Nobody asked but I wanted to tell the tale of the MottledRunningBrindle romance…
Mottledtail and Runningflight were essentially high school sweethearts. Some call their union fated, others call them perfect for one another, and more still call them “sickeningly sweet”; Mottledtail soothes Runningflight’s temper, allows him to slow down, and Runningflight eases some of the burdens from Mottledtail’s shoulders, allows him to have fun.
When it was revealed that Mottledtail was expecting, everyone was overjoyed, offering their congratulations and well-wishes. Runningflight was ecstatic! And Mottledtail, meanwhile, was horrified. He felt so heavily conflicted about his pregnancy, dysphoric and terrible throughout it all, and he loathed the thought of staying in the nursery. It wasn’t a good time for him, and Runningflight was so caught up within his own image, unable to slow down, that he didn’t really notice. No one did - aside from Brindleface.
They offered to take, nurse, and care for Mottledtail’s litter the moment they were born and Mottledtail recovered enough. As a newly fledged guardian, one who was getting on in age and desperately wanted to care for more kittens, they were eager and happy, and Mottledtail practically sobbed his gratitude to her - something he had never done before in his life. The news was broken to Runningflight, who felt awful that he hadn’t noticed his partner’s internal plight and struggles, but completely supported the newly issued system. Together, the trio raised Sand (who was named in light of the Moorswept’s naming system, a nod to Runningflight’s origins), and a romance blossomed between all three - it was slow, and a bit messy at first, but it evened out as Sand aged.
Throughout her life, Sand has never been without her three, loving parents, and can’t imagine her day-to-day without them.