#clowders & claws

[clowdersandclaws]

Another PMV with backgrounds and shading on characters. Muhuahuaha.

This one is broader than the other videos and focuses more on the relationship between the Tree's Leaves and the forest than on a single cat.

#rnn.img #clowderclaws art #clowderclaws yt #I love Feder's design but it was a pain in the ass to draw the patch on her back #and I kinda wish I made the white on her chin and chest connected bc it would've solved so many problems #but here be she! #digital art #animatic #pmv #xenofiction #<- trying some general tags for search purposes bc I'm proud of this one and I think not a lot of people are gonna end up watching #Youtube #clowders & claws

[mrnnki]

You'd think fanfiction would be easier to write because the world and characters already exist

#rnn.p #going from Take the World Apart to Clowders & Claws #and writing clowderclaws is easier #but the lack of audience makes it hard to keep up momentum for original stuff #when I know I could write a fanfic and have a bunch of people enjoy it

[idyllicwillowtree]

Smitten Kittens

Genre: Eddie Munson x fem!reader; fluff

Summary: Eddie helps out a very special cat who turns out to be yours. 

Word count: 3.3K

Warnings: light drug-use, swearing, illusions to bad parental relationships/toxic parents, reader is called ‘Ms. Y/L/N’ at one point, Eddie-centric, Eddie being a crazy cat lady

Author’s note: Loosely based off of me and my cat <3 ; pictures found on pinterest

Main Masterlist

_______________________________________________

4:37. Every morning Eddie’s body wakes him up at 4:37 and no matter how long he lays in bed or how late he stays up he can’t go back to sleep. He could have his eyes closed, unmoving for hours and still his mind would not allow him anymore rest. 

That’s where his little friend Mary-Jane comes in handy.

His uncle, Wayne, is usually still at work at this time so Eddie doesn’t bother being gentle as he swung the front door open, a joint dangling from his chapped lips and a couple cans of tuna in his hand. 

Stepping out of his muggy trailer, he took a deep breath of fresh morning air as goosebumps emerged on his skin. In preparation for the sun to rise, the night sky became a dark blue mixing with the yellow street lamps, light enough for Eddie not to use a flashlight. He plopped himself down on his front steps, his sock covered feet avoiding the dewy grass below by setting them on the last wooden step.

He lit up his joint, taking a deep inhale and enjoying a short moment alone before gently tapping the tuna can with his lighter.

“Purrrrow?”

“Jesus Christ!” Eddie clutched his chest before turning towards the noise, “Oh, there you are Ozzy.”

When Eddie started using weed to help him sleep in the middle of the night he slowly made some new furry friends. Once he set a precedent that the stray cats could come to him for a snack, he became the unofficial cat-guy of the trailer park. 

Something about taking care of the mangy little beasts of the neighborhood made him feel important. Knowing there were four starving cats out there that turned to him for comfort filled him with a sense of purpose. Something he doesn’t always get with the people in his life.

As he starts filling the large dog dish he leaves outside with the fishy treat, the rest of his cat gang arrives, greeting him with quiet chirps, excited purring, and vertical tails. 

Ozzy was the leader, a short-haired tabby that was pure muscle. He usually sported an intimidating glare as he watched over the other cats, keeping them protected and in line. His right-pawed man was a skinny gray cat Eddie named Dio. He was the only one who let Eddie hold him, never clawing to get away, but still preferring to keep all four paws on land. Then there was Dungeon and Dragon, two orange cats attached at the hip and always getting into trouble. Dungeon was very talkative while Dragon was the most affectionate. 

Eddie continued smoking his joint, blowing the smoke in the opposite direction of the eating cats. He listened as their loud smacking and happy purrs echoed in the dish.

Ozzy abruptly stopped eating, eyes zeroed in on something under Eddie’s trailer porch to his right. The cat’s back immediately puffed, fur standing up on its own. He let out an aggressive hiss followed by a yowl that sent a chill down Eddie’s spine. The rest of the cats perked up in curiosity. 

“Please don’t be a raccoon,” Eddie mumbled to himself as he leaned over to get a better look.

Suddenly, a tentative black paw emerged from the shadow of the porch. The most beautiful cat Eddie had ever seen revealed herself, delicately sniffing at the fishy morning air.

Ozzy was not about to share his food with this new cat, making it known through his loud yowling that Dio soon joined in on. Dungeon and Dragon’s ears were pulled back, hissing at the new arrival.

Eddie watched as the cat timidly backed up under the porch again, not wanting any trouble but still eyeing their leftover tuna. 

“Alright guys, that’s enough,” Eddie began gently shooing the clowder of cats away. They all snapped out of it and scampered off to do whatever it is they usually do when they’re done with their breakfast. Not before Ozzy could send one last hiss in the direction of the black cat.

 “Yeah, yeah, we get it. You’re a big tough guy. Go on.” 

Pleased with himself, Ozzy trotted away in the direction of his pack. Once they were gone, Eddie finally got a good look at black cat who, once again, was making her way out of hiding.

In comparison to the rest of the cats, this one stuck out like a sore thumb. While the others were matted flea-covered strays, this cat had perfectly groomed long hair that looked particularly soft and fluffy. Her neon green eyes were clear and bright and her ears remained pointed and intact. 

After she made sure all the other cats were gone, she immediately perked up and began approaching Eddie with her fluffy tail pointing towards the sky.

“Meow?”

“Hi there,” Eddie said gently. “You’re new.”

Eddie slowly lifted his hand, pointer finger stretched out towards the feline. She sniffed at it attentively before dragging her cheek across his short nails repeatedly. Eddie got the hint and started scratching behind her ears and down her spine, watching happily as she leaned into his touch before getting distracted by the leftover fish. 

She was even softer than he imagined.

Eddie knew she didn’t belong out here, she’s too healthy and social to be an outdoor cat or a stray. His heart ached at the thought of someone out there looking for this sweet and loving companion. He knew he needed to help her find her home.

“In the meantime, I bestow upon you the title of ‘Sabbath’. Pretty metal, huh?”

“Purrrrow?”

“Exactly.”

Eddie cautiously scooped her up, pleasantly surprised by how easy this was for her. She immediately settled in his grip and turned to wrap her paws around his neck, nuzzling affectionately into his long hair. 

Eddie took a moment with her, enjoying the feeling of her vibrating purrs against his chest, before heading back inside and to bed. The purring heals his heart a bit, it’s nice having someone around who offers their love to him without needing anything in return.

As soon as Eddie sets her down on the comforter, she spins around a couple times before passing out, Eddie falling asleep not long after.

 _______________________________________________

Eddie was sitting in class hunched over his notebook, planning out the next Dungeons and Dragons campaign for Hellfire. He was so focused he didn’t even realize the rest of the class packed up their things and left already.

“Mr. Munson, class is dismissed,” the teacher pointed out tiredly.

“You sure you want me to go, Mr. K?” Eddie said slyly, knowing Mr. Kowcheski hates the nickname, “we could talk about our feelings? Who have you been crushing on these days?”

Mr. Kowcheski deadpanned at the delinquent for a long moment before looking past him.

“You too, Ms. Y/L/N. Class is over.”

Eddie turned around, noticing you were still there for the first time. You sat slumped in your chair with a slack expression and wet dull eyes as you stared at the linoleum floor. You jumped slightly and blushed from the attention, eyes jumping around the room.

“S-sorry Mr. Kowcheski,” your voice wavered as you shakily gathered your things and made a break for it, Eddie following close behind.

He’s not sure what possessed him to approach you, but he knew he needed to make sure you were okay. 

 You never gave Eddie a reason to hate you, always sending him shy smiles and letting him borrow a pencil whenever he asked. You were a breath of fresh air in a school full of stale and rotten posers who made his life a living nightmare.

Everytime Eddie’s eyes wandered to you in class, you were always paying close attention and absorbing the lecture through taking notes and asking questions. He always admired that about you. That’s why it was so strange seeing you so zoned out that you didn’t even realize the bell had already rung.

“Hey, you okay?” Eddie said, catching up to you in the hallway.

“Huh? O-oh hi Eddie. What’s up?”

Now that Eddie was closer, he could see your red-trimmed eyes and dark bags as you avoided his gaze. Your usual up-beat tone of voice was now scratchy and tired. Eddie felt sadness and worry flip through his stomach at the sight.

“Nothing, I just wanted to see if you were okay,” he tilted his head, trying to catch your eye, “You don’t seem like your normal self.”

Eddie could tell by the way your eyes widened and your breathing stuttered that he caught you off guard. Once you gather your bearings, you offer him a shy smile that comes as quickly as it goes.

“Thanks, Eddie. I’m fine,” you looked down at your shoes, shaking your head solemnly. “It’s…it’s stupid. But thanks anyway,” you said, voice breaking along with Eddie’s heart.

You walked away before he could press any further. 

_______________________________________________

Now that school was out, Eddie could finally head home and brainstorm ideas on how to return Sabbath to her rightful home.

 Eddie sauntered through the trailer door, shopping bags full of canned cat food in tow, as he shook the rain from his wet hair like a dog. He turned to Wayne, lounging in his usual spot on the armchair, only this time he wasn’t alone.

