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[ 0 MOONS - 5 MOONS ] The first thing Aster remembers is being confined to a box with her mother and littermates. Life was rather uneventful in a cage, but occasionally, the twolegs would allow them to explore the room they were kept in. There were other cages, rows and rows of them, and each one contained a cat. Aster spent her days playing with her siblings and listening to her mother tell stories of a world outside the room. Unfamiliar twolegs often stopped by to hold her and coo, and her mother told her that these twolegs were searching for a pet to bring home. Aster didn't like the idea of being separated from her kin, but living in a loving home, free of a cage, sounded wonderful.

Not long after her diet became solid foods only, Aster was taken home by a couple of twolegs. The one with short fur atop its head often frowned at her and scolded her, but the one with longer fur liked to hold her close and murmur soothing sounds into her ear. There was a dog, too, a tiny one with a snow-white coat. The dog was friendly, unlike the ones in her mother's stories, and Aster quickly learned it didn't mind her playfully tackling it and it would even join in on the fun. There was a window above the couch that the dog frequently looked out of and when she first looked through it, she instantly became fascinated with the view. There were trees and flowers and grass and birds, just like her mother said there was. That window was her favorite place in the entire nest.

[ 6 MOONS - 15 MOONS ] Kittypet life was pretty unexciting, but it was comfortable. Aster didn't have to worry about finding her own food or shelter. She didn't have to fight to survive. When her twolegs first let her wander outside, she left the security of the nest cautiously, despite having yearned to feel the earth beneath her paws for some time. With each time she went outdoors, she grew a little more confident and even started exploring the land beyond the fence. She met other kittypets and most of them were amiable, but a small number of them snapped at Aster when she introduced herself. Frequently, she’d pass the time by playing with her friends or sneaking in a nap while basking in the sun.

[ 16 MOONS - 20 MOONS ] One day, Aster’s friends persuaded her to join them to tease a dog. They’d reassured her that the dog couldn’t escape the yard as it was bound by a chain. Unfortunately for them, the massive hound tugged itself free of its collar and gave chase. The felines scattered, but the dog chose to race after Aster. Just as she began tiring and she could feel the dog’s warm breath on her hindquarters, a gray blur darted past her with a yowl and the dog’s high-pitched yelp followed soon after. She glanced over her shoulder and only slowed to a halt when she realized the hound was running in the opposite direction, a gray tomcat watching it retreat. Her hero spun around and asked her if she was alright. Aster expressed her gratitude and they exchanged names. Atlas walked her home and left with a promise to return.

Despite only having just met him, Aster decided she was in love. Atlas was courageous and charismatic, and she wanted nothing more than to stand at his side as his mate. He visited often and treated her to all kinds of new experiences. Atlas gave her a tour of his territory, taught her how to climb a tree, and even caught a mouse for her to eat. In return, Aster showed him what her life was like. She expertly guided him through twolegplace, had him meet her friends, and she certainly couldn’t resist convincing him to try her food. She came to the conclusion that he must love her back or else he wouldn’t spend so much time with her. When she couldn’t hide it anymore, she told him how she felt and he simply walked away. Heartbroken, Aster didn’t leave her nest for days, but when she finally did, he found her, apologized, and revealed his love for her. She was delighted he felt the same way and for the next few days, all she did was brag to her friends about finding the love of her life.

[ 21 MOONS ] Aster and Atlas’ relationship rapidly developed until she discovered that she was expecting just a couple moons after they officially became mates. When she told him, he appeared annoyed for a moment, but she was sure she’d imagined it, because he embraced her and claimed he was beyond excited. Her housefolk must’ve noticed, too, because the long-haired one suddenly liked to gently rub Aster’s belly. The short-haired twoleg didn’t seem as happy about it, though, and it began to shout at her more often. When the short-haired twoleg released her outside one day, she went about as usual, but when she returned home later, her housefolk wouldn’t let her inside no matter how loud she yowled. She tried to get their attention for a few days, but she couldn’t stand outside the door forever. Aster went to the one cat who could comfort her, but Atlas didn’t seem very sympathetic as she wailed about her housefolk abandoning her when she was vulnerable. Just a couple days later, he lost his temper with her and chased her away.

