly encouraged!
Though this is FCFS, I expect at least casual activity from the kits! This story has been thought out for a long time; please only claim a slot if you intend to play the kits through to adulthood! I will not enforce any monthly quota as I have a lot of IRL priorities as well.
The kits were born on July 6th, 2025. They will start at roughly 1 moon old, and may be played after all slots are filled. Kits will be ICly named at one moon old, when all slots are filled.
Character names are not pre-claimed. Make sure to make a check-in post once your slot is approved! Please make sure that your chosen prefix(es) are available in WindClan.
Kits will be born in WindClan and given traditional (kit) suffixes. I expect kits to stay in WindClan until adulthood; past that, plots for moving are fine by me!
There is room for angst, but please note that there will be no outright abuse or neglect. Plague is a morally grey character and will teach her kits questionable lessons, but they will be loved and raised with care.
NAMING GUIDELINES
Morbid names will not be given maliciously. Some will be symbols of Plague's belief in their protective omens, as if a frightening name will keep danger away. Some are personal and reflective of her past. Predatory fauna names will be given to promote watchfulness and power - and poisonous flora names will be given to symbolize the beauty and danger of the world.
Given the morbidity of some names, prefixes may be changed by the leader at the kit and leader's discretion; though ICly, Plague will be displeased. I ask that prefixes are not changed until apprenticehood at the earliest (unless Duskstar insists on changing them sooner), as Plague will try to keep them as long as she can!
The following names have not been checked against currently claimed and limited names; they all are legal, though. Please check if your chosen name is available before claiming a slot! Names that are not currently on the legal prefixes list should be checked in the site's Discord.
You may pick a name not on the list below so long as it follows the themes, is available in WindClan and on-site in general, and is legal.
Morose (subject to ic change by self or leader): blood, blight, bone, death, decay, doom, dreary, famine, ghost, haunt(ed)(ing), phantom, poison, ruin, skull
Fauna (birds of prey, dark-colored animals): bat, buzzard, condor, crow, eagle, falcon, harrier, hawk, osprey, raven, spider, vulture
Flora (poisons): amaryllis, belladonna, bryony, datura, deathberry, foxglove, hellebore, hemlock (note: father's name), holly, oleander, wisteria,
Misc: black, cobweb, dark, dusk, ebony, gloam, midnight, moonlight(lit), night, shattered, spirit, twilight, umber, venom
GENETICS
Genetics are free-for-all!
Plague is a long-haired, cream tabby with low white (masking solid. The sire's genetics will be based upon the kits' chosen appearances!
The Story
Content Warning: death/murder, manipulation, unstable relationship (obsession/possession, delusion)
A patriarch stands upon a rock, high and mighty as she always knew him; he looks upon her with tearful eyes, detesting the abomination he sees her as now. Deep beneath a scornful gaze, she desperately searches - could she find the fondness he held, mere days prior? If she apologized, could he still embrace her like he did before?
As grief-stricken words fumble from his mouth - grief that she knows is not for her - she knows that the love between them had withered and died, like a meadow ripped by fire.
"You are a scourge upon this world," he croaks out for all to hear. Eyes bear into her, into her stiff posture and crimson-stained paws. "You are a plague upon us. A bounty is now upon your head. You have ten blinks to escape with your life."
'One. Two.' Finally, she tears her gaze away, towards the war-hungry monsters that creep closer. 'Three. Four.' It is a mercy, that her broken flame gives her a running start, lest she be ripped to shreds. 'Five. Six.' But a greater mercy, her desired outcome, would be forgiveness for her sins.. for him to return to her, to embrace her knowing she had freed him from his shackles. Is it not what he wanted.. to be a true father to her kits, without the burden of his newly-late lover that he had promised to not truly love? Was she not what he wanted, after all?
'Seven. Eight.'
The molly takes in a breath, lashes her tail.. and with hounds of cats on her heels, she runs.
In a place outside of the Clans, in a seemingly lawless land, a Colony thrives - it is here where @Plague is born, named Ivory for the lightness of her pelt. This is a Colony of tradition and unity, lead by a pair of mates that guide their Colony with balance - conviction for clarity. A legendary pair of rulers claim this land at the time of Ivory's upbringing, an era rich with comfort, safety, and stability. These are times that the leading pair expects will be passed on for generations in their family, in stories meant to empower their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Neither were expecting the truth to be so grim: death, betrayal, and the shattering of their system.
