Basilflame

A longhaired, flame lynx point she-cat with soft, creamy tones and hazel eyes

Basilflame is a lithe long-haired she-cat, she assumes that her luxuriously soft, wavy fur gives her a plush and elegant appearance. Her coat is a warm creamy tone, with darkening ginger striped point markings that deepen around her face, ears, legs, and tail, forming tabby stripes that complement her gentle features. The fur along her neck and chest is especially full, creating a feathery mane that only adds to the softness of her fur. Her eyes, a soft hazel, that may shimmer with warmth and kindness, embodying her compassionate nature, though her eyes can blaze with determination when she is needed most to protect her clan.

Basilflame is a kind and considerate cat, always polite and thoughtful in her interactions with others. Like her sire, she has a gentle nature and a natural aversion to conflict, often trying her hardest to step in as a peacemaker when tensions rise, though, in some circumstances, it doesn’t work out how she’d like. She is selfless to a fault, frequently putting the needs and well-being of her clanmates above her own, even if it leaves her weary. However, she also carries her dame’s resilience; if a confrontation is necessary, she won’t hesitate to stand her ground and defend what she believes is the right decision. Basilflame has an adoration for kits, often thinking of the nursery and offering prey to nursing queens and queens raising kits whenever she can, the same would go for elders, especially with her dame situated in the elder’s den

• Born in the Moon of Lion's Glory (2018) 111

Kithood:

Basilkit’s earliest moons were filled with the love and warmth of her dame, Sunbear’s thick red fur and the gentle and comforting presence of her sire, Fennelwhisker, who was Sunbear’s closest friend and had sired her first litter moons before she had been born. Though within Sunbear’s loving glances, Basilkit noticed there was a hint of sadness in her body language, from who she couldn’t remember as her late littermate, Hazelkit, who died due to weakness from birth. Though with the amount of love and attentiveness that Sunbear had given her, she tended to forget about the sadness that seemed to underline Sunbear’s expression occasionally. Though it soon left as she grew.

When she was around one moon old, Basilkit’s family grew a whole lot bigger when Sunbear had made the decision to foster Swankit and Aspenkit, who’s mother, Swanblaze had died during their kitting. It didn’t take long for Basilkit to adjust to the shared affection, and she felt a closeness between Aspenkit and Swankit that she would have felt between herself and Hazelkit, she felt that the two younger kits were like her sisters. Though she had also adjusted to Aspenkit and Swankit’s sire, Rooknose sleeping in the nursery with them for a short while after Sunbear had begun allowing her newfound family to suckle and share her milk. Though she didn’t mind it, in fact enjoying the company of the lean black tom. Basilkit quickly grew up learning the importance of family, that it could be any cat around you, no matter if it was blood or not.

Basilkit, being a rather cautious, yet polite and gentle kit, often didn’t play rough with the younger kits, often letting them win in play fights and other games until she eventually became an apprentice, leaving her mother in the nursery at six moons with the moon younger kits who she had grown up with.

Apprenticeship:

Basilkit was thrilled when she became Basilpaw, being mentored by Rooknose, she was eager to make both Sunbear and Fennelwhisker proud of her, knowing that Sunbear still seemed to hold a sadness that she wasn’t exactly knowledgeable of, whatever it was, Basilpaw was sure that she was able to make up for whatever made grieve in such a way. So she threw herself into her training with an uncommon determination, often enjoying doing apprentice duties such as changing out the elder bedding and bringing prey to the cats in the elder’s den and the nursery, often saying hello to Aspenkit and Swankit while doing so.

On the day that Aspenpaw and Swanpaw joined her in the apprentice den, Basilpaw was overjoyed to have her friends and former nursery-mates join her in the apprentice den. She welcomed them in with open paws and often gave them a few tips whenever she could, hoping to have them impress their mentors with knowledge only slightly beyond their age. But regardless, stayed vigilant in her own training while the younger cats trained beside her.

Earlier moons of Basilpaw’s apprenticeship often consisted of putting Swanpaw and Aspenpaw’s needs before her own, always making sure they were fed and prepared before even thinking about herself. Though she still remembered to keep her needs in mind after she knew that the two younger apprentices were well and prepared. Though no amount of preparation could have prepared her for the grief and devastation that stung her heart like a thorn at the heartbreaking death of her sire, dying after eating a poisoned piece of prey.

While Basilpaw and Sunbear was left a couple of days to get over the shock and devastation of Fennelwhisker’s tragic death. Basilpaw spent a lot of her time in the apprentice den, only eating prey when it was brought to her. Once she was back to training however, the loss of Fennelwhisker was more of a whisper in the back of her head rather than the scream of heartbreak ringing in her ears. But regardless, Basilpaw was the first to bring her mother prey and comfort after the death of the tom so beloved by the two of them.

