i DEFINITELY lost the ask that this correlated with (probably because it was from like moon 21) but i've gotten a few inquiries now about Night Rain, especially pertaining to her other parent.
while no cat but Evening Fire knows the story of their other parent, his deputy Squirreltail recounts the day Night Rain was brought to the Clan. this likely takes place sometime in the mid to late 20s, shortly after Night Rain's attempt on Mulberry's life.
was this mostly an excuse to draw Squirreltail and Fog Light together again? YES. but i have been wanting to reveal a bit more about the Garden's neighbors, and Locust's relationship with Squirrel (and her former Clanmates) is very interesting to me.
The west was blazing with scarlet and gold, the great sun sending out his last arrows over the sea. The whole world seemed throbbing with warmth, with light, with color, as though the day were ending in a shout of triumph.
whoa what's this? something a little different for today :3 some of these guys are familiar faces, some aren't. since the story is so focused on the Garden, it can be easy to forget that there's a whole other group of cats with their own lives and world not far off.
SmokeClan makes camp on a little cliff overlooking a small human town/settlement. They mostly live off of scraps and the rats that the humans attract. The humans mostly view the cats as harmless and even helpful, as long as they don't get to in the way. Thankfully, SmokeClan is the only group of cats near the settlement, and Evening Fire is invested in keeping it that way to make sure the humans never start to regard them as pests. The primary dangers they suffer are avoiding the human's rattlebeasts and other equipment from their dens, and being picked up, grabbed, and taken prisoner by them. Sometimes the adolescents or grumpier ones will also throw things at them or kick out, if they get too in the way, so they have to be careful despite the mostly neutral relationship. Large land predators aren't as much of an issue as they'd be to GardenClan, but the humans do have dogs and livestock that often cause issues. SmokeClan gets its name from the way the humans' fires send clouds up into the sky, providing a near constant haze in the sky that can be seen especially clearly at night.
Evening Fire, Squirreltail, and Mousefur are the only surviving founders (you could also count Moth to Flame and Locust though, if you wanted).
i'll try to put a little more about each cat beneath the cut ;P for those who are curious. it's a LOT of text, be warned.
Evening Fire (he/him | senior adult | troublesome) is the founder and leader of SmokeClan. He is Moth to Flame's littermate, though their relationship is strained. He's a hard cat to get along with, very concerned with keeping up appearances and maintaining his image as a strong and powerful cat - making him come off as quite arrogant. But he plays by a very specific set of rules: his own - and he sticks to them fiercely, even at the cost of his own pride. He has no mate, but one kit - Night Rain.
Squirreltail (she/they | adult | ambitious) is SmokeClan's second-in-command, usually referred to as Evening Fire's deputy or enforcer, depending on who you ask. They've been in SmokeClan since its founding, and always admired Evening Fire. First impressions typically have her coming off as aloof and crass, but those who know her well know that she's actually pretty responsible. She gets along very well with Evening Fire, and she admires him and what he's done with SmokeClan very much. Her mate, Fog Light, is the cat found dying in Moon 10. They have two kits - Jackal Snap and Sandstorm Twist.
Sandstorm Twist (he/him | young adult | shameless) was born first, and has never let his younger, smaller brother forget it. He was very reckless when he was younger, and let himself get goaded into messing around with lots of different human objects to impress the other cats in his age group. He ended up getting caught in some farming equipment, and it wasn't long until the wound on his leg got infected - leading his front leg to be taken off. He adapted to it well, and is one of the best hunters and fighters in SmokeClan. While he learned his lesson, and is much more responsible as an adult, he still has a mean streak and likes to throw his weight around. Jackal Snap (he/him | young adult | bloodthirsty) used to resent him for it, but has settled in to his older brother's shadow as he's aged. He's the quieter, sneakier of the two, and prefers to lay low and do as he's told than to stand out. He has a quick temper though, and will lash out at friend or foe if he's in a bad enough mood.
Mousefur (he/him | senior adult | insecure) is another founding member of SmokeClan. He's grumpy and abrasive, and easily annoyed by the younger cats of the Clan. He lived a long life on his own, fighting for scraps among other solitary cats - and usually coming out on top. Evening Fire might have been the only cat in the world who could have convinced him to live with others, and it's only because Mousefur strongly believes he is the most impressive cat he's ever met. He also has a soft spot for Omen (she/her | adult | loyal), a loner who joined several moons back and soon became his made. Omen is far more laid back than Mousefur, and takes life in the group much less seriously. She likes to babysit the kits and is quick with a story or advice if you come to her. She's very superstitious, and while Mousefur claims to not believe any of that crap, she is very good at scaring him. Omen is also a secondary healer for SmokeClan, with a more limited knowledge but still a good mind for herbs and remedies.