Ivory is born to two hunters in the Colony, a busy mother and an absent father, the only kitten of her parents' last litter. But, despite the loneliness of her upbringing, the molly is as bright as can be, with a clever tongue, rebellious nature and a playful streak right from the start. It is in her youth that she befriends the eldest child of the leaders' last litter; the heir to their position, so that they may retire as elders when he is grown - Hemlock. The two are inseparable from the beginning, two peas in a pod: she compliments his curiosity with her boldness, and his whimsy pairs well with her sharp quips.
But, Hemlock is meant for something more than a hunter, gatherer or guard in the colony - he is meant to rule. From the moment he can learn to hunt, he is expected to shadow his parents, training to lead and guide his Colony for moons to come. As he grew, so too did their expectations of him: and so did the bond between him and Ivory become strained, as their closeness becomes a liability to his concentration. Ivory grows graceful and ambitious into her young adulthood, while her best friend becomes more reserved and cautious. Despite their differences, a bond grows - she is his biggest supporter, and he is her true love. Through the moons, she pines for him.
Tradition cannot be cast aside so easily in the Colony, though. Hemlock's time for ascension is near, as his parents excitedly arrange a co-leader between plans for their comfortable life as elders. The role of the leader's mate was never meant to be love, though in some cases (such as Hemlock's parents) a cat can get lucky. It was something traditional, something political, meant to continue unity and prosperity in the group for seasons to come. Cypress is her name, a regal and composed molly with a gentle heart. For the colony's sake, Hemlock accepted her as his mate and co-leader of the group, though his true feelings for her remain unknown as a conflict plagues his heart: Ivory.
The bond hadn't shattered entirely when Hemlock and Cypress became mates, however. Ivory and Hemlock's scenic walks and talks of dreams continued in the quiet hours of night, replaced by indifferent glances and formality during the day. Hemlock, bound by duty and commitment, finds guilt, fear and shame in these meetings - but Ivory finds sacred hope and desire. It is in these uncertain times that a tragic discovery is made, one that would change the dynamic of the two forbidden lovers forever - Ivory is pregnant with Hemlock's kits.
Ivory confronts Hemlock one night to announce the delightful news. To her, these kits are a blessing: she hopes desperately to break the Colony's generations-long tradition and win over his love. On the other paw, Hemlock is terrified - to him, the kits are nothing more than a curse, a direct consequence of his infidelity and a dire threat to his position as one of the Colony's leaders. To accept these kits would be to acknowledge his betrayal - and to acknowledge his betrayal would be to shatter the unity that holds his group together. What Ivory expects to be a tearful reunion very quickly becomes hostile, as she is met with a cold shoulder and rejected abruptly by the cat she could have sworn loved her. In his eyes, where she once saw fondness and comfort, she now sees cowardice.
In the following days, between tense interactions and avoidance, Ivory hatches a plan. To "free the duty that binds him", she conspires a grave crime against the Colony: the murder of the leader's mate. It is something that she feels they need - to relieve him of his responsibilities, to allow him a chance to openly start a family with her, to be with his "true love". As her pregnancy progresses and becomes more noticeable, whispers and rumors spread about the camp, and Hemlock becomes increasingly reserved, focusing his affection towards his mate. Until one day, Cypress' body is stumbled upon by a patrol of hunters.
It is not difficult to track down the culprit; Ivory's paws are still stained crimson when she is found and swiftly escorted back to camp. The news had spread like wildflower, reaching the scornful and horrified cats that await her. Under the leaders' rock, on which a young Hemlock once practiced his speeches to an eagerly listening Ivory, the murderer's betrayal is announced for all to hear. If Ivory bowed, if she begged for forgiveness, would he tell her that it would be okay? Would he remember the inseparable bond they once had? Would he parade no longer as a mourning ruler, and embrace her once more as a friend and lover? In an instant, all of her hopes come crumbling down, for he sees her as a monster, a plague - a threat to the Colony's image of peace, she had not only killed Cypress, but destroyed his legacy. To the listening ears, the war-trained guards, Ivory is renamed 'Plague'; a condemnation, a brand of her betrayal. And, given only ten blinks to escape with her life, she is exiled, forbidden to return.
Even as she runs, she considers it a mercy that he allowed her to live.. that perhaps under his façade, he still loved her after all.
Days later, with the guards long-since lost, Plague arrives at a scent-marked territory in a place she had never seen before, for to leave the Colony's territory was a mere dream of freedom shared between herself and Hemlock as kits. Catching wind of a group of cats, the worn and tired queen collapses - when questioned, she does not answer honestly. 'Chased by hounds,' she was, convicted for a crime she never committed, a crime she would leave in mystery. And into WindClan's depth she goes, a place of unfamiliar-but-welcomed warmth and comfort to raise her kits and escape her past.