“Boy, if you don’t get this damn cat off of me…”

Sabbath looked perfectly happy, stretched out on Wayne’s jean covered legs. Blissfully unaware that he wanted her off of him. Or maybe she just didn’t care. She sent Eddie, what could only be described as a smile as he walked over and delicately scooped her up. She protested a little with a long closed mouth “mew”, then settled into his arms, hugging him around the neck once more.

Wayne looked up at Eddie, ocean eyes flooded with disapproval.

“I know, I know. It’s the last time I swear,” Eddie defended.

His Uncle stayed silent.

“I couldn’t just leave the poor thing, she wouldn’t have survived. She’s a lover, not a fighter!”

Wayne's face stayed the same, only lifting the corner of his brow at him.

“I’m looking for her owner, I swear. She definitely belongs to someone.”

At that, Wayne lifted himself from his armchair with an “old man grunt”, as Eddie liked to call it. His Uncle gave him a loving pat on the shoulder as he walked past him, heading to the bathroom to get ready for his night shift at the plant. 

Eddie spent the rest of the evening making posters out of cheap printer paper, writing on them with a giant black magic marker. 

“Found Cat

Black, long hair, green eyes”

Eddie added his phone number and called it good. It wasn’t much to go off of, but he figured there couldn’t be too many missing black cats out there in Hawkins.

Eddie flicked the pen cap towards Sabbath, watching as she swatted it off the edge of the table and chased it around. Soon she riled herself up so much that the zoomies overcame her, running from one end of the trailer all the way into Eddie’s room and back again. He found himself completely entertained just by watching this cat do cat things that a couple hours went by without him even noticing.

Eddie was hoping the rain would subside but this was Indiana, the weather never did what you wanted it to do. He wanted to get the word out sooner, but it’ll have to wait until tomorrow. Not that he was complaining. Fondness blossomed in his chest as Sabbath trotted over to him and rubbed the top of her soft head against his chin. Then she settled on his lap for the rest of the evening.

_______________________________________________

6:14. This morning, Eddie managed to sleep in. Although he would’ve much rather slept longer, he was pleasantly surprised to have a couple extra hours. 

That was until he realized why he had woken up. Sabbath was meowing continuously, barely stopping to breathe. Jumping back and forth from the pillow Eddie was resting his head on, to the top of his dresser that was set in front of his bedroom window. When she leaped up, sliding a bit on the smooth surface, she scratched at the window overlooking the front yard. Eddie sluggishly pulled himself up and out of bed to see what Sabbath was getting so worked up about.

You were riding your bike in the soft glow of the morning, tires crutching in protest as you slowly pedaled. You kept your eyes and head moving, scanning the area diligently. In one hand you gripped the handle bars, in the other you held a small bag of cat treats that you were shaking every few seconds. Hope lightens your eyes at the sound of Dungeon’s meows, but it dissolves instantly when he’s not the one you’re looking for.

Eddie watched as Sabbath propped herself up on her back legs and began scratching at the single paned glass window like she could dig her way through. When she looked back at Eddie, begging him to understand her pleas, he patted her head softly and moved towards the front door.

By the time Eddie stepped outside you had stopped your bike and were silently sobbing in the middle of the road. Your back was partially turned to him but he could tell by the quivering of your shoulders and the slouch of your neck that you were overwhelmed with emotion.

“Hey Y/N!” Eddie greeted, louder than he intended.

Eddie cringed slightly as you jumped three feet into the air, dropping the open bag of treats in the process. The clowder of strays devours the fallen snacks in seconds before running off into the woods. Not before Ozzy could send Eddie a look that portrayed his disappointment in him for not feeding them earlier in the morning.

“Ah, shit. Sorry about that, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“No, no it’s alright,” you sniffed hard and vigorously wiped your face before turning to Eddie, playing it off like you weren’t just weeping.

As Eddie got closer he noticed the plastic cat carrier zip tied to the back of your bike and the pile of clothes in the basket attached to your handlebars. You watched him scan your bike, his eyes sparkling with what you misinterpreted for judgment. 

“Sorry, I’m just looking for…for my cat,” you sent him a tightlipped smile and sniffed back your tears. 

“She must be some cat, huh?” Eddie couldn’t stand to leave you hanging for any longer, watching your face crumple as you nodded. He smiled softly, “she wouldn’t happen to be a fluffy black cat, would she?”

Your head snapped up, eyes wide and hopeful. The last remnants of your tears sliding down your cheeks as you blinked owlishly at him. Your mouth was agape in an attempt to respond, but all you could manage was a frantic nod.

Eddie walked backwards slowly and smiled playfully, dimples on full display as he wiggled his eyebrows at you. He swiftly spun around before jogging up his front steps to open his front door. You watched him curiously before you noticed what emerged from his trailer.

“KITTY!” a sob ripped through your throat as you lurched forward, bike clattering to the ground in the process.

“Kitty?” Eddie mumbled to himself incredulously.

He watched as the relief you were feeling had a physical effect on you. Your knees wobbled, feet crossing over each other as you ran forward. It would’ve taken you down had you not been so eager to reach the feline. Whimpers cracked through your chest when you finally met in the middle, ‘Kitty’ being just as excited to get to you. You expertly scooped her up and let her snuggle into your hair as you clung to each other. The way you held one another reminded Eddie of how a caring mother would hold her child.

Watching this reunion was something special. Seeing these two beings who were unconditionally in love, coming together after days apart sent a warmth through Eddie’s heart. He felt a bit selfish for being proud of himself for making this happen, but quickly shook it off. That cat definitely wouldn’t have survived if it weren’t for him and you would still be heartbroken.

“I was s-so w-worried about you, Kitty,” you blubbered as you pressed kiss after kiss on her soft little head. Your happy tear-filled eyes blinked up at Eddie, “t-thank you so much, Eddie. You have no idea what this means to me, thank you-” before you could back out you gently held Eddie’s face and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. 

Eddie’s face tingled with heat as a blush crept up his neck. He was just standing there, dumbfounded, not expecting the affection but not hating it either. He moved to touch his burning cheek to savor the feeling, but it made you cringe seeing the moisture you left behind.

“S-sorry,” you said with a wet laugh.

“Don’t apologize. I should be thanking you,” Eddie said, still in a lovesick daze.

“What? You’re the one that saved my cat!”

“Yeah, but you’re the one that kissed me!” Eddie would like to say that his flirting was smooth and intentional, but really he was just flabbergasted that someone as sweet and pretty as you would give him any sort of attention. 

You barked out a surprised laugh as Kitty moved to nuzzle her face into the other side of your neck. You wiped at the tears and snot still caked on your face, suddenly feeling embarrassed by your emotional outburst.

“Sorry,” you apologized again, “I feel kinda stupid for crying so hard over a cat.”

“You keep saying that,” Eddie said with a smile and a soft head shake that made his curly hair float around his shoulders.

You sniffed, “saying what?”

“That your emotions are stupid. Like it’s some offense to be sad and worried about the greatest cat in the world.”

Eddie’s words surprised you. You scanned his face, looking for anything that would suggest he’s teasing or making fun of you. Luckily, it wasn’t there.

“You…you think she’s the great cat in the world?”

“Yeah! What’s not to like? She’s affectionate, entertaining, and really fucking cute. I’d probably lose my mind if I was the one to lose her. I mean, she’s a cat that hugs. What’s better than that?”

You gasped dramatically, turning to look at the cat still in your arms, “you hugged him? What a little traitor! She usually only hugs me,” you giggled.

Eddie was shocked, yet flattered. “She must be a good judge of character,” he said with a smug grin.

“Yeah, that explains why she hates my parents.”

Eddie erupted in laughter, catching you off guard. You didn’t mean to make a joke but it was kind of funny. Your chortles mixing together and echoing throughout the quiet trailer park. 

Your cat pulled back from your neck so she could look back at Eddie and send him a grateful “meow” and a slow blink. Eddie reached out to stroke behind her ears lovingly. It made you tense for a second, scared she’d take a swipe at the metal-head but instead she leaned into his touch.

“You like that, don’t you Sabbath?” he cooed, the pitch to his voice raising an octave.

“You named her Sabbath?”

“Oh, uhh y-yeah,” Eddie said, scratching the back of his neck bashfully. “Yeah, it was just a placeholder name until I found her owner.”

You nodded slowly as a knowing smile slithered across your lips, “Black Sabbath. Very clever.”

Eddie could have proposed to you right then and there. Instead, he would have to settle for dinner and a movie.

_______________________________________________

Thanks for reading!

main masterlist

#stranger things #fluff #eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson x reader #eddie x reader #eddie munson #mutal pining #friends to lovers #canon divergent #reader #80s #black cat #y/n #netflix #fanfic #fanfiction #wayne munson

[bigfrogdraws]

Haypaw was the only one in the cave this morning, the rest of the clowder out hunting. As he was bouncing down the grassy steps inside he heard faint pawsteps behind him. “Willowsplash?” He called out, turning around. Instead of his mentor’s familiar brown coat, he saw a faint glimmer of cream in the early morning sun shining into the cave.