Ember Heart (she/her | fierce | young adult)is the kit of a cat called Flame, who helped found SmokeClan. Flame died when she was relatively young, and Ember Heart has always felt a strong sense of loyalty to SmokeClan for helping raise her afterwards. She is mates with Stone Bird (she/her | fierce | young adult). Stone Bird was found as an abandoned kit, taken in, and taught by Evening Fire himself. She sees him as a father figure, and is seen as a bit of a goody-two-paws among her peers. She doesn't mind though, and is happy to bite back at any cat who calls her out. The two of them recently adopted Frozen Slip (fearless) and Icy Mask (polite), and are looking forward to their new responsibilities teaching their sons everything they need to know.
Iris (she/her | adolescent | insecure) and Ghost (he/it | adolescent | vengeful)joined the group very young, and are still proving themselves as capable members at this time. They were kittypets whose human companions moved to the settlement. SmokeClan's never been particularly fond of other cats in their space, but luckily the two were easily impressed by the group and jumped at the chance to join. They're still figuring out how they fit in, and neither of them quite has the hang of hunting or fighting yet. They're both a little dumb, especially when they're together, but they're young and eager to please so they get along fine as long as they mostly behave. Iris is being taught by Mouse Fur, and Ghost by Night Rain.
Speaking of Night Rain, (she/he/they | young adult | charismatic) Evening Fire's only kit has been up to a lot - both in comic and off screen. Her relationship with her father has been strained since he chastised her for killing Mulberry Wine. Evening Fire is of the opinion that they are lucky to not have gone to war - a real one, this time. Night Rain wishes they had. He inherited all of his father's pride and stubbornness, but doesn't mind breaking more rules and getting a little dirty to get what he wants. She's sneaky, opinionated, and manipulative - excellent at getting cats to do what she wants. She's viewed very highly by most of the younger cats of SmokeClan, and it's no secret she'll take over when Evening Fire's time is done. Float (he/they | young adult | childish) has been instrumental in fueling her ambition. He came to the Clan as an adolescent, making him the newest member of Rain's friend group, and doesn't speak much of the past he left behind. The rest of the Clan doesn't know what to make of him, as he's very hard to read. He always seems to have his own agenda, and isn't forthcoming about his motives. But they are an excellent healer with a knowledge of practically all plants - the ones that heal AND the ones that harm. The other cats half-jokingly refer to him as their poisoner now, after the Mulberry Wine incident. Float wears it like a badge of honor. Evening Fire finds him unsettling, and doesn't like how comfortable Float is challenging him. Still, SmokeClan needs a healer, so Float is allowed to stay. He and Night Rain recently had a litter of five kits - Barley Spots (bossy), Owl Swoop (sweet), Green Dew (unruly), Phlox Field (noisy), and Pool Minnow (impulsive). Their parents are incredibly permissive and encouraging, wanting their little ones to go through life confident and feeling like the world belongs to them. However they are also VERY harsh and protective - Night Rain especially.
And that's the SmokeClan wrap-up !! If you read all of that, THANK YOU!! Please don't worry about keeping any of this straight, and also don't expect frequent updates on them. I just thought this might be a fun piece of bonus content for everyone. SmokeClan exists in its own save file, which allows me to have sprites to have on reference for when I need new cats to appear in a shot. I just thought you guys might have a bit of interest in our background friends + it's nice to actually have a reference sheet. This was a really fun change of pace to work on. That being said - y'all are always welcome to send me asks about SmokeClan, if you want. I like getting to play with different cats every now and again - and some of these guys WILL be relevant.
(if you want bonus points, tell me your arbitrary SmokeClan fav in the comments <3)
hmmm, I wonder how Evening Fire will react to Moth having kits...
Evening Fire was told that Moth had kits - probably shortly after they were born. Mulberry Wine broke the news, and was very inviting, in the hopes it would smooth over some of the bad feelings between the groups.
His reaction was... underwhelming. SmokeClan has never been friendly, but Mulberry can't help but wish he'd run into Evening Fire alone. Maybe he could have reasoned with him.
Evening Fire is happy for his brother. Blood is everything, and Moth to Flame has always wanted a family. He'll do well with his kits. But it's been so long since they've last spoken comfortably, he's not entirely sure Moth would have even wanted him to show up.
Besides - he has appearances to keep up with his own cats. Since the poisoning incident, Night Rain has been VERY critical of his position towards the GardenClan cats - and she isn't alone on that position. At this point, Moth knows Evening Fire's position on SmokeClan and his duties there. He's chosen it over their relationship again and again. While it's hurt Moth, Moth has rarely been surprised when it comes time to pick sides. He believes his brother will recover from this too.