[ 22 MOONS ] Alone, hungry, and tired, Aster did her best to survive. She picked morsels of food out of dumpsters and found shelter beneath cars. After being cast aside by her housefolk and mate, who were supposed to love her unconditionally, she didn’t trust strangers to help her. So she welcomed her kits into the world all on her own with zero support. One of her sons didn’t even get the chance to breathe and the other two were incredibly frail. Defeated, Aster wept. And then an orange cat stepped out of the undergrowth, took one glance at her and her children, and left. They came back not long after with fresh-kill and encouraged her to eat. The cat said their name was Bumble and told her of groups of cats who could help her. Aster was hesitant, but Bumble had given her hope, and she couldn’t ignore it, not when she had kits to look after. With her new friend to guide her, they set off.

[ 23 MOONS ] It didn’t take too long to find the clans, but her sons had only weakened even more with each day that passed. Bumble and Aster stumbled upon a hostile RidgeClan first and begged for their assistance. They were reluctant, but their code didn’t allow them to turn away kits in need. In less than a day, one of her children died under the care of RidgeClan’s medicine cat. Driven by a grief-fueled rage, Aster attempted to attack the medicine cat, but Bumble stopped her. Convinced the clan had intentions of hurting her and her family just because they were outsiders who didn’t share their beliefs, she scooped up her surviving son and stormed out of the camp. Bumble followed and begged her to reconsider, but she couldn’t live with herself if she let her last child die. She’d find some other way to treat her sick kit.

That’s when they met Foxglove and Lionwing, who promised her they could help. Aster wasn’t sure if she could trust them, but Bumble told her she’d have to if she wanted to save her kit’s life. Under her close supervision, the toms treated the kit, enduring Aster’s nervous, endless questions about every move they made. When her son began to show improvement, she cried and thanked them profusely. Only when they were certain he would survive did she feel comfortable enough to name him and allow herself to form an emotional connection. Foxglove and Lionwing then told her of a barn nearby where she, Bumble, and Bluebell could find peace, and so that’s where they went. Settling down somewhere permanent gave Bluebell a chance to recover completely and their bond with Bumble to strengthen, but it also gave Aster time for her fury toward the clans to grow.

[ 24 MOONS - PRESENT ] Aster was intrigued when a bitter Foxglove arrived at the barn and began collecting followers to fight back against the clans. She was the first to agree to join him, eager to hurt RidgeClan for letting her son die and forcing her to live with the trauma. And Foxglove's argument just made sense to her. The clans shouldn't have as much power as they did - no cat should. Outsiders shouldn't have to live in fear, cautiously steering clear of the clan's boundaries so as to avoid bloodshed. The prey within the clans' orders should belong to the cat who catches it, no matter who they ally themselves with. Aster pledged her loyalty to Foxglove. Bumble hesitantly did the same. They relocated to a cabin located in PrairieClan territory and their confidence only improved when the clan didn't retaliate. As the days passed, more and more cats with similar opinions joined them to fight for the cause, and Aster proved her worth again and again until she stood beside Foxglove as one of his most reliable supporters.

Bumble appeared saddened whenever Aster spoke with them and eventually, they expressed their disappointment. They told her she was going down a dark path, one she couldn't come back from if she continued. She didn't believe it, but then Bumble showed Aster what the group's hatred, what her hatred, was doing to Bluebell. She'd thought her son was just young, rebellious and hotheaded, but she'd been wrong. He was violent, picking fights with everyone and anyone, and laughing when his blows landed. She was terrified that soon, Bluebell would do something horrible. She had to put a stop to all this animosity before her child became irredeemable. The idea of secretly working for the clans struck Aster and though it pained her to ally herself with the enemy, she'd do whatever it took to save Bluebell from himself. With Bumble's support, she knew she could do it.

Pre-Plotting: Aster had once aligned with Justice in [Clanless’ Plot Ad], but she now relates best to Prudence. She had felt like she’d been punished by RidgeClan when one of her kits died while under the care of their medicine cat, but she’s since been convinced to put aside her hatred in order to save her surviving son from walking down a path too dark to come back from, even if it means working with the enemy. She is also one of Foxglove's deputies from [can you hear the silence?]

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