“Greetings, Haypaw.” The mystery cat said, his voice carrying through the cave with utter clarity. Haypaw jumped back, claws unsheathed. “Who- Who are you!” He hissed, back arched. The cream tom let out a rumbling laugh as he padded down the stepping stones into camp.

Haypaw narrowed his eyes, realizing that the glimmer before wasn’t just a trick of the sun. As the tom stepped into the shade of the cave his pelt still shone with stars. Haypaw stood up straighter now, pelt burning with embarrassment.

“I am Snailtrail,” spoke the starclan cat, gaze turned towards the camp. It was beautiful; a lush cave that was practically teeming with plant life. He turned to Haypaw, a now serious look on his face. “Listen closely, Haypaw. This is important. 100 Moons from now, the kin of your kin will save this clan from utter destruction. Remember this...” As he spoke, he faded away, leaving Haypaw in mute confusion. As Snailtrail’s figure disappeared completely, the patrol returned, prey and herbs clamped in their jaws.

Wisteriaclan isn’t in danger, is it? Haypaw thought, a nervous dread tugging at his heart.

#macs doodles #and you get some writing too #how exciting #oc: wisteriaclan #just tagging the clan as a whole instead of individual chars lmao #clangen #clan gen #more update are to come lets just say that teehee #warrior cats #warriors #warrior cats oc #warriors oc

[theanoninyourinbox]

Graystripe's Heart (or Hope's Beginning)

The (Short) Return Of Bloodclan and Redemption of ???

Shortly after the rescue of Darkkit, Rogues begin being spotted on the outskirts of the Clans.  Windclan claims someone is stealing prey, Riverclan smells intruders on the borders, and worst of all, Shadowclan has detected Bloodclan scent on the Thunderpath.  So Longstar sends Graystripe (still mourning his mother) and Sandstorm to find out the truth, with Fireheart demanding to come along – the Stars say it’s important!

So the three cats set off to Fireheart’s old Twoleg Den, meeting Smudge and his new mate Hattie.  The two Kittypets tell the Can cats about the return of Bloodclan under a cat named Fury – but also of a pair of cats making a peaceful group, and trying to dismantle Bloodclan as well.  The new unnamed Clowder’s leaders are unknown, save that they’re a scarred tom and a brown molly.

The Kittypets and Clan cats are interrupted by Gremlin and Scraps, siblings from the Unnamed Clowder, warning that Bloodclan Recruiters are chasing the pair of them.  The Clan Cats hide under the edge of the Twoleg den with Gremlin, and a cat named Snake attempts to attack Smudge and Hattie for protecting Scraps.  Hattie slaps the crap out of Snake, but a few more Bloodclan cats appear, and Scraps tries to surrender himself to save the Kittypets (and his hidden sister). But a twisted, gravely snarl sends the Bloodclanners running, and a heavily scarred tom approaches a relieved Scraps.

A highly familiar black striped gray tabby, with a horrid scar on his throat.

--DARKSTRIPE?!?!?--

Graystripe bolts from under the Twoleg den, with Sandstorm and Fireheart nearly riding his frazzled tail.  The former Clan cat goes bushy with startlement as they approach, but Fireheart keeps Graystripe and Sandstorm from tearing him apart.  Scraps, very confused, identifies Darkstripe as the Unnamed Clowder’s tom leader, and Gremlin chirps that he ran off her abusive former mate!  Full of conflicting emotions, Graystripe demands an explanation, and Darkstripe wheezes out, with tears in his eyes…how sorry he is.  But he won’t fight them, he probably deserves what’s coming – and Fireheart cuts him off.  Let’s talk somewhere else, somewhere safer.  Darkstripe nods, and after Fireheart extracts a promise from Sandstorm to not just kill her former Clanmate the second his back is turned, the scarred tomcat leads the Clan Cats and the siblings into the Twoleg Territory.

After some Very Tense Travel, the group comes to an abandoned Twoleg den, the walls covered in strange Twoleg berrypaint art.  Darkstripe leads them to a small opening, guarded by a pair of scraggly but friendly cats.  They greet Darkstripe and the siblings with unashamed friendliness, and the Clan cats are surprised to find themselves greeted with similar cheer.  After introductions are made, Hazard and Snaggle let everyone into the Den.

Inside is a well set-up camp, with obvious dens for nursing parents and kits, elders being cared for by a few younger cats, and a prey pile, with freshkill and a cat dismantling a large bird.  Darkstripe is greeted warmly, and the Clan Cats are experiencing a great deal of emotions.  Sandstorm is still rightfully angry – Darkstripe tried to kill Sorrelkit!  Fireheart is wary but hopeful – maybe Darkstripe has changed?  These cats seem to think highly of him!  And Graystripe?

Graystripe wonders who Darkstripe really is.  Because the cat he sees is NOTHING like the older brother he thought had died at his claws.  The older brother he loved still, somewhere deep inside.

A brown colorpoint molly greets Darkstripe, and introduces herself as Sasha.  The pair sit the Clan cats down in a private alcove and explain what’s happened.  Darkstripe was groomed by Tigerclaw (Darkstripe and Sasha both refusing to add the Star even sarcastically to his name) and was rescued from the battlefield by an injured Sasha, who was looking for Tigerclaw as well.  She had been his secret mate (to which Sandstorm shudders at) and had realized how horrible a cat Tigerclaw truly was only after her injury.  The two of them had healed from their respective injuries – Sasha only stating it was Tigerclaw’s fault – and had tried to go on together.  But there were so many cats that needed help, and with Darkstripe’s Clan knowledge and Sasha’s kind nature, they had formed a Clowder.  Somewhere that they could atone for their sins and make a better future for street cats.  Sandstorm demands to know if that should keep her claws out of Darkstripe’s hide, and Fireheart has to jump on her to stop it, but Graystripe pushes forward.

You’re sorry. Yes, Darkstripe tearily mewls. 

You’re sorry for Sorrel. Yes, he states clearly.

For Bramble and Tawny.  Yes, he sighs.

For Stonefur, for Fireheart.  Yes! Darkstripe sputters.

For mother?  YES!  He yowls!

For ME?!

YES!!! Darkstripe screams, raspy and broken.

And Graystripe LUNGES.

He catches Darkstripe in a tight embrace and sobs.

Mother will be so proud of you in Starclan.  I’m so proud of you.

Sandstorm sputters from under the (teeny tiny itty bitty) weight of Fireheart as the brothers weep into each other’s fur, one more wound of Tigerclaw’ wickedness beginning to heal.

Sasha asks Fireheart and Sandstorm for advice off to the side, as she’s no Healer or Brawler, but some cats have been interested, and would they mind giving advice while they’re here?  Sandstorm startling agrees, with Fireheart patting her on the shoulder cheerily.  The pair head off with Sasha, leaving the brothers some privacy.

By the time Graystripe and Darkstripe have pulled themselves together, it’s dusk, and Sandstorm and Fireheart have been busy.  Fireheart has a group of cats huddled around a Queen and her kits and Gremlin, listing the signs of kit diseases, and Sandstorm is running a group training session, with Scraps actually knocking down a cat larger than him to wild and enthusiastic cheering.  Graystripe joins a group of cats fixing up some nests, lending a paw and some advice, and Darkstripe leans on Sasha, drained but finally whole in some small way.  Fireheart calls the Clowder a hope for the future and a good place to rest, and Gremlin loudly proclaims they should be the Hope Clowder!  The cry is taken up, and the Unnamed Clowder becomes the Hope’s Rest Clowder (Hope Clowder for short).

The Clan Trio stays the night, and the next morning are awoken by Snaggle hollering that Bloodclan is on the move.  Everyone wakes quickly, and the Clowder Cats barricade the entrance, leaving only a peephole.  A group of Bloodclan cats are headed straight for Thunderclan! 

Sandstorm demands that the Clan Cats leave to warn the Clans, but startlingly some Hope Clowder Cats ask Darkstripe and Sasha if they can help take down Bloodclan there as well – they’re weaker spread out in two places, and there are cats that need rescuing from Bloodclan’s clutches!  Fireheart tells Graystripe and Sandstorm to go warn the Clans, and asks if he can help the Clowder rescue the prisoners.  Darkstripe agrees, and Graystripe charges his brother with protecting the cat he once tried to kill.

Sandstorm and Graystripe escort a small group of Hope Clowder Cats to the border of Thunderclan, and Graystripe rushes ahead to warn Longstar ahead of the approaching Bloodclan cats.  Graystripe yowls out his warning to the Camp Guards, who repeat the warning as cats begin scrambling to battle and defense positions.  Longstar asks where Sandstorm and Fireheart are, my guy they BETTER be fine, and Graystripe assures him they are, just as the first Bloodclan cat leaps over the camp wall. 

