Foxglove

Foxglove is the main player in a band of cats trying to survive an ever changing hostile landscape filled with other (often dangerous) cats and creatures. His later companions are Hoot, Sunflower, Mulberry, and Apple.

As a child Foxglove is picked up by Rhyolite and trained to be an adept fighter. Given the hostile land they live in, and given Rhyolite’s lacking strength, Foxglove quickly finds himself doing most of the dirty work for his adoptive father figure. He is praised and fed lies about the world they live in, as well as the afterlife, and his role in sending cats to it. After a nasty run in that leaves him scarred on one side, Foxglove comes to the horrifying realization that what he is doing is wrong. He finds himself picking between his adoptive father figure, and Apple, whom he has taken care of and raised in secret.

Foxglove harbors intense and unyielding guilt, often showing it through aggression or fear as his dominant emotions. He eventually finds himself facing off against Rhyolite at the end, and his mind is tormented by the events that lead him there.

Ending a Grudge
Rhyolite is agitated about someone he knew, and when asked about it, explains to Foxglove how he got his scar. A cat attacked him out of the blue, he said, and nearly killed him. Foxglove is reasonably horrified by this, and asks his adoptive father if there is anything he can do to help. Rhyolite tells him there is plenty he can do to help.

Rhyolite takes Foxglove out and tracks the cat down, showing Foxglove one of the routes the other cat took on his hunting trips. Foxglove waits for his chance, and attacks the cat on Rhyolite’s command. Taken by surprise and horrified by the attack, Cherry is quickly taken down and removed from the picture. Rhyolite sings Foxglove’s praise, telling him that he did an amazing job, and that he will fit in nicely with everyone. Foxglove feels sick and unhappy... but overall accepts what Rhyolite says to be true.

Doubting Oneself
Foxglove expresses deep sadness for his actions and confusion to another member of Rhyolite’s party, and Rhyolite quickly finds reason to correct him. He takes Foxglove out alone to talk, then sits him down and shows him something he thinks will change his mind about everything.

He points out at the sky, the vast and unyielding ocean of stars spiraling above them slowly. He tells Foxglove that when cats die, their souls are taken through to the other side, where the world they live in is habitable and wonderful. Rhyolite explains that the living world and the world beyond the stars is a two way street and eventually the cats that die there would also come here. Foxglove asks if there is ever a time a cat cannot come back, either one way or the other. Rhyolite says “It's impossible. When you die, you go there. When you die there, you come here.” Foxglove seems confused, but ultimately decides Rhyolite is right about this and does not question him any further.

From then on he keeps all concerns and complaints about how he feels to himself, ashamed of his doubts.

Finding a Loner
During his adventures, Foxglove stumbles upon a lone cat watching him from a distance. This is odd, because lone cats often don't survive the landscape, let alone very well. The two seem at odds at first, but Hoot quickly finds himself interested in Foxglove's happenings and follows him home so to speak.

Foxglove begrudgingly allows Hoot along, and Rhyolite seems interested in having another strong cat around to keep his enemies away. The bigger the group, the easier to stay safe, as he put it.

End of a Lineage
Rhyolite quickly sends Foxglove on another mission, this time to gain back a bit of land that had been taken from them. Foxglove is quickly confronted by an elderly cat by the name of Kobb, who isn't exactly friendly. Kobb is quick on the insults and says he wishes to join his family on the other side.. to which Foxglove agrees.

He wonders if Kobb will find his family beyond the stars.

Stumbling into a Feud
After being sent out to take care of someone stealing food, Foxglove mistakenly runs right into another cat with the same goal in mind. This cat, named Target, is well known for stealing and running.. and Mulberry praises Foxglove for his quick skills and effective means of hunting him down. Foxglove is standoffish again, but because Rhyolite had been accepting of Hoot, he allows Mulberry to tag along.

Rhyolite once again is pleased, and rewards Foxglove with high praise and admiration. Foxglove is motivated easily by this, and plans to do the best he can to keep them alive and safe.

Aiding Someone in Need
Foxglove is sent on a mission to remove one of Rhyolite’s more annoying enemies: A fast cat named Weaver. Weaver is known for giving Rhyolite the runaround, so, humiliated and pride hurt, Rhyolite demands that Foxglove handle it.

Upon finding the tall, fast cat, Foxglove is stunned to find a younger cat with him, being scolded and spoken down to. Annoyed, Foxglove takes his chance to remove Weaver from the picture, expecting the other cat to run away at the sight. When the other cat did not, and instead seemed relieved.. Foxglove asks him what his deal was, and where he was going to go.