But would she continue to live a lie, under the mask of a mysterious, misunderstood outsider? Or will her past return to haunt her and her forbidden kits?
A patriarch stands upon a rock, high and mighty as she always knew him; he looks upon her with tearful eyes, detesting the abomination he sees her as now. Deep beneath a scornful gaze, she desperately searches - could she find the fondness he held, mere days prior? If she apologized, could he still embrace her like he did before?
As grief-stricken words fumble from his mouth - grief that she knows is not for her - she knows that the love between them had withered and died, like a meadow ripped by fire.
"You are a scourge upon this world," he croaks out for all to hear. Eyes bear into her, into her stiff posture and crimson-stained paws. "You are a plague upon us. A bounty is now upon your head. You have ten blinks to escape with your life."
'One. Two.' Finally, she tears her gaze away, towards the war-hungry monsters that creep closer. 'Three. Four.' It is a mercy, that her broken flame gives her a running start, lest she be ripped to shreds. 'Five. Six.' But a greater mercy, her desired outcome, would be forgiveness for her sins.. for him to return to her, to embrace her knowing she had freed him from his shackles. Is it not what he wanted.. to be a true father to her kits, without the burden of his newly-late lover that he had promised to not truly love? Was she not what he wanted, after all?
'Seven. Eight.'
The molly takes in a breath, lashes her tail.. and with hounds of cats on her heels, she runs.
In a place outside of the Clans, in a seemingly lawless land, a Colony thrives - it is here where @Plague is born, named Ivory for the lightness of her pelt. This is a Colony of tradition and unity, lead by a pair of mates that guide their Colony with balance - conviction for clarity. A legendary pair of rulers claim this land at the time of Ivory's upbringing, an era rich with comfort, safety, and stability. These are times that the leading pair expects will be passed on for generations in their family, in stories meant to empower their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Neither were expecting the truth to be so grim: death, betrayal, and the shattering of their system.
Ivory is born to two hunters in the Colony, a busy mother and an absent father, the only kitten of her parents' last litter. But, despite the loneliness of her upbringing, the molly is as bright as can be, with a clever tongue, rebellious nature and a playful streak right from the start. It is in her youth that she befriends the eldest child of the leaders' last litter; the heir to their position, so that they may retire as elders when he is grown - Hemlock. The two are inseparable from the beginning, two peas in a pod: she compliments his curiosity with her boldness, and his whimsy pairs well with her sharp quips.
But, Hemlock is meant for something more than a hunter, gatherer or guard in the colony - he is meant to rule. From the moment he can learn to hunt, he is expected to shadow his parents, training to lead and guide his Colony for moons to come. As he grew, so too did their expectations of him: and so did the bond between him and Ivory become strained, as their closeness becomes a liability to his concentration. Ivory grows graceful and ambitious into her young adulthood, while her best friend becomes more reserved and cautious. Despite their differences, a bond grows - she is his biggest supporter, and he is her true love. Through the moons, she pines for him.
Tradition cannot be cast aside so easily in the Colony, though. Hemlock's time for ascension is near, as his parents excitedly arrange a co-leader between plans for their comfortable life as elders. The role of the leader's mate was never meant to be love, though in some cases (such as Hemlock's parents) a cat can get lucky. It was something traditional, something political, meant to continue unity and prosperity in the group for seasons to come. Cypress is her name, a regal and composed molly with a gentle heart. For the colony's sake, Hemlock accepted her as his mate and co-leader of the group, though his true feelings for her remain unknown as a conflict plagues his heart: Ivory.
The bond hadn't shattered entirely when Hemlock and Cypress became mates, however. Ivory and Hemlock's scenic walks and talks of dreams continued in the quiet hours of night, replaced by indifferent glances and formality during the day. Hemlock, bound by duty and commitment, finds guilt, fear and shame in these meetings - but Ivory finds sacred hope and desire. It is in these uncertain times that a tragic discovery is made, one that would change the dynamic of the two forbidden lovers forever - Ivory is pregnant with Hemlock's kits.
Ivory confronts Hemlock one night to announce the delightful news. To her, these kits are a blessing: she hopes desperately to break the Colony's generations-long tradition and win over his love. On the other paw, Hemlock is terrified - to him, the kits are nothing more than a curse, a direct consequence of his infidelity and a dire threat to his position as one of the Colony's leaders. To accept these kits would be to acknowledge his betrayal - and to acknowledge his betrayal would be to shatter the unity that holds his group together. What Ivory expects to be a tearful reunion very quickly becomes hostile, as she is met with a cold shoulder and rejected abruptly by the cat she could have sworn loved her. In his eyes, where she once saw fondness and comfort, she now sees cowardice.
