. : PRE-KITHOOD : .
Before Drizzlefox and her siblings were even a thought, two cats had a chance encounter. Heathersnail of CliffClan and a flirt, Frogjaw, sought shelter together during a particularly bad storm. The warrior had been out patrolling with a clanmate and close friend, Brookwhisker, when the storm separated them and she fell straight into Leothens as they reached the same shelter. Frogjaw had a silver-tongue and eloquent words and, before they knew it, a passionate night was being held between the two.
When the storm lifted and Frogjaw left his one-night lover, Brookwhisker came across Heathersnail just as the warrior was disappearing. It didn't take genius to figure out what had transpired. When the duo returned to a camp, life continued as normal until the medicine cat confirmed Heathersnail pregnant. Scared because she was carrying children to a tom who had no interest in being a father, Brookwhisker took it upon himself to state that he was the father of the kittens, so the children may not want for anything and be fully accepted by their clanmates and to protect Heathersnail's reputation.
. : KITHOOD : .
A few moons later and Heathersnail gave birth to three wonderful children. Splashkit, Drizzlekit, and Floodkit, fondly named after things that reminded her of her tryst in the storm, though she explained it away with the soft rain that fell while she gave birth. Drizzlekit had always been adventurous, so when she was able to leave the nursery she did so running and with Splashkit close behind. She barely even noticed that Heathersnail hadn't paid her children much mind, spending most of her days sleeping. She barely even groomed her children. Drizzlekit grew up believing it was the norm for fathers to sleep in the nursery, to groom and help the kittens with everything. It wasn't until other kittens were born and their Dads didnt help that the smart kitten started piecing things together.
Brookwhisker stepped up and became almost both father and mother to the litter. None questioned why Heathersnail seemed to avoid the kittens, and left them as soon as she could, and Brookwhisker never offered the information. They continued through their kithood as normal, sleeping with Brookwhisker at night and exploring during the day. Floodkit often followed Drizzlekit's lead, the more-confident sibling had no trouble on deciding what they should do.
. : APPRENTICESHIP : .
When Floodkit, Splashkit, and Drizzlekit reached 6 moons of age they were apprenticed appropriately: Drizzlekit, now Drizzlepaw, to the medicine cat. Floodkit, now Floodpaw, received Poppyswallow. Drizzlepaw had been intent on following the warrior path but Brackenstar saw the intelligence and potential behind the child and named her the next medicine cat apprentice instead. She was devastated at first, not wanting to be a wimp, or weak, or seen as a cat who needed to be protected. However, as she got into the role she found it challenging, and that, not only did she enjoy it, but that she found it fun and stimulating.
Her siblings would visit her, but the visits came less and less as all three became more invested with their mentors, their own lives, their own friends. Drizzlekit became closer and closer to her mentor and, while Brookwhisker visited, as time went on she felt a shift in their relationship. He stopped treating her like a child, like HIS child and started treating her....almost like a stranger. She hated it, and confronted him on it. She was never a cat to beat around the bush, or take shit laying down. Brookwhisker denied treating ehr differently, denied any distance that may have formed between them. Drizzlepaw tried calling him out on it, but the warrior left, not wishing to deal with his daughter yelling at him.
After that, Brookwhisker visited less and less. What used to be semi-frequent visits became maybe once a moon if she were lucky. She hated it, and grew angry towards her father because of it. This was a cat who had raised her, loved her, and over one silly fight he was willing to abandon her?! It pissed her right the fuck off.
. : MEDICINE CAT : .
The silence continued as she earned her full name: Drizzlefox. Her siblings congratulated her and celebrated by going on a hunt together (where Floodswarm decided to prank Drizzlefox and spook a flock of rock pigeons at her face....which resulted in her getting shit on.). As she was out she realized....she didnt look anything like her siblings. They both had beautiful, silvery gray pelts whereas hers was mud-brown, a few shades off from Brookwhisker's. Was that why he didnt like her? Because she looked like him?!
After the hunt she approached Brookwhisker again, furious. She started yelling at him in camp, and followed after him as he left camp. Once away, the usually cool Brookwhisker turned and yelled at her to: "SHUT UP! Looking at you is a constant reminder of what happened. I see you and you look just. Like. Him." Confused, Drizzle cooled as if Brookwhisker had just doused her in cold water. What did he mean? Who did she look like? Brookwhisker sighed and explained that he wasnt her father, Frogjaw was. Drizzlefox thought it over and realized she had Frogjaw's same pelt colouring and same eyes, and even body shape. He was old enough to have sired kits that were her age.....
Oh. Well....now it was awkward.
Brookwhisker hurried to explain that he loved her, he always would but as Drizzlefox became older she just looked so much like him. And all it did was remind him Heathersnail still never recovered from kitting. Never recovered from...from the shame she felt at having kittens outside of a mateship, of being too ashamed to proclaim Frogjaw the father. Drizzlefox couldnt believe that such a...a jerk had sired her, but that her own mother had been so weak--actually, no, she could believe the part of Heathersnail. She'd never been mentally strong, Drizzlefox was sure she crumpled and spread her legs the second Frogjaw opened his mouth.
Now, Brookwhisker is trying to see her more but Drizzle is more understanding of the distance. Her siblings come by a little more often, but Drizzlefox spends most of her days sorting herbs and thinking of....things that wouldn't entirely be approved of by all. These thoughts used to be curbed by her mentor, but he's since passed. Now there wasn't anyone to watch her see what she got up to in the deepest recesses of her den....