Chaos ensues, but suddenly Sandstorm and her volunteers charge the Bloodclanners from behind, scattering the Bloodclan Rogues.  Fury is downed by a furious (HA) Flamewish, who bodily throws the molly over the camp wall, with her living followers rushing away.  Sandstorm keeps the Thunderclanners from attacking the Hope Clowder cats, and they view the Clan with awe and curiosity.  Graystripe and Sandstorm tell Longstar and Flamewish what’s going on, with the Hope Clowder cats chiming in.  Flamewish is Very Concerned about Darkstripe, but Hazard, who came with the Hope Battle Patrol, tells her the story of how Darkstripe saved her from an attacking Bloodclan patrol, and nursed her back to health.  This placates Flamewish, but she still worries about her brother…

Meanwhile--

The rescue Patrol comes to the nearly unguarded Bloodclan encampment, a seemingly abandoned Carrionplace with thin woven silvery reeds forming a strong wall.  Scraps leads the rescuers to a hole in the Carrionplace wall, and everyone slides through with relative ease, save one cat losing some long fur.  They approach a small, enclosed area, with a Twoleg-made Dog Den and several Bloodclan cats guarding the area.  Darkstripe leads half of the patrol to attack the guards, while Sasha and Fireheart lead the other half to rescue the prisoners.

It goes relatively smoothly, with the only hiccup being a guard going for the smaller Fireheart.  The guard later regrets this decision, leaving with less ear and more scarred skin that he started with.  The rescue patrol leads the injured cats back to Hope’s Rest, and after treating them, Fireheart finds himself alone with Sasha.  And finds he has to ask her something.  He’s noticed something important and…

What happened to your kits?

Sasha buckles, and begs Fireheart to not tell a soul – only Darkstripe knows about them.  She had three kits by Tigerclaw, and after losing one of them, and leaving the others somewhere safe, she went to find – and perhaps wound – the cat who hurt her so.  Only to find Tigerclaw dead, and another cat near death, with her pain in his eyes.  Fireheart swears to never tell anyone, save under pain of death.  She sighs, and wonders where her little Tadpole went after his death, and Fireheart tells her of the Afterlives that Starclan knows of.  She weeps then, in relief – he’ll be waiting for her.

After making sure all the patients are stable, Snaggle escorts Fireheart to Thunderclan, and after a quick reunion, the Hope’s Rest Clowder cats head home, laden with herbs and cuttings and instructions and a new ally. Bloodclan is scattered, nevermore to gather the same power again, and all is quiet for a time.

(And in Riverclan, a brown and white tom sleeps peacefully next to a golden brown molly, safe and sound)

(And elsewhere, a black and grey tom rests safely)

(ALIVE)

#my art #warrior cats #warriors #warrior cats au #hello from the void #Longstar au #New Longstar AU #Graystripe's vow rewrite #at least the past section #character redemption #cast includes #graystripe's brother #Tigerclaw's other mate #Smudge #Hattie #graystripe #sandstorm #fireheart #scraps #gremlin #so many unnamed background cats #i may open the Clowder to y'all's ocs BUT NOT YET #a pair of Gal Pal Guards #and hints

[uschi-the-listener]

Hints for Cats from Cats:

.

Occasionally

a hollow will appear

at the bottom of

a dish of food

.

do not be fooled

it is empty

marginal food

is less nutritious

.

House plants

conveniently located

are multi-use:

both as healthful

between-meal snacks

.

and rest rooms

on rainy days

and other times

.

Sleeping

for an entire length

of 8 hours

is dangerous

.

no one can survive this

.

Duly note

and awaken

the larger members of

your clowder

as needed

.

preferably

when the dish

is empty

.

Dog water

is infinitely preferable

and more easily obtained

than any equivalent water

nearer to the Cat Dish.

.

Also highly nutritious

and galling

to watching canine types.

.

Stay out of my yard.

I am much larger than you are

and I will show you

at the least provocation.

.

Many irrelevant items

are associated with

Boxes

.

and may be removed

or used as

furniture

.

although Boxes are best

when empty

regardless of size.

.

A fine coating of

catnip dust

is preferable

to that stuffed into

a Cat Toy

.

but either is acceptable

and may be consumed

at any time.

.

You don’t have to pass

a math test.

Indulge.

.

Fish and Birds

in their respective

containers

are less obtainable

than mice

in the wild.

.

A mouse in the claws

is worth two fish

in an aquarium.

.

The apes who open cans

are inefficient hunters

and must be taught

about prey.

.

Bring them dead and dying

treats

to show them

the delights that await

.

if they will only

pay attention.

.

Cat Trees and such

are all very well

.

but sofas

are much more sturdy

and amendable

to scratching.

#cats #humor

[practically-an-x-man]

Prompt:

"Where the fuck did all these kittens come from?"

Haha alright, I think I can see where this one's going... Ophelia, guest appearance by Siv

____ Amadeus

Word Count: 1.2k Content Warnings: swearing I guess? ____

Ophelia pushed through the door separating her lab from her apartment... and nearly tripped over an animal in the doorway. Her body jolted with surprise, and she managed an awkward half-hop to keep from stepping on the creature.

At first, she thought it was a rat. It was rat-sized, and a ratlike blackish-gray, and had a rat's long, thin tail....

And then her brain caught up, and she realized it wasn't a rat. It was a hairless cat, a hairless kitten, for some reason traversing the hallway with stumbling, too-wide steps. Confused, she scooped it up and held it against her chest.

"Peter?" she asked, keeping her eyes on the floor as she moved further into the apartment. She didn't want to step on any more defenseless animals. "Hey, why's there a cat in our-"

She reached the living room and froze.

"Where the fuck did all these kittens come from?"

Counting the one in her hands, there were five. Peter was sitting on the floor, managing to distract two of them with a piece of string. One of them had lost interest and was wandering the room with clumsy steps, and the last was attempting to wriggle its way under the coffee table. Ophelia promptly rerouted that one.

"Oh, uh, someone rang the doorbell. They were in this basket." Peter said, gesturing to a fabric-lined picnic basket near the door.

"Why are they in our apartment?" she asked, settling the last writhing kitten on the floor before it could decide it wanted to bite her.

"Well, I wasn't just going to leave them," he argued, "Figure at least we could see if anyone wants them before we take them to the animal shelter."

"Did you see who dropped them off?"

"No. They were gone too fast. There was, like... lightning."

"Lightning?" Ophelia glanced out the window. Cloudless skies. And she hadn't heard any rain or thunder - she could get hyperfocused on her work, yes, enough that she'd missed the sound of the doorbell, but she would've noticed lightning. Especially after the way she'd been pulled from her original life.

"Not the weather. Like superpowers." Peter explained, following her eyes to the window. One of the kittens lunged for the string, and he winced as tiny claws caught his skin.

"Hm." Ophelia replied, glancing from the basket to the clowder of kittens sprawled across her living room. "I thought you were allergic to cats."

"Not these guys. They don't have fur." he replied, jerking the string to make the kittens pounce. One took a tumble upon landing, legs going every direction in a tangle of limbs. Peter laughed. "I like that one. He's kinda clumsy. I'm gonna call him Amadeus."

Ophelia took a second glance at the cat. He'd picked himself up from the floor and was making a second, renewed pass at the length of string. He didn't have much more luck this time around. The kitten looked like one big, wobbly wrinkle... but almost in a cute way.

"No- don't name him, you're gonna get attached to him." she muttered, "And this place is really not... cat-friendly. Plus, my dad's allergic too, and he's just downstairs."

"They still don't have fur." Peter pointed out, then scooped up the kitten and held him out to her, "C'mon, Ol's, isn't he cute?"

"We need to take them to a shelter." Ophelia sighed, fishing in her pocket for her phone. She had a feeling she knew who was responsible for all this. "Give me ten minutes."

She ducked back down the hall and into her lab, waving a cursory hand at her actuators as she swiped through her phone. Even just a brief glance at her text history confirmed her suspicions. She'd been sent a picture of a black sphynx kitten - that looked damn near identical to the one Peter had started calling Amadeus - from an unknown number less than a week ago.

Ophelia rolled her eyes and dialed the number.

"Siv Thawne, what the fuck?"

"You said it was cute!" the other woman replied, not sparing so much as a moment to wonder who was at the phone.

"Cute does not mean give me five kittens!" Ophelia huffed, pacing her lab with a hand on her hip, "What makes you think I'm equipped for one cat, let alone five?"

"Hey, I've got number six!" Siv fired back, and then their voice softened slightly, "Her name's Delilah. Have you named yours yet?"

"I'm not naming them. We're taking them to a shelter. I'm telling you, we're not prepared to own a cat, especially not one as high-maintenance as a sphynx. They're prone to skin problems, poor temperature regulation... half these kittens at least probably have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy..."

"See, look, you already know how to take care of them." Siv drawled, "Perfect."

"Sivonne. I cannot adopt a cat right now. I most certainly cannot adopt five cats right now." Ophelia said, "I thought you were texting me about... the other thing."

"Oh, I was. Still need a hand with that." they replied, "But I found these kittens and figured..."

"What, that you could just drop 'em off and it would all be fine?"

"Kind of."

"Come pick them up. Find someone else to watch them."

"You don't even want to adopt one?" Siv asked, "You need a pet that's not robotic. And I thought you'd like the little wiggly one. Clearly you're into goofy things."

"Clearly?"

"Well, if the guy who answered the door was any indication."

Ophelia tilted her head at that. Yeah... she had a point. Peter was a pretty goofy guy. She ran a hand over her face.

"I will... consider it." she finally relented, "But you need to come pick the others up right now."

