#aphidtangle

Aliases / Nicknames: Stream

Gender: tom

Sexuality: homosexual

Family: Chervilfeather (mate), Posydapple, Rifttooth, Aphidtangle, Bouncechirp, Hyacinthberry (adoptive daughters), Littlepine, Plumfur, Wheatlily, Nectarlion, Minnowface, Swarmvalley (adoptive sons), Sharpholly, Firleaf (adoptive kits), several unnamed adoptive grandkits

Other Relations: unnamed mentor

Clan: RiverClan (formerly)

Rank: deputy (formerly)

Characteristics: insecure, afraid of being left

Murder Motive: desperate to keep his family together

Number of Victims: 3+

Number of Murders: 3+

Murder Method: slitting throat, jumping

Known Victims: unnamed loners

Victim Profile: loners that threaten to take his kits away, parents of kits he wanted to take

Cause of Death: weakened by starvation, killed by a fox

Cautionary Tale: ??

Story: 

Truthfully, he had not felt home in his Clan for many moons before they left.

His mother died when he was born, then his only littermate left to become a kittypet when they were apprentices. His father died only a few days after he had earned his full name. His father had been the deputy--that was probably why Streamrose was chosen to succeed him, despite his young age and the protest of other Clanmates.

The stress was unbelievable. There was pity about his grief and stress, but there were also cats that were exasperated with Streamrose making mistake after mistake, and pity turned to annoyance.

He looked like an idiot every time he spoke! None of his Clanmates took him seriously. They either saw him as a poor young cat and pitied him, or they though he was a fool and were irritated by him.

He had never had close friends within the Clan. Maybe that was why he was so eager to interact with someone who wasn't from his Clan.

Chervilfeather had been trying to collect herbs on the edge of the gorge when the strong wind blew him over the edge and into the water. He would have drowned if Streamrose hadn't dove in and pulled him to shore.

Chervilfeather was very grateful. He was the first one to ever look at Streamrose with an expression that didn't say 'oh poor kit with the dead mother,' or 'oh poor kit with the sister who left,' or 'poor young tom whose father died,' or 'oh stupid young tom who can't even pick a patrol without messing it up.'

No, Chervilfeather thought that he was great! That he was a brave hero, who risked his life to save someone he didn't know!

He didn't want that feeling to go. He offered Chervilfeather any help that could mean meeting the tom again--swimming lessons, helping gather herbs.

Chervilfeather lost the herbs he had intended to gather when he fell, so Streamrose offered to help him find more. The herbs were feverfew, which grow plentiful in RiverClan territory.

It wasn't long before the two met again. Chervilfeather admitted that he wanted to return to givea gift as thanks for Streamrose's help, and gave him a flower. He said that it wasn't an herb, but it was soft--so maybe Streamrose could use it in his nest?

Streamrose was over the moon! Chervilfeather had wanted to see him too! Streamrose asked if Chervilfeather would still be willing to take those swimming lessons, and Chervilfeather eagerly, but for some reason nervously, agreed.

It wasn't until later when he made the realization. Two apprentices within ear-shot were talking together, when some elders closer to Streamrose said something about 'young love' and how they were clearly flirting.

But one of the cats had been acting just like Chervilfeather--stuttering, suffling their paws, looking anywhere but at the cat they were talking to...had Chervilfeather been flirting with him?

The thought instantly caused Streamrose's heart to speed up. He looked forward all through the night to seeing Chervilfeather again.

The two spent as much time together as they could for two moons. Then, the worst happened. WindClan was desperate for herbs, and RiverClan--despite Streamrose's insistence--refused to give them. The two Clans went to battle, then battle turned to war.

Streamrose and Chervilfeather were incredibly distraught. Speaking together, they both realized that neither had close enough bonds to stay. Why didn't they just leave? Chervilfeather wasn't the only medicine cat, there was still his mentor, and Streamrose's position could easily be filled in.

So, in the middle of the night, the two left, swimming through the water for as long as they could to cover their scent, and then they were off.

One moon went by when Chervilfeather began to say how guilty they felt for leaving. So many cats must have been injured. What if they needed his help to heal them? What if his mentor died before he could train another cat?

Streamrose felt stressed to near tears. He couldn't be left again! They had only been together for a moon without needing to hide their relationship, but it had been a wonderful moon--they were free to play, nuzzle, and so much more without worry of getting caught or being punished.

If they went back...they would lose all that. They may not even be mates anymore!

He didn't actively look for them, but his spiraling thoughts caused Streamrose to wander aimlessly, and his endless walking lead him to an abandoned single kit.

Of course, Chervilfeather was more than willing to take them in. They might die if they don't.

Streamrose felt happier now. Not only was he a father, had a family with the tom he loved--but Chervilfeather couldn't go back now! They couldn't bring their daughter back, whose Clan would they go to?

Little Aphidtangle was adorable. She wasn't old enough to remember her mother, and loved playing with her fathers--especially their tails!

But after some moons of traveling and raising their kit, Streamrose noticed something horrible. Chervilfeather was leading her to moors! He was teaching their kit how to hunt rabbits, how to watch out for burrows, how to live on WindClan territory!

Streamrose tried to combat this, tried to teach Aphidtangle how to swim and wove reed dens, but Chervilfeather pointed out that there was no water around to learn these things properly. When Streamrose argued that they should look for a place more suitable, Chervilfeather refused, stating that they found a good place to stay, and that they should stay there for at least a while for Aphidtangle to grow.

The logical part of Streamrose's brain knew that Chervilfeather was being reasonable, but the emotional part, the stronger part, was nearing full panic mode.