In the following days, between tense interactions and avoidance, Ivory hatches a plan. To "free the duty that binds him", she conspires a grave crime against the Colony: the murder of the leader's mate. It is something that she feels they need - to relieve him of his responsibilities, to allow him a chance to openly start a family with her, to be with his "true love". As her pregnancy progresses and becomes more noticeable, whispers and rumors spread about the camp, and Hemlock becomes increasingly reserved, focusing his affection towards his mate. Until one day, Cypress' body is stumbled upon by a patrol of hunters.
It is not difficult to track down the culprit; Ivory's paws are still stained crimson when she is found and swiftly escorted back to camp. The news had spread like wildflower, reaching the scornful and horrified cats that await her. Under the leaders' rock, on which a young Hemlock once practiced his speeches to an eagerly listening Ivory, the murderer's betrayal is announced for all to hear. If Ivory bowed, if she begged for forgiveness, would he tell her that it would be okay? Would he remember the inseparable bond they once had? Would he parade no longer as a mourning ruler, and embrace her once more as a friend and lover? In an instant, all of her hopes come crumbling down, for he sees her as a monster, a plague - a threat to the Colony's image of peace, she had not only killed Cypress, but destroyed his legacy. To the listening ears, the war-trained guards, Ivory is renamed 'Plague'; a condemnation, a brand of her betrayal. And, given only ten blinks to escape with her life, she is exiled, forbidden to return.
Even as she runs, she considers it a mercy that he allowed her to live.. that perhaps under his façade, he still loved her after all.
Days later, with the guards long-since lost, Plague arrives at a scent-marked territory in a place she had never seen before, for to leave the Colony's territory was a mere dream of freedom shared between herself and Hemlock as kits. Catching wind of a group of cats, the worn and tired queen collapses - when questioned, she does not answer honestly. 'Chased by hounds,' she was, convicted for a crime she never committed, a crime she would leave in mystery. And into WindClan's depth she goes, a place of unfamiliar-but-welcomed warmth and comfort to raise her kits and escape her past.
But would she continue to live a lie, under the mask of a mysterious, misunderstood outsider? Or will her past return to haunt her and her forbidden kits?
Additional Details & Relations
Plague will raise her kits lovingly and attentively, but with some very questionable morals passed on. Some food for thought, for plot ideas:
— She will teach the kits about the dangers of the wild in exaggerated (whether true or not) stories. If they are fearful, they are watchful. What impact could this leave on your kit? Would they be sheepish on their first outings, or ready to face the world bravely?
— More importantly, she will teach the kits about the dangers of other cats. 'Love' and 'trust' will be explained as something to be weaponized by others and to be given sparingly; while she will not explicitly discourage or forbid them from having close relationships with others as they grow, she will consistently question of they feel truly loved and cared for, and warn them against the dangers of their emotions being used. As they grow, will these teachings cause them to be emotionally guarded and closed off from others? Will they find the right friend(s) or mate throughout their life that lead them to question the emotional danger of her teachings?
— Plague will pass on a lesson that telling a lie can sometimes be kinder and safer than telling the truth. She will discourage them for lying maliciously, but will turn a blind eye if a spin on the truth saves them from harm. Perhaps she will pass on a fable-version of her exile to her kits. Do they believe it? Do they think it's just a story? Do they suspect that the cat in the story is her?
— Plague will teach her kits that their most important allies are each other - she will enforce unity within them, and urge them to place their trust in her as well. Do the kittens develop an 'us against the world' mentality? Or do they bend under the pressure when disagreements may be had, or strive to rebel against her teachings in curiosity of the good outside of their tightly knit sibling group?
— If the truth comes out about Plague's involvement in the murder of Cypress and her fall out with the kitten's father, how would the kittens react? Would they stand by her, seeing it as a necessary action for the sake of the kittens? Would their perception of her change for the worse as they peace together the subtle teachings' correlation with her backstory? Would they wish to meet their father to find the whole story, or confront him?
— Overall, while she is otherwise loving and protective, her kittens will be taught from a young age in an unintentionally harmful way to be cautious of the world and cats around them. I'd love to see this explored and built upon in development! If you have plot ideas, feel free to jot them down below or message me at any time in #ixoras-icebox (or dm me!)!
RELATIONS
PLAGUE x HEMLOCK ; Kittens will be Gen 2. No known other played relations.
— @Snowy
— @Howee
— SLOT THREE
Coding by Rai.
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