"Thirty minutes."

"Now."

"Ugh, fine."

Siv promptly hung up, and Ophelia tucked the phone back into her pocket. She ran a hand over her face with a sigh, then pushed back through the door to her apartment.

"I've got someone coming to pick them up." she said, already scooping up the kittens that had begun to wander too far. Peter gave her a look of exaggerated disappointment, then pointedly tilted his chin down at himself. Amadeus was apparently sacked out from the exhausting task of catching the string, and was curled up in Peter's arms.

"Look at him, Ol's."

The doorbell rang almost as soon as he'd finished his sentence. Peter's dejected look only grew, and he glanced from her back down to the kitten.

"That'll be Siv." Ophelia said, setting the rest of the kittens back in their basket. Peter tightened his grip on the last one, just a little. Ophelia pressed her lips together. The doorbell rang again, more incessantly, but she didn't move. Finally she sighed.

"I need you to run down to the pet store on the corner and pick up some cat stuff."

Peter's face brightened so suddenly it felt like the whole room got a few shades lighter. It was almost as cute as the sleeping kitten in his arms.

"So we can-"

"We can hold onto Amadeus," she agreed, "For a little while."

#my friends!!! #answered asks #my ocs #ophelia octavius #amadeus the cat #revan ocs #siv thawne #delilah the cat #oneshot #ficlet #fluff

[nightly-ruse]

Another big jump but have a half finished draft for a cat based story I kinda really love

Before the sickness struck, before the whispers and the killings, cats were prized. Gifts from the gods. Bringers of good luck, peace, love. Their purr healing any emotional ail that struck into a hands heart.

They were dressed in white silks. Kissed on the heads. Adorned with flowers.

Breathing blessings.

And then the cough spread. Hands died in dozens. Cats were dragged from homes. Tossed into the streets to die on their own or burned for the sins they were accused of.

Where once black pelted cats were seen as the goddesses most beloved they now were the devil’s destructors sent to the town to bring the evil illness that spread faster than any plague that’d struck the town.

From here flew a new kind.

From Burnt Fur rose Black Feathers, and cats with soot clogged scars. As such the Ravens came to be.

Born in such a terrifying time the Ravens are a Clowder of cats that try to keep a distance from the humans who so easily betrayed them. They are colder but not cruel. Residing in a hidden haven that no hand could ever reach into.

They keep to the east side of town where less hands reside and the wild has taken over. The streets are less refined, the building even less so. Hidden in the old tunnels under the town.

The Ravens have a chosen Crown of sorts who cares for all under their caring claws. They are elected and can be taken out if need be but most often stay for the span of their life. They keep each other safe, protect their passageways, and take care of the environment around them. They keep the horror of their past alive. None under the Ravens will ever forget the terrifying tales of how those hands once harmed them. It will always be scarred into their minds.

* If a Crown has any kittens they are referred to as Jewels and are cared for especially but don’t get too much special treatment

* Most Ravens are either tortoiseshells or black cats since they most often aren’t from households. They tend to be more bony but still very strong with particularly sharp faces, noses, and eyes.

* All Ravens upon making it to an age where they can leave give an item of theirs to the fountain in the heart of their home as a way to always be a part of the passageways. Even after their death they still have a piece of themselves there. It’s often where all ceremonies are held after a cats passing and most grieve there.

* Near the fountain none are to speak unless it is a part of a ceremony but many will purr to try and send some sort of message to their lost one

* All kits who dies too soon are grieved by downy feathers being tossed into the fountain. Fragile but beautiful just like chicks. A feather is often kept by the parent/s to have a something to hold in place of their now lost child

But a lifestyle of isolating and protection cannot last forever.

And then the cats with love back in their hearts took roost in the crowded side of town, Doves with a sprig of an olive tree held out in peace

After generations have passed and wounds have healed over the relationship between hands and cats have gotten better. Not as severely revered but not murdered any longer.

And such the slightly more friendly fairing Clowder rose, donned as the Doves! They live to the west where hands sleep and sing. They live off offerings from the hands but also hunt.

A lot more loose in nature there is no strict loyalty to stay a Dove with many half there and half in the comfy care of a house. But those who fully reside in the Dove’s Domain are very welcoming to the fluidity in their home.

They have no clear home base but do follow a Crown of their own who keeps peace and keeps track of the needs of the cats.

#the ravens and the doves #draft ideas #xenofiction #btw the sickness is the black plague #I don’t have a exact idea of the time period but that is what it was #story idea #original story #cat xenofiction

[alters-in-a-box]

clowder collective has arrived in ur blog.

Name: something wolf-related... :3c Pronouns + gender: Age: an adult in some way IDs (cis and trans): transharmful in some variety Role(s): dissociation giver & persecutor of some kind if that's alright ^^ Appearance traits?(for picrew): yknow those demihumans in anime with cat ears and cat tails?? that but wolf Theme / special reqs / extra info:

📦

Name: Lýkos (ilee-kos)

Pronouns: it/its, pup/pups, wolf/wolves, paw/paws, hunt/hunts, claw/claws, fluff/fluffs, wild/wilds

Gender: wolfabomination

Age: multiage (18, 27, pupage)

IDs: 🐾, 🩹, transspecies, transibling, transmanipulative, demihuman, transgender, permacanceled, transselectivemutism, transaac

Role(s): persecutor, dissociation causer, intrusive thought holder

Info blurb: Lýkos is a demihuman who is rather sociable when it chooses to be, and ONLY when pup wants to be. Wolf tends to be a bit of a lone wolf (pun not intended) type individual unless paw specifically decides hunt likes a specific person. Claw rarely feels guilty over fluffs thoughts or actions, and will even sometimes do something wild shouldn't just because it got bored

--

Picrew

#📦 ~ open the box ;; alter builds #alters in boxes #build an alter #build a headmate

[clowdersandclaws]

another one

#clowderclaws art #clowderclaws yt #it's embedding weird this time hrm #anyways I could talk so much about this one #but basically it's Tabith killing Tinel. that's it #it's weird and only heavily implied because it's focusing more on the thoughts of the characters but that's what it is #clowders & claws

[the-determined-sparks-au]

Racoonpaw and Turtlenose!

Racoonpaw

1: Racoonpaw doesn't mind that he was born from the outside, found alone beside his sister on the edge of the territory as kits, cause Rosetail's love is enough. While his sister, who allowed Thistleclaw's words about being chase out if they didn't show they were worth the prey that they were given made her thrive for a role that wil keep them in the Clowder, Racconpaw was fine with just being in the background. Cause he has Rosetail's love, and he knew that she would never allow them to be chase out.

2. Sometimes though he wishes that he was Rosetail's child by blood and sometimes he likes to imagine he is. Their tails were the same, though Rosetail's was covered in scales and was lighter in color.

3.He loved helping the monarch push in more brambles into the nursery, listening to Thrushnose and Specklescorch on which way was the saftest for the kits inside but was dangerous to those who tried to attack. He was ecstatic when the Bishop gave him not only a Warrior who was focus on crafting but the Bishop's Guard himself Sparrowsong. He didn't let it go to his head, but he felt a bit of pride that he was given to someone so immportant...though he could do without the stares burning into his scales

4. He never liked fighting, and fighting over the stones just push more of that into his heart. Let him hunt, let him weave thorns and brambles, but actually clawing someone? No, feeling the blood on his claws sicken him. And he felt complete disgust as he stared into the prone form of Stonepaw, whose ears he had just torn, the dissaproving look of Softwing, he didn't even feel Sparrowsong nudging him away. He finally came to himself later, and then felt more disgust when Thistleclaw compliment on how he taught the Riverglade apprentice to think again on trepassing on their stones.

5. When he met Stonepaw again, during the night of a Gathering, he sputter out apologies. But the other just laughed and told him to pay no mind, that the next time he will return the favor. Racconpaw did not understand why he felt so warm when he stared at them, while his heart flutter at that smirk. But he pushed it out of his mind and called him a fish-face.

Turtlenose

Before Thundergrowth, his name was Ethan, and he grew up in a group. It was so different than the Clowders, always moving, never staying in one place for too long...and he hated it. He hated how his paws were always so sore, even when he was sitting down. When his group were staying for a break he met Adderfang, who saved him from an adder...when he learned of the Clowders, a place where he can stay but still have freedom and saftey? He never looked back, never hesitated.

2. Sheepear, Hedgehogtail, Jaygrowl and Thistleclaw almost made him regret his decision. He never realizes that the Clowders were so hostile to those who happily join them. He hated the looks, the whispers, the jeers. But...he had Stonefall, Fuzzybush, Hazeflight and Waspeye to back him up, to cheer him on. And when Bishop Goosefeather gave him praise and thank him for his loyalty, he felt giddiness at the looks of shock on his bullies faces.

3. He was name Turtle at first for how shy he was when he first enter Thundergrowth, it then gain a new meaning when he rally up a group to regain Loonflower's three kits that were taken by their father, Reedfeather of Windmoor. He gain the title nose for his excellence tracking skills which he put to good use during the Great Famine, even though he wishes there were more he could had done.

