Bugnest

Bugnest was not always the way she is now. Once, it was named Pouncekit, and it played and laughed and acted like any other kit its age! But one day, Pouncekit wandered out of camp. By the time the clan found her, they had changed. 

They seemed...stuck, unable to learn the necessary skills for many moons, and was apprenticed late as a result. The red stripes began around this time, slowly spreading across her pelt with no discernible cause. Her eyes changed as well, paling as the pupils became a deep reddish color. 

As soon as they could speak again, they asked to be called Bugkit. It seemed to make them happy, so the clan went along with it. It took...a long time for Bugpaw to become a warrior. they were nearly 20 moons old when they finally got their warrior name, and requested to be called Bugnest. The leader agreed, seeing nothing wrong with it, and honored it for its friendliness.

There's a strangeness about Bugnest that defies explanation. The way they move, the way they speak, the way they act...it's like they aren't a cat. But that can't be true. Right?

Bugnest uses they/she/it pronouns, and is 20 moons. she is a Siamese/Oriental Short Hair/Donskoy cross and was brought into the clan with her siblings as a kit. She is very explicitly an allegory for my experiences with chronic illness and pain, as well as my autism and mental illness. Her story has HEAVY horror themes, and features heavily in bugs, gore, death, and violence. Some art of her may be triggering for some viewers.