Sunflower explains that he hated Weaver, and was glad to be free of him. He asks to join Foxglove’s group, and he takes Sunflower back to meet Rhyolite.

Rhyolite is again pleased.

One for the Road
Rhyolite approaches Foxglove and tells him that he has an extremely important mission for him. Foxglove accepts as he always does, eager to please his adoptive father figure. He departs alone despite the concerns of his friends, assuring them that he can handle this. This is what he is good at, afterall.

Upon finding his target, Foxglove springs on her and the two fight wildly. She manages to rip his face up pretty good, but he still comes out on top. She seems stressed, and only after finding a kitten under her does Foxglove realize why. Horrified with himself, and immediately recognizing the extreme similarities between Rhyolite and the kitten, Foxglove begins to crumble in on himself.

Self-doubt plagues his mind as he tries to think of what to do with the kitten. She looks so helpless and small, he can’t bring himself to hurt her in any way. He asks her name and she replies, “Apple.” He hides her from Rhyolite and everyone else, frequently slipping away to bring her fresh food and water. Slowly she comes to trust him, and slowly he begins to realize how wrong he was about everything. He bonds with her, takes care of her, and promises to protect her no matter what. It won't make up for what he did, but he feels it's the only way to start making amends.

Foxglove returns to the group, and Rhyolite dismisses his injuries entirely and asks if both cats are dead. Inwardly disgusted, Foxglove lies and tells him that every cat in the area had been killed. Sunflower, Hoot, and Mulberry exchange worried looks and wonder if they should say something to Foxglove about leaving. They ask him if he is happy here with Rhyolite, to which he huffs and says of course he is.

They drop the subject for now, worried and conflicted themselves.

Found Family
Foxglove frequently wandering off draws the attention of Sunflower and the rest of his close friend group. Worried, the three of them (Sunflower, Hoot, and Mulberry) follow Foxglove and are pleasantly surprised to find that he is taking care of a kitten. Not only that, but the kitten Rhyolite had demanded be killed. They show affection and adoration to both Foxglove and his now adopted Apple, offering to help him in any way he needs. Together they start to bond, forming connections deeper than before.

Foxglove finds himself feeling soothed and happy.. and those feelings of found family help drive away the uneasy feelings of doubt and guilt.

Caught in the Act
Frequently sneaking out drew the attention of another cat, this time for the worse. Ametrine finds Foxglove with his family and immediately is filled with anger and disgust. Not only is she aware that he has lied to them all, but the kitten they are with looks too much like Rhyolite to be a coincidence. Ametrine runs back to inform them of what happened, and where Foxglove is... Rhyolite is more than a little angry to find this out.

Feeling betrayed, Rhyolite waits for Foxglove to return back. He questions him vaguely, wondering if Foxglove will confess on his own. When Foxglove gives nothing away, Rhyolite tells Sumac and Ametrine to retrieve the kitten.

Foxglove is filled with terror and mixed emotions when Apple is dragged out and Rhyolite demands him make a choice. Him and this family with Rhyolite, or this little creature. Foxglove is stunned into silence for a while, and when he refuses to side with Rhyolite, the elder cat becomes further enraged and lashes out at Foxglove. Foxglove is roughed up, but Rhyolite is quite a bit weaker than Foxglove physically, so Foxglove is unphased. However, it is enough to push him over the edge into making a choice.

Foxglove Chooses Apple
Letting out his rage and anguish, Foxglove leaps at Rhyolite and screams at him, demanding to know why it turned out this way, and if any of it mattered at all. Rhyolite is disgusted with him, spewing insults, and in the middle of their argument he kicks Foxglove off. Foxglove tumbles easily, still in shock, and Mulberry takes his chance to attack.

Mulberry launches himself at Rhyolite and nearly succeeds in pinning him down before being thrown off. Foxglove panics when Mulberry hits his head and doesn't get up, frozen in place.

Everything happens very quickly, and before he can think of anything, Rhyolite is isolated and cut off from everyone. Foxglove stands between him and one of the many sharp cliffs. Rhyolite pleads with him one last time to consider what he was doing, reminding Foxglove that he raised and loved him. Foxglove can hardly hear him, rage burning him to his core. Rhyolite is angered by his silence, and he insults Foxglove to get a reaction.

Foxglove leaps at Rhyolite, throwing them both off of the cliff and into the rushing waters below. They are quickly swept away over another edge, Rhyolite tumbling over the waterfall and onto sharp spikes at the bottom.

Sunflower races down to save Foxglove from the water, reaching out to grab his paw.