4. He never expected to fall in love with anyone. But one day, passing the border of Startovden and seeing Sablewhisker, back then Clarisse, he couldn't help but stumble. Hearing her laugh as he gets to his paws instead of a scream of fear made him feel warmth. He never expected someone, who while a Drifter like he was once one, but from a group who was friendly to the Kingdoms who find him anything but scary. But he never smells fear from her, never saw disgust. And his heart soar when she decided to join, to be with him. And he lived up to his name, always being by her side, protecting her from those who would wish her to flee.

5. Sometimes he wishes he thought before he charges into something. Sometimes he wishes that he had turned around and refuse the offer, sometimes he wishes that he had the same urge as his family to keep moving. But when he steps into the nursery, staring at the two small bodies curl up and wiggling next to Sablewhisker's belly, watching them grow up to be two brave strong warriors, watching one of them have kits of their own...he learns that he doesn't have to regret everything of his choice...not when it gave him his friends and family.

#warrior cats au #warrior cats rewrite #world building #lore building #redtail #Turtlenose #warrior cat oc #five truths

[blackberrywars]

I saw the flash fic thing you're doing!! If you're in the mood any of your adorable Kitten Shenanigans™ would be delightful ❤️❤️❤️

Ask and ye shall receive, my friend! It ended up just slightly angstier than intended, because witchers and Vesemir are involved, but I hope it meets your expectations for the Kitten Shenanigans™. Full disclosure, it is heavily inspired by this post.

——————————————————————————————

Kittens love to be tossed.

This epiphany —perhaps the most important one in all of Guxart’s many, many years of raising kittens into Cats— came at the cost of his ungreyed temples and his witcher-slow pulse. All he remembers now, four decades later, is that he had been walking through a Toussaint forest with Gezras when a horrible, ear-piercing shriek shattered the peaceful morning air. It had ripped through him like poison. Made his guts fall through to his feet. Nearly took him out at the knees before he whipped his useless body around, sprinting to the source, the lake where he’d left his kittens to bathe. Another scream found his ears, and he barely fucking registers the orange blur of Gezras beside him as he pushed ahead, bursting though the treeline to save his kitten 

“Lexandre!”

The sound nearly tore his throat apart, but how could he care? Just beyond the shores stood Lexandre, cowering from the claws of a water hag. He ran. Vicious, disgusting claws tore into his back as he tackled his kitten, curling him into his chest and away from the danger. He barely felt them, just kicked away underwater as fast as he could, hearing the sound of steel on flesh, knowing that Gezras had the danger in hand so he could focus on getting his precious cargo to safety. When Lexandre began to scratch at his arm, he pulled them upwards to the surface, took their heads above the sudden waves.

He expected screaming. He expected whimpering and sobbing, to have to comfort his kittens and scold them in the morning.

He hadn’t expected laughter.

—

— — —

—

From that day onward —when the beat of his heart had kept pace only with the rapid, joyful cries of “Again! Again! Again!” as rowdy kits begged to be tackled once more— Guxart had a new tool to wrangle his growing clowder. Lakes, rivers, bushes, leaf piles, snowdrifts, pillows. Other kittens, on occasion. And oftentimes, right back into his arms. Any and every surface that could give them a somewhat soft landing, and Guxart has both an irresistible reward for good behavior and a deterrent for excessive mischief, all in one. Good kits are tossed, repeatedly. Naughty kits would have to, unsatisfyingly, throw themselves. It minimizes considerable damage. So, when he decides to show Vesemir his newfound knowledge, he expects more gratitude than he gets, and maybe even a fun, tossing-related reward of his own.

“What the actual fuck, Guxart.”

It was foolish, in retrospect.

“What? They’re having fun, look at ‘em.” 

Guxart’s newest charge, a dwarvish girl just barely past five summers, falls hard into his arms, giggling with glee. Kiyan’s weight pulls at the strained muscles of his back the same way her smile pulls at the strained strings of his too-soft heart. Shrödinger handles his other kit, Joël, in a similar manner, tossing him higher still. The pair had done excellent in their drills today, and had been slowly learning to hold knives properly with no delays, thanks to the promise of being tossed. His wolf snarls, curling his lip. It’s handsome, but ultimately unnecessary.

“You’re going to hurt yourself, damnit! What the fuck are you even doing to them? What for?”

“I’ll be fine, pretty boy. My kits aren’t so big yet. And it’s called kitten-tossing, a favorite pastime around here.”

He catches Kiyan again, and lets the resistant kitten wiggle her way out of his arms to be tossed by some other willing elder before turning back to his sometimes-lover.

“The long and short is that they like it. It keeps the hellions sweet, and I thought you’d appreciate that for your own little pack. I’m sure they’re no kits, but surely not all of your pups are as stiff as the pole stuck up Rennes’ ass.”

“Don’t you bring up Rennes, not when he doesn’t know I’m even here. What are you coddling them for? With their odds, what’s the point?”

Guxart sighs, rubbing at his graying temples. The movement makes his shoulder twinge again, but he ignores it again.

“Fuck off, Vesi. I can love them at least a little while, or however long they last. Besides, I think it really does help them —we don’t just get lucky picking acrobatic children, not with how desperate we’ve been for new trainees. The throwing… balances them, oddly enough.”

“Maybe. Or it’ could be what makes them all crazy.”

It’s a low blow, and it stings like bitter herbs in a fresh wound. But Vesemir can’t stay for long, so Guxart lets it slide with a wink and a laugh. A joke.

“Then what’s my excuse, hm? And yours, for coming here?”

“Don’t make it like that. You’ve always had your way of handling your recruits, and I won’t stop you. Lexandre turned out mostly fine, explosives aside.”

With that, the Wolf bumps his hip against Guxart’s, the best apology he can make, and Guxart takes it. He likes his way, and this method is one of his best to not only prepare his kittens for witcher life, but show them some kind of affection under the guise of training. It works, whether Vesemir understands it or not. He’ll bet anything the bastard adopts it himself, once he gets a pup who needs it badly enough.

——————————————————————————————

#in case it's not heavily implied enough #lambert is that pup #and vesemir will have to concede that his lover was right #even if he's not around to say it to anymore #the witcher #the witcher fanfiction #the witcher fanart #guxart #gezras #lexandre #witcher kiyan #witcher joël #school of the cat #dyn marv #berry's fics #flash fic requests #inbox is open!!

[the-owl-tree]

can we get an update on your apocalypse cats story?! (no pressure though)

Got a few things! Been slowly chipping at it:

Keeping my original pitched social hierarchy: Queen -> Queen’s Court (which has a handful of roles within it that also have their own social structure) + Queen’s direct Offspring (typically the heirs to the throne; highly targeted for assassinations by other court members) -> Workers (temporary name, i gotta think of something better. also consist of their own social hierarchy, those that work with the queen and court often get better treatment and stature than those who don’t).

Kitten and male cat behavior. I want to include kit killing in this, the Yarmouth clowder is a very tense place within the court. It’s not an instinctual thing, it’s done discretely and with thought.

The coastal territory would lead to VERY gloomy and rainy weather, their home base is probably within one of the abandoned buildings.

Some of the wildlife would be mutated, for funsies

Currently I’ve got a few characters in mind of wanting to center the story around, I need to rotate them a bit to get a better hold on their stories before I decide on anything.

But the names though, I’m at war with myself. Recently rewatched a bit of Gargoyles and love the idea of the cats being named after streets. Lovitt, Gardner. The issue is the cats can’t read, and even if they begin to understand that the symbols have meanings, there’s absolutely no way they’d be able to discern the sounds without being taught….which is impossible. The better way would be to go this means X in their conlang but it translates to something in English such as “Hook” or “Brick”, useful things that the cats would actually name themselves.

But come on…a cat name Argyle I’m clawing at the door

#apocalypse meow #deer rambles #thank you for asking! #lately I’ve just been trying to find good colony dynamic breakdowns? #because i want to keep the clowders dynamics based on some preexisting behavior

[sohannabarberaesque]

Postcards from Snagglepuss

And you're asking how the Easter parade in Gatlinburg went

INSIDE CATTANOOGA KLATSCHE, GATLINBURG, TN: To answer such a question as many of you were probably asking ... With partly cloudy skies for the most part, the day turning out rather beautiful, many of the trees in the Smoky Mountains starting to go into bloom for the most part, and a few of the black bears starting to come forth from hibernation.

It may not have been the Pasadena Doo-Dah Parade, or even those on the likes of New York's Fifth Avenue or the Atlantic City Boardwalk (especially in earlier, more glamourous times), but the choice of route (as in the section of the Parkway between the split of US 411 and 441 and the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park--more or less Beautiful Downtown Gatlinburg, to paraphrase Gary Owens from back on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In back in the day) pretty much attracted considerable curiosity from the Easter weekend crowd in the Queen Mother of Tourist Traps.

In keeping with Easter Parade tradition, it was more or less walkabout all along the Parkway, waving to the somewhat confused crowd wondering what the whole was about to begin with (though you had plenty of meet-and-greet and selfie opportunities among the characters). Naturally, the Cattanooga Cats "themselves" led the parade, real informal like, no welcoming banner ... but even then, Kitty Jo couldn't resist the selfie opportunities. Or even Scoots, for that matter; it seems Scoots, considering his modest stature, must have something of a liking, even if his storytelling wasn't fascinating enow.