Life without Fennelwhisker was hard for Basilpaw, but it went on, she was adjusting well and felt that things would be looking up for her after she had adjusted to such a terrible experience. But just as she had adjusted to life without Fennelwhisker, another tragedy within her little family had struck with the death of Swanpaw, being killed by greencough as many had been. The death brought the grief back up in Basilpaw, the combined loss of Fennelwhisker and Swanpaw took a toll on Basilpaw, be she ensured that she would stay strong for Sunbear, Rooknose and Aspenpaw, though as much as Basilpaw wished to comfort her, Aspenpaw refused to talk to any cat or accept comfort from anyone aside from Rooknose, and even then, it was rather there.

Though, with moons of diligently training through her grief, Basilpaw was sure that all her efforts would make a positive impact on her comrades, holding concern but also understanding for Aspenpaw’s condition, deciding not to push any comfort onto her out of fear of making the situation worse instead of better. While Aspenpaw was dealing with her grief on her own, Basilpaw had encountered another WindClan apprentice named Beepaw, who assisted in Basilpaw’s grief for Fennelwhisker, though Basilpaw was much older than Beepaw, it was still nice knowing that she wasn’t alone in this world.

Basilpaw’s training was slowly coming to an end, and there was little to no sign of Aspenpaw aside from a few glances over to the shaded apprentice den where she lay in grief, and yet Basilpaw still left her be, it was nowhere near her duty to force unwanted comfort onto Aspenpaw so it wasn’t going to be what the apprentice did. Instead, Basilpaw put all of her efforts into her training, honing her skills until she hit the peak of her abilities, while it wasn’t the best a clan could have, it was the best she could do, and she swore it had been enough to impress her mentor. Basilpaw even caught glances of pride from Sunbear… oh how overjoyed she was to have her mother’s pride.

Warriorhood:

On the Moon of Long Sun (2019) Basilpaw was given the name Basilflame for her dedication and resilience; it was an event that marked a new beginning for her. Though the weight of grief still clung close to her heart, choosing to channel her sadness into her duties, honoring Fennelwhisker’s memory of kindness by becoming a source of support the best she could within her clan. It was when Aspenberry had gotten her name, a moon later due to dealing with the impact Swanpaw’s death had caused, that herself and Basilflame began to reconnect. Though Aspenberry still seems rather gloomy, not back to being herself that was for sure, but Basilflame knew that time would heal the wound caused by grief.

When Aspenberry eventually began to return to her old self, Basilflame promised to be by her side when Aspenberry ever needed her. Basilflame soon leaned into the strength that her dame had instilled in her, finding solace and peace in her friendship and her love for her clan. She promised herself to remain as loyal to WindClan as her mother, it was her home after all, and despite the shortcomings of her apprenticeship; she had developed a gentle, but near unshakeable determination to help those who struggled, just as she and her family had.

It became a lot easier growing into her role as a warrior, as Basilflame did so with a steadfast spirit, characteristically putting others’ needs above her own. She often took prey to queens and elders whenever she could, offering it to them wholeheartedly and even attempting to let apprentices eat before herself, only wanting her clanmates to thrive in their surroundings due to so much care for them. She would have never let any cat go without food unless it was a particularly harsh leaf-bare and the prey were hidden away in their dens instead of out and about ready to be caught.

However, when the inevitable memories returned to Aspenberry, Basilflame was always there to offer her support, making sure to offer a comforting word to Aspenberry before continuing to any other topic of conversation, she tried her hardest to ensure that her friend and her foster sister felt heard and understood, making up for the time she couldn’t spend comforting Aspenberry in the time where Swanpaw had died.

Basilflame’s kind and calm disposition along with her gentle strength allowed thrive despite her many losses, trying her hardest to comfort her clanmates and the cats she was closest to whenever they were in need of her comfort and support. Although, Sunbear seemed to refuse any form of comfort or support for anything, which Basilflame didn’t question. Despite Basilflame feeling that she could understand Sunbear’s grief of Fennelwhisker, she maintained herself from offering comfort when Sunbear was in an upset or even grumpy mood. Though, even if Basilflame didn’t offer a supporting paw, her presence alone eased Sunbear. Basilflame was happy with that.

Watching her dame retire to the elder’s den due to her age only fueled Basilflame to continue her duties to honor her resilience. Though, her own heart was forever scarred by the loss of both Fennelwhisker and Swanpaw, she pushed herself into her duties with a heart for her clan and her kin, both blood family and foster family. She always made an attempt to ensure that no cat felt alone or without support, but came to terms with the truth when it was inevitable that she couldn’t help everyone, that was just the way of life.

With the love she gained from Sunbear and the rest of her clanmates, she showed others a kind compassion and empathy as much as she could, but would never forget her roots and how she would fight and die for the clan she lives in to this day.

• Fairweather Friends (23LN'20)
• Together As One (20LN'20)

Granddame
Scarletsight

Grandsire
Stagfrost

Brothers
Sunchirp
Coyotepounce

• Was given permission from Bookazuu to use their characters in Basilflame’s history
• Extra Character slot used for Basilflame
• Unlimited ignore bans list used on Basilflame