#mourningkit

not offensive at all!!

This sort of siredom is more common in the cat colony communities, purely transactional relationships just for kits. depending on the couple, either one parent will take all the kits, or they'll be split between the involved parties. It's equally as normal to know or not know who the sire/dam may be, and involvement during gestation and post-birth can vary, even between cats who don't plan on keeping any kittens for themselves.

Magpiehop tried to be angry for a while - she has such good friends in Valleyclan, like HopCrow, and she laments an imaginary life she could've lived with GaleCry and BoneAsh. But, she does really understand and empathize with Lavenderstalk wanting kits but not a mate, I think Magpie is on the ace/aro spectrum somewhere. I think she's the most bummed about MourningKit and MarrowKit, projecting feelings on seeing a pair of molly kittens getting to live the life she wanted alongside her dad and brother. She loves Cowkit, and Wheatburn, living in Ranchclan, and she wouldn't change it for the world (nor could she, Valleyclan doesn't typically accept adult outsiders), but she can't help but what-if another timeline. I think she's frustrated at how much of the situation has to be kept on the downlow - it's a common enough occurance in the world, but the politics require secrecy for reasons she couldn't care less about. She wishes she could be openly half-Valley, and works closely with the Ranch ex-Valley members, Posythorn, HopCrow, and MarmaladeCurl, when it comes to inter-clan relations.

Wheatburn mourns the idea of another sibling but also can't imagine a life where she and Magpiehop aren't bound at the hip, and can only spiral about how introducing a third party would change their dynamic. what if Magpiehop liked GaleCry more because they're both warriors, and what if she was the one given away and living in Valleyclan alone, blah blah blah. Wheatburn on the other hand has no interest in life within Valleyclan, she would've wished that Gale came to stay with them - But! is also very aware that sort of arrangement typically involves carrying a second litter and the second parent getting the whole caboodle, and she and Cowkit get along and have been close. I think she's,,, sort of dissociated from Mourning and Marrow - they're a sort of blank spot in her brain she can't quite wrap her head around how she feels. Wheatburn feels better following a stricter ruleset - Mourning, Marrow, Gale, and Bone are Valleyclan, they're not Her family, and they don't matter on the day to day. She trades with the Valleyclan healers, but does her best to avoid them entirely!

GaleCry probably learned of the arrangement the latest. Possibly only when BoneAsh announced his original dam was expecting another litter. From his perspective it's never been 100% clear that he was BoneAsh's by blood - he was claimed as a foundling - so learning he had a whole other family living in a clan that's not-friendly-not-quite-enemies was quite the shock for him! Although, he feels quite different - he feels blessed to have been "chosen" the first time, grateful for the life he lives in Valleyclan, if anything pities his sisters. From Valleyclans view, ranchclan is a bunch of half-feral nudist LARPers eating raw food in a nuclear waste site (valley wear adornments, cook their food, and twoleg structures are unsafe/cursed) - he's glad he's not there! He's very excited about his new baby sisters, and has been doting on them and working with artisans to make rattles and flower crowns for them <3

Cow, Mourning, and Marrow are too little to quite understand the relationship yet. Mourning and Marrow are aware that they're BoneAsh's, but think their mom is whoever is feeding them - I think Bone has some other sort of poly-situationship going on and has integrated his daughters in with their litter. They don't know they have family in Ranch just yet. Cowkit is aware is other family is Valleyclan - from Magpiehop letting it slip - but doesn't quite understand the socio-political ramifications of that nor does he know exactly who his sire is, so that information gets pushed to the side in favor of much more interesting information, like what caterpillars taste the best.

Someone Else asked what BoneAsh's and Lavenderstalks relationship is like!! They don't consider the other their mate, and hang out only once every couple moons. something they admire in the other is the fact that they've got their own life outside of each other (Lav got so sick of Hollowstripe and Laureldapple being lovey-dovey all the time, so codependent they couldn't do anything without the other), Lav isn't interested in joining valleyclan, nor is BoneAsh joining ranch anytime soon - they both agreed that if neither of them were clan they would've co-parented. To keep it brief I think what started as purely aesthetic attraction developed into a surprisingly balanced and efficient relationship, they're both direct and straight to the point with each other - their meetings can sometimes read as businesslike or like a parent-teacher conference - but that's partially because there's no question the respect they have for each other. Both highly value skill, dedication, and fall under "do the right thing even if the law says the wrong thing". I referenced Rosie/Wayne from Letterkenny, just because that's how all their conversations sound to me (I reeealy need to finish Letterkenny I actually haven't gotten to the point where Rosie returns I'm still like around the end of MaryFred)