#dusksong

ElderClan character designs - I wanted to update my ElderClan designs to get them more varied and unique!

Individual cats 1 - 2 - 3

We're excited to begin again.

Here's Dusk Song, our first new music in a long time.

There’s this grand, heaving slowness of say 1.5* increase in 10 years, which can feel like treacle on a human scale, but which, in data terms, is rapid, and brings with it the threat of tipping points, with trajectories becoming chaotic and fast. Or governmental slowness, and feelings of terror in individuals. A sedate march towards urgent states like being thirsty, or infected. There’s something confusing about the pace/scale of what is at stake that makes responding in any way seem vexed, and inappropriate. Like having heavy limbs in a bad dream, or Alice In Wonderland syndrome.

We were thinking about the end of days / regret / slow emergency / doom / stoicism- using brass to explore that sombre, elegiac feel. Brass like that is austere and poised and it sounds historically zoomed out: like the brave understatement of the Last Post and not the frothing mouths in the trenches; or the Disintegration Loops vs raining glass in downtown Manhattan. I find that tone very affecting and powerful, but wanted to have the vocals to agitate a bit alongside that. I think it was from absorbing these grand statements about extinction and crisis in the news which are spoken about with stolid clarity - a kind of forgone historical tone that maybe invites inevitability, like a chapter heading. I’m like - where’s the yelping?!”

There is a video too.

We are also playing at the Institute of Contemporary Art in London - tickets here: https://www.ica.art/live/adult-jazz-4399

so here’s some stuff:

Dusksong--whistles eerie sounds while hiding in the shadows in order to scare others, commonly before he attacks them. He does this because he enjoys their fear.

Aspenlight-- enjoys attacking others when around glowing mushrooms, using them to blind her enemies. It is likely she has practised (probably with Myrtle and Alder, and sometimes Drizzle) attacking and wrestling with others with her eyes closed, so the bright light isn’t a problem for her.

Starlingstrike--  excellent swimmer. Why? Because she enjoys pretending to drown in Fool’s Puddles (or other dangerous situations) only to grab whoever tries to help her and holding them beneath the surface. She either kills them or waits until their unconscious, then pulls them out and simply walks away.

Buzzardblaze-- will add later, can’t think of one

AlderGrouseMyrtleHoot+ kits:

--Magpiepaw/shine (adoptive)

--Stonepaw/fern (adoptive)

--Perchpaw/claw (adoptive)

--Treekit/spall and Drizzlekit/stare (Alder and Hoot bio)

Perch then adopts his own kit with Vireosong.

--Redpaw

The poly then craves more kits. With Brownmouse as the donor, Grousemane has

--Starlingkit/strike, Buzzardkit/blaze, Duskkit/song, and Aspenkit/light

The kits snuck out of their home before they were old enough, and was brought back by Shrikepaw, who was later adopted

--Shrikepaw

Treespall then had his own kits with his poly, Ratthorn and Stonefrost

--Hollymist (adoptive) and Heatherfrond (bio)

Drizzlestare had kits with her own poly as well, with Kestralstorm and Blazestrike

--Spottedtooth (adoptive), Willowcloud, and Wolfpool (bio)

Alderstar and Myrtlewing have kits with Tanglestar as their donor, they have

--Fallenkit/iris and Waspkit/beak

Falleniris grew up and became mates with Blackfinch. With her, she had two daughters

--Scabdrip and Blightrain

Six moons later, Dusksong had kits with a non-romantic partner that gave him custody

--Thornpool, Whitebriar, Archwing, and Thistleeye. 

Three moons after the four were born, Dusksong’s littermate, Buzzardblaze, had kits with Pheasentdust 

--Condorburn, Harrierflame, and Falconember

Though still not romantically or otherwise interested in each other, Hootpetal had three kits, one of each being the kit of Alderstar, Myrtlewing and Grousemane

--Shallowfig (AlderHoot), Funnelquail (GrouseHoot), and Hemlockpine (MyrtleHoot)

When he was twenty-two moons old, Shallowfig had kits with a she-cat that he was only in a casual relationship with. They planned on breaking up as soon as the kits were weaned, and he was given full custody. Later, Banshee would help Shallowfig raise them

--Poppykit, Tendrilkit, Mylingkit, Racemekit

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Timeline of the Kits:

1) Magpieshine died at six moons, and was adopted by the poly a few moons after (formally, technically adopting her shortly following her death).

2) Stonefern died at eight moons, two moons after Magpie. He was adopted shortly after. They are very close to the same age.

3) Perchclaw died at eleven moons, three years after the deaths of Stonefern and Magpieshine. He was adopted shortly after. He is just over two years younger, though became a warrior at the same time.

4) Treespall and Drizzlestare were conceived two moons after the apprentices earned their warrior names, while Between then and before they were born, Perchclaw became mates with Vireosong.

5) Redpaw died at five moons, and was adopted by Perchclaw and Vireosong.

6) Buzzardblaze, Starlingstrike, Aspenlight, and Dusksong were born six moons after Treespall and Drizzlestare were grown and moved out, making them eighteen moons younger. 

7) Shrikepaw was adopted 

8) three moons after 6 were born, Heatherfrond and Hollymist were born

9) one moon after 8 were born, Wolfpool, Spottedtooth, and Willowcloud were born

10) Waspbeak and Falleniris were born when 9 were fourteen moons old, making them fourteen moons younger.

11) Scabdrip and Blightrain were born when Falleniris was twenty-six moons old, making them that much younger and younger than their cousins, 9, by 40 moons.

12) Thornpool, Thistleeye, Archwing, and Whitebriar were born six moons after 11 were born, making them that much younger and likely born when Scabdrip and Blightrain became apprentices.