And you could imagine the reaction of the crowd to the presence of yours truly, Huckleberry Hound and Crazy Claws strolling the Parkway ... or even Augie Doggie on the shoulders of his doting Doggie Daddy ... Top Cat and clowder, with Choo-Choo and Fancy-Fancy getting their share of fan attraction ... Peter Potamus and his diving enterouge, with plenty of the crowd rather surprised that Peter was an amazing diver in his own right ... Penelope Pitstop, kissing plenty of spectators ... those Banana Splits, quite the cutups (even Drooper going into the "Super Drooper" routine near the Gatlinburg Space Needle, to the bemusement of fans) ... Scooby-Doo and crew ... perennial crowd favourites, the Hair Bear Bunch ... Lori, Gator, Braveheart and Inch High, Private Eye ... Hong Kong Phooey, with a silly little tweaking of tai ch'i ... Captain Caveman and his cousins, the Slag Brothers, "going ape" and liking it ... you couldn't help but resist the Skatebirds going the inline-skating act ... even Kwicky Koala taking things a bit on the Aussie side by throwing Cherry Ripe and Freddo Frog bars to the crowd, as well as packets of Throaties (a popular Australian brand of throat drops), not to mention The Bungle Brothers doing Abbott and Costello justice with their "Who's on First?" routine with George in Bud Abbott's role and Joey doing Lou Costello's.

(Seems that for some reason, some in the crowd were rather surprised to discover what said Cherry Ripe bars were like, basically mashed cherries, dessicated coconut and dark chocolate. And for a lucky few, Kwicky "himself" passed out boxes of classic Australian snack crackers Jatz and Vita-Weat.)

After the parade ended, or some resemblance thereof, Kwicky Koala got out a box of another iconic Australian staple--Sanitarium Weet-Bix cereal, not quite Shredded Wheat but rather interesting by itself. Even if they turned out a little like glue in the end.

And the Cattanooga Cats dishing up typically Southern smoked ham for dinner, along with cheesy hash browns, green bean hot dish--and Kitty Jo's storied chess pie for dessert. Washed down with lemonade blended with hibiscus flower extract--what could get more interesting, to begin with?

And you can imagine how the crowd felt at the sight of the parade, otherwise not promoted well beforehand.

*************

@warnerbrosentertainment @zodiacfan32 @jellystone-enjoyer @artistic-octopus @iheartgod175 @funtasticworld @archive-archives @thebigdingle @thylordshipofbutts @gatlinburgvisitor-blog-blog @screamingtoosoftly @themineralyoucrave @warnerbros-blog1 @groovybribri @indigo-corvus @theweekenddigest @ultrakeencollectionbreadfan @warnerbrosent-blog

#hanna barbera #fanfic #fanfiction #road trip #postcards from the road #easter weekend #gatlinburg #snagglepuss #huckleberry hound #cattanooga cats #easter parade #the parkway #springtime #hannabarberaforever

[spacemonkeysalsa]

God of Ambivalence

Very short chapter. The Artificer who's save Gale runs into the second githyanki of his life. Becuase when two pretty ladies love each other very much, they steal an egg to raise.

Pairing - OC/Gale & Shadowheart/Lae'zel but there will be more as it goes on.

Read Chapter One on Ao3

Read Chapter Four on Ao3

or read Chapter Four, below

Dismissed, Elion took a moment outside of Shadowheart’s study to check himself. He breathed in the rejection, knowing it wasn’t rational, that he shouldn’t take it to heart. 

He leaned against a nearby pillar of stone, in the darker corner of the sanctum, and wasted a moment brooding.

Feeling unwanted was a sore spot for him, but that wasn’t the cleric’s fault. She was excited to have her wife back. They had clearly been apart for some time, and it didn’t have anything to do with him.

Nothing ever did.

He rolled his shoulders and took a quick glance around the sanctum. It was quiet and empty today, besides the cats. He wasn’t sure how many Shadowheart had—she’d brought some with her, and others had joined the clowder as the weeks wore on. She also had an enormous wolf that acted as a (hopefully) unnecessary guard at the front gates.

The stone pillars reaching up into the dark ceiling were about the only thing still in good shape from the original build. The sanctum’s unique design, borrowing right into the side of the mountain, meant that portions of it were more cave-like than anything. But it had grown on Elion in the months since he’d first arrived to start his apprenticeship with Master Faydor. The steps were uneven and crumbling, the walls pocked and rough. There was so much work to be done.

Where was Master Faydor? Elion knew he should look for him, make his excuses. He was pretty sure he’d be sent right back the way he came for more rock.

What about the cambion? Surely, it wasn’t safe. out there He wasn’t sure if it was his prerogative to go any further with this little adventure. He’d saved the man, brought him to the cleric. Had he mentioned the cambion? He couldn’t remember much of the last few minutes. Watching Shadowheart perform her strange surgical procedure—so deftly—and then the arrival of the shocking githyanki woman had quite overtaken his experience. He was sure he said something. She'd know better than him what to do about it.

If the man survived—no, not if. When he survived, for Elion felt sure it couldn’t end, not now that they’d both done so much to preserve his life. When he survived, Elion could talk to him.

The cambion could have been looking for him specifically. That was what worried him. He’d mentioned it to the cleric, he was sure, but should he go back to the ravine and ensure that he was dead? Would it be safe? What was he meant to do if the cambion was still alive?

He wished Arabella hadn’t run off like that. She’d seem afraid, but also, like she knew much more than she was saying.

He heard the soft whisper of someone calling out a lure; the type of soft-voice wordless trilling meant to attract an animal, not a person. 

Sure enough, one of the cleric’s cats floated around the pillar. It weaved toward the lure, with its tail straight up and its whiskers inquisitive, eyeing the sanctum’s entryway.

A shadow stretched from the entryway staircase, and precluded a stooped, wiry figure with long fingers and hands, fitted with clawed fingernails, not unlike Elion’s own. The young man had golden skin and spots, another gith.

His face came into view as he completed his descent of the staircase, and enticed the cat closer with those clawed fingers. The cat, an especially fat tabby with bow-legged white paws, rubbed against the gith and consented to being stroked and scratched with his long claw-like golden fingers.

This must be Xan, the expected child of the cleric and her gith wife. Elion resisted the urge to dwell on how that worked. He knew better than most, it just did, sometimes.

Similar to elves, Elion found that this gith man and his mother had a sort of weight to their presence that seemed to hint at their vast lives; though they were not vast in the same manner as an elf. This man might have already lived many times Elion’s years, and would still be walking the planes long after he died. Like his githyanki mother Xan had black markings on his face and throat, simple symbols that seemed to depict three figures gathered around a pointed round hollow where the bow of his collarbone descended under the folds of his simple monk’s robes. The lines of the figures’ long limbs curled down over his shoulders and tapered off, as well as snaking up his jaw to line his cheeks. Like his half-elven mother, he had green eyes with a soft affect. His head was shaved, his beard trimmed neatly, though he’d braided his mustache with small silver beads.

Elion realized that though he could see Xan, he was positioned in such a way at the top of the dark staircase, that he probably couldn’t be seen in return. It might be unwise to startle a monk. He cleared his throat, but stayed a ways off, getting Xan’s attention without approaching.

Indeed, Xan’s brow lifted and he rose to his feet. “Well met.”

“Well met,” Elion descended the staircase. “Shadowheart is with a patient, Lae’zel is helping, though I doubt they’d mind an interruption.”

Xan frowned at the door to the study, where Elion had indicated. “I’ll give them a moment,” his narrow eyes searched Elion, “Construction accident?”

Elion almost laughed, the assumption that they might actually have a crew working on the construction with enough activity that accidents were a threat was immediately frustrating to him in a way he hadn’t expected. He tried not to dwell on it. “No, much more difficult to explain.”

“Well, as a weary traveler, I am in need of a drink, a place to sit, and some light entertainment. Do you think you could oblige me?”

Definitely an older gentleman then. In Elion’s experience, younger people weren’t so quick to impose—but, Xan’s imposition was welcome. It gave him an excellent excuse to avoid seeking out Master Faydor yet.

#bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate 3 gale #bg3 gale #gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #God of Ambivalence

[theanoninyourinbox]

Skyclan's Rescue

Or

The Scorching Sun and the Storming Rot

In the Recent Past

Skystar, once the too-proud leader and Founder of Skyclan, looks down from the edge of Starclan upon the gorge.  Skywatcher is laying in the sun, blind eyes content and peaceful next to a kittypet tortoiseshell queen.  Kits play with balls of moss, warriors bring prey to their elders, and queens share tongues with collared kittypets.

Disgusting.

How DARE Starclan do this to HIS Clan!  First, they curse Skyclan’s tree to rot, then BANISH the BEST CLAN in the Territories, and now?! Now it’s all the dregs of felinehood – kittypets and loners, playing at being HIS CLAN because Starclan thought it was AMUSING!?!  HOW DARE THEY!!!