Chervilfeather was angry with him now....he already wanted to take their daughter back to his home, and now Streamrose was pushing him away!

His thoughts went back to how close they were in the beginning, and when they found the kit. That's it! They just had to find more....

But it's very hard to find little helpless, abandoned kits.

Streamrose found kits, but they had a mother.

That mother was sick. Not dead, but definitely too sick to fight. He would be doing her a favour, right? She would be dead soon, and her kits would be safe.

He could have lead Chervilfeather to her to heal her, but with everything in his mind, Streamrose didn't even consider that. He simply picked the kits up and took them to the makeshift camp.

It worked! They were both worried about caring for so many kits, but the older litter could hunt now, so it wasn't too much of a burden.

Chervilfeather apologized for their argument, stating how he only missed the breeze of living on the hills, and didn't consider that Streamrose probably felt the same way about water.

The two made a promise to each other that from now on, they would find a compromise for everything.

That could only last so long.

Chervilfeather hardly put up a fight when Nectarlion left to be with a loner.

He wanted to get rid of their kits! The sooner they're all grown up and able to live on their own, the sooner he can return to RiverClan!

Streamrose needed to avoid that. He needed to get them more kits.

This time, he couldn't find anyone alone. Surely being raised by two fathers and many older siblings was safer than being raised by a single mother?

He didn't mean to kill her. He only meant to scare her off, but she put up a fight. The fight caused Streamrose's claw to swing out, and he accidently clawed the back of one of the kits. The mother went from angry to murderous, and Streamrose had no choice but to aim for her throat.

When he returned, he told Chervilfeather that he found the kits being abused by their mother, pointing out the injured kit--feeling rather guilty as he did.

Streamrose grieved deeply when his kits left to start a life of their own. It wasn't safe out there! They couldn't leave him!

When Bouncechirp told him that she had begun to see a really nice loner, Streamrose knew what he had to do.

When Bouncechirp was supposed to meet her 'mate,' Streamrose instead told her to keep an eye on her brother's wound, as the colder weather could cause it problems.

He went to where she would have met the tom, stalking as close as he could. The tom smiled through the grass, cheerfully saying 'Bouncechirp! I thought I'd be waiting forever!'

Streamrose leaped before he could be scented, sinking his teeth into the tom's throat. Then he dragged his body to the stream--as soon as their kits were old enough to travel, Chervilfeather and Streamrose had moved to a small moor with streams running between them to omage both their homes--and let the water carry it away.

As far as Bouncechirp knew, he had left her. She was nothing to him but a physical need. Bouncechirp swore that she would never love another tom or she-cat again, that she would only be devoted to her family.

Streamrose was relieved.

He had to repeat the process only a few times for his other kits, but it was worth it to keep his family together. Those toms and she-cats were completely alone. No would would suffer from grief, but if his kits left, the whole family would be devastated.

The loners were furious. They may not all be close, but they still talk, and some do have littermates or kits who had died by Streamrose's claws.

The first message came through Hyacinthberry, found dead at the edge of their territory.

They weren't a Clan--there was no leader to give orders about attacking or not, so no one controlled whether or not the kits attacked any loner they found in retaliation.

Chervilfeather was distraught, stating that it was just like the war. Streamrose, however, was more than willing to have anyone who dared touch a whisker on his poor daughter to be torn to shreds.

Loners were weak. Their kits were warriors in the truest sense. They didn't have the blood, but they had been trained in combat more sophisticated than anything a rogue could learn. Hyacinthberry, may she swim in blessed waters, must have been attacked from behind, taken by surprise.

Now, everyone knew of the danger. No one would make the same mistake.

That was true, they didn't.

They made a different mistake--not carefully watching what they eat.

Fumblestorm, his grandson that Aphidtangle became pregnant with before the father was taken care of, and Riftooth died by poisoning in the prey.

Streamrose had screamed his grief to the stars over their deaths. Worst of all, though, was Chervilfeather.

Streamrose had begged him to eat any foods or herbs that could be found, but Chervilfeather still faded by the day.

Streamrose couldn't let him go. He couldn't accept it. He begged StarClan to give him another chance. Leaders get nine--Chervilfeather was more a leader to their family than anyone Streamrose had ever known in the Clans. Couldn't he just be given one more chance? Just one?

Days went by.

The family looked to Streamrose for advice, for knowledge, for comfort. They didn't trust the food they caught themselves, they didn't feel safe in their own territory.

They told him that they wanted to leave. Streamrose told them to wait until Chervilfeather was better.

He spoke with his mate, telling them about their kits and the days everyone had. He laid with him in their nest, grooming his pelt, sleeping, everything you do with your mate.

Aphidtangle pushed him more and more, demanding that Streamrose bury Chervilfeather and pay attention to the family that actually needed him.

Angrily, Streamrose swung at her.

It wasn't the first time he had accidently caused someone's death, but it was a death that truly broke him.

It broke the others, too, as that was the final straw. In groups going day after day, the family shrank. First five cats left, then four, then another five. His kits left and took their kits, leaving until there was no one left but Streamrose, sleeping in his nest next to Chervilfeather's and Aphidtangle's bodies.

He didn't notice how much they were smelling.

He didn't notice the flies.

He didn't leave the nest anymore.

He was getting hungry, and he was getting weak.

When the scent of rotting food attracted a fox, Streamrose didn't have the energy to fight back.

Additional Information: 

--All the kits were given full warrior names since they were kits, as no leader would be able to give them anything else.

--The flower Chervilfeather gave him was blue salvia, meaning 'thinking of you / think of me.'

--There's likely incoconsistencies because we're hearing only Streamrose's pov, and that changes to whatever his mind needs him to believe at the time.