13) Condorburn, Harrierflame, and Falconember were born three moons after their cousins, 12, making them that much younger.

14) Shallowfig, Funnelquail, and Hemlockpine were born when 11 were 32, making them 32 moons younger than them and 58 moons younger than their closest-in-age siblings.

15) Racemekit, Poppykit, Tendrilkit, and Mylingkit were born when he was young, twenty-three moons, making them twenty-three moons younger than him.

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--Stone, Magpie, and Perch became warriors around the same time in spite of the age difference because at that point, it was not common to earn names after death.

“No, Starlingkit, this way! Buzzardkit, you can sit down later!” Grousemane couldn’t decide if he wanted to huff in annoyance or laugh in amusement. The kits were still young, and now that they were able to sort of walk, they were eager to get around and explore.

Aspenkit, the only one that had stuck with her father, made a chirping sound, glaring at her littermates, who, at her noise, scurried back over to their father’s tail. “Thank you, little one.”

They were on their way to meet Brownmouse for possibly the first time. Brownmouse had nursed them, then passed them to the poly once they were weaned. Grousemane wondered if they would remember him at all, or the older kits that were, shortly, raised alongside them. He was thankful that Brownmouse hadn't made his den too far, making it easier and safer to navigate the four small ones.

When he found the den, he called into it, and a moment later, Brownmouse emerged. His eyes lit up when he saw the kits. Starlingkit scurried behind Grousemane. Aspenkit sniffed his paw cautiously, while Duskkit hissed. Buzzardkit didn’t seem to notice him, instead watching as a brown leaf fell from a nearby tree.

“They’re so grown!” Brownmouse gushed, lowering himself onto his belly. “What did you name them?” 

They hadn’t received their names until after they were weaned. Grousemane had wanted the whole poly, especially Myrtlewing, together when that time came. “Buzzardkit for the one that looks like me, Starlingkit after scaredy mouse–after my littermates, Duskkit for the angry one, and Aspenkit for their sister–after Myrtlewing’s littermates.”

“Wow!” Brownmouse watched them as though his eyes could see nothing else, following their movements. When Aspenkit moved closer, he began to wave his tail in the air, and squealing, she leaped after it playfully. “Who would have taken Myrtlewing as the sentimental one?”

“Hootpetal’s idea.”

“There you go,” Brownmouse rolled his eyes affectionately. 

The kits grew comfortable quickly after sniffing Brownmouse’s pelt. Clearly, they didn’t remember him–they were probably still too young to remember this moment one day either–but by his scent, they knew that he was familiar, and that meant that he was safe.

“Are they here?” A kit’s voice, older than his own, asked. A moment later, a head popped out of the den entrance, joined by his brother, who’s own head pressed his against the den wall to make room, squishing his littermate. 

“Kits!” The second cat, Minnowkit, exclaimed, pushing past Prancekit and rushing eagerly to the kits, who either hissed or scampered beneath Grousemane’s belly.

Minnowkit frowned. “But they know me!”

Prancekit padded forward more slowly. “When they were like a moon old!”

“They should still know me,” Minnowkit stated righteously. “I was with them all of the time!”

Brownmouse nudged him playfully. “Why don’t you create another memory to help them remember?”

At Minnowkit’s look of confusion, he added, “they’re just big enough for badger rides now.”

“Yes!” Minnowkit pressed his belly to the dry, grassy floor. “On my back!”

The kits only blinked.

“Like this,” Prancekit told them, lowering himself as well. “Climb on, and we can run around! Don’t you want to play?” 

“Play!” Starlingkit squealed happily, scurrying to clamber on top of Prancekit’s back, who carefully raised up and began to stomp around. He was cautious and moving leisurely, the kit still too small for the faster rides.

“I said it first!” Minnowkit complained.

“Shh,” his father told him. “They’re interested now, see?”

Aspenkit and Buzzardkit were watching Prancekit and Starlingkit with wide, curious eyes that they then turned on Minnowkit. Minnowkit eagerly returned onto his belly, and Aspenkit and Buzzardkit wobbled over hastily, pushing for a spot on. “You can both fit,” Minnowkit reassured them. He couldn’t move around as fast as Prancekit with the added weight, but that was just as fine. The steadier, the better, especially with two of them.

“Don’t you want to play, Duskkit?” Grousemane asked his son, the only one that was not currently enjoying a badger ride. When Duskkit looked at him, Grousemane frowned. The kit’s lip was protruding in a pout, and wobbling. “We can make space for you, you can play.”

Duskkit only shook his head, sitting with his head ducked. “Ah, okay, I got it.”

“What’s wrong?” Brownmouse asked, searching the kit’s pelt. 

“Just missing home, I think,” Grousemane explained. “They’ve never been so far before, not when they remember.” He nuzzled Duskkit’s head. “Do you want to go home to mommy and daddies?” 

Duskkit nodded vigorously. 

“Okay. Playing can stop for now.”

“What?” Minnowkit huffed from nearby. “But we just started!”

“It doesn’t necessarily have to stop just yet,” Brownmouse suggested. “I’m sure the kits wouldn’t mind a ride back home, after all they’re legs are so tiny.”

“Yes!” Prancekit and Minnowkit cheered. Grousemane noted that this would be their first time being at the Eye-out Thorns. He hoped Myrtlewing didn’t frighten them too much.

“Do you want a ride, or carry?” he asked Duskkit. 

“Carry! Carry!” Duskkit practically shouted. Obliging, Grousemane picked him up by the scruff. 

“It was great seeing them again,” Brownmouse said with a smile. “I’m sure they will grow into wonderful cats.”

Grousemane felt as though he were glowing, so full of love for the four. “Yours too,” he replied, then led the way across the grass.

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