Skyclan should be regimented and only Clanblood!  Kits should be learning to hunt already!  Elders should be working until their appointed deaths! Queens should be subservient to their leader, not BE ONE!! Warriors should be KILLING these DUNGFACED KITTYPETS!!!!!  This is NOT HIS Skyclan, not a Proper Skyclan…if that blasted brother of his hadn’t stepped in, if those foolish Leaders hadn’t stepped in, if the STARS BE BLASTED Spirits hadn’t stepped in-

He tore at the ground beneath him in fury, hackles bristling and spittle flying as he raged.  Not even his mate, his beautiful malicious Star Flower, could understand him…she wanted power, oh how she wanted it all, but she was unwilling to endanger the power that Starclan gave their residents…but what was this power if his legacy was so muddled?

Skystar sighed, and turned his gaze from the ABOMINATION of a Clan the Stars wanted, but a flash of ginger caught his eye.  He turned back curiously – this was a familiar figure.  The ragged cat often prowled the edge of the territory, staring hatefully at the so-called Leafstar.  Skystar leaned in, hearing the tom rail against the group, clawing the turf as he screamed.  How DARE they reject him – how DARE that MOLLY be in charge – how DARE they banish him for his schemes!!  HE should be leader, pampered and protected!  He, Harry, should be the one in control!

Oh, now this is promising…

Skystar saw himself, in the days after the Spirits descended – powerless, but deserving of all he wished.  Now this cat – Half-Clanblooded at least – this cat had PROMISE.  So Skystar leapt, bounding through a suddenly storming sky, and appeared before the maned cat.

I can give you power, said Skystar, I can give you that and more.  All you have to do is get rid of that False Leader, and that Old Fool.  I am Skystar, and together, we will turn these lands into the most powerful Clan the world will ever see!  Harry, at first wildly afraid of the Literal Ghost that dropped from the stormclouds, smirked.  How could a dead cat give me anything?  Skystar’s face broke into a vicious grin – I will give your clever words Power, to ensnare and beguile and terrify – just take my paw. 

Harry hesitated for only a moment before agreeing, and extended a paw.  Skystar took it, and the wind howled around them, thunder rumbling a warning.  The shadows surged as rain whipped around them, stop stop STOP!

Behold, intoned Skystar, the Sun who rules the Skies!  Behold SOL!  (his back bulged with eyes, starless and sightless, a Geist of wild power being born of pettiness and hate) Harry – no, Sol - grinned maniacally, with a golden glow hidden behind his teeth.  He knew JUST who to talk to, just who to…Recruit…to take over the Clan…and now they All would Listen…

And in Starclan, Grey Wing looked down in horror.  Oh brother, what have you done?

The Journey to the Gorge and The Crisis

The combined group of Clowder and Clan cats set out on a sunny Newleaf morning.  Maguyver, as the one with the most Patrolling and Scouting experience, leads the group.  Frostfur and Hollowback, the most mobile of the Clan Elders, are helped along by a prospective Seer named Echo.  Loudbelly, who has gone nearly blind, is guided by Vespa, whose blindness has never stopped her before, and the hearty Bagel.  Yewtail leans heavily on the massive tom Hassle, and Mudfur keeps company with Lavinia, a pretty young molly who wants to be a Healer, and Pasqual, who hides shyly behind Lavinia most of the time. Mutter the Scout keeps the younger cats Gorgon, Spatter, and Jangle in line.  They make their way past Twolegs and thunderpaths, through old forests and over winding waters.  And within a remarkable amount of time, the Rescue Patrol has arrived at the edge of a marked territory.  Strangely, the sky is cloudy and the air heavy.  The group settles into a hollow log for the night, and the next morning Mutter scouts ahead. 

They return with news – there IS a group of cats in the Gorge ahead, but something is terribly wrong.  There are cats forcing Elders to clean the camp, and kits barely old enough to eat solids are picking the prey clean! Queens are being intimidated by brutes, and the Rogues – they MUST be Rogues – are led by a ginger, brown and white Tom.  Everyone is shocked and horrified – Frostfur moans at the thought of kittens in danger, and Bagel has to hold Loudbelly back from charging over and fighting the Rogues.  Macguyver asks Echo, who has the clearest Visions of Skyclan, who the Leader was.  She pauses, then points up to a nearby tree.  Her, she says, and a mottled tortie drops from the branches, followed by a ginger tom and several other cats, all collared or harnessed. 

The tortie glares at the Rescue Patrol – who are you, and how do you know me?  Did Sol send you!?  Macguyver steps in – no, Starclan sent us!  Mudfur joins him, then Frostfur and Echo.  We Saw you were in danger, Echo intones, and have come to offer our aid.  Mudfur explains that he and the other Elders are from the Clans, and that they came to help of their own volition.  The Tortie rears back, and looks over the group, finally seeing the Elders for what they were.  Hope glinting in her eyes, she introduces herself as Leafdapple, and after calling over her allies, tells them what’s happened.

She had met Skywatcher, who had been gathering cats to form a Clan.  She had become his right-paw cat, a deputy in all but name, as Skywatcher has refused to be named Leader.  After some time, a tom named Harry had asked to join.  They accepted him, but quickly understood something was wrong.  He was a decent hunter, and somewhat interested in herbs, but would consistently try to sabotage other cats.  He had led clanmates into rats and dogs, stolen prey from under the paws of others, and probably would have poisoned someone if not caught.  But he was clever with his words, and it took him kitnapping Leafdapple litter, to “save” them, for him to be banished.  But he had returned…changed somehow. 

He had a group of Rogues and Loners behind him, all either blank-eyed or bloodthirsty, and had overrun camp.  The kits had been taken, and their few elders forced into work.  Leafdapple and her Daylight Warriors – kittypets who returned to their homes at night – had escaped…but they’d lost several Warriors.  Skywatcher had been taken by some of the Rogues, and Sol, as he called himself now, paid them in prey that SHOULD have been feeding the Queens, kits, and Elders.  And every time the survivors planned some rescue or communication, he saw them coming!  They’d nearly lost several cats, and had been begging the stars for help.  But, Leafdapple sniffled, she never expected help to come after this long.  Had thought they had been forgotten.

And a voice rings out from above.

We did not forget you.

All look up, and a swirl of stars descend, and six starry cats materialize.  Willowpelt greets the Hope Clowder cats, and then introduces herself and the other Starclan cats to the stunned Skyclan cats.  Here, she says, is Cloudstar, who ruled Skyclan when it was wrongly Banished. This is Bumble and Turtle Tail, who helped found Thunderclan and redeem Skyclan in its early days.  And these are Jagged Peak and Grey Wing, who helped found all the Clans, with their kindness and cleverness.  I am Willowpelt of Thunderclan, and we know what has happened here – and we together, living and beyond, will defeat Sol.

And everyone has Reactions to this.  Mudfur and the Clan cats nod sagely, with Frostfur delighted to meet the first Crafter.  The Hope’s Rest Clowder cats are bouncing around, knowing Willowpelt from her frequent visits to the Clowder.  And the Skyclan cats are…wary.  Hopeful, but everything that has happened has made them hardened to any hope that comes.  Grey Wing apologizes to Skyclan for taking so long, and for not stopping Sol from gaining his Cursed Blessing of controlling others with his words, but that the Storming Rot - a cat he once called brother but is now a Stargeist - had been blocking them from helping, but the Clan cats and Clowder cats had essentially carried them here.  He then offers blessings to the cats – hiding them from the Stargeist and enhancing their senses until Sol and the Abomination are defeated, and Leafdapple is given her nine lives officially.  Leafdapple is elbowed by Billystorm, and she agrees, with stars in her eyes and hope in her heart.

Loudbelly asks that if he is blessed, that he be given the joints and senses of his youth, that he might rescue the prisoners.  The other Elders agree, with Hollowback noting that from Leafdapple’s description, Modern Skyclan has only Warriors, Queens, and Elders – no Camp Guards or Crafters or Herbalists or even a Healer, and simply asks for enough time to pass on his crafts, which the other Elders agree with as well.  Bumble and Jagged Peak are all for this.

The air smells of ozone and fresh snow, of mossy stones, of petrichor and heathered fields; the air shines like Silverpelt on moonless nights; and the air flexes like claws in battle.  The elders stretch and twist, like year-aged cats instead of well-lived elders.  Vespa notes that she can hear even farther than before, and Spatter leaps up a tall tree in only a few seconds.  Leafdapple laughs as her Daylight warriors bounce about like apprentices.  Turtle Tail promises her that she will receive her lives after they rescue Skywatcher, as he deserves to see his Clan get the Leader it deserves.

And as the Starclan Cats return to the skies, the living begin to plan.

The Rescue

The next day, Frostfur wanders into a Rogue patrol, and feigns that she had been looking for a place to bring her grandkits to live.  She toddles through camp, counting the prisoners, the blank-eyed and controlled, and the loyal Rogues.  She never sees Sol, and leaves the Rogues with seemingly giddy promises to return with her family.  The best lies are honesty, and she WILL be bringing cats she calls family there.  The skies are a little clearer, and in the shadows, something twists unhappily.

Mudfur, Lavinia, Pasqual, and Echo start gathering herbs for the coming skirmishes.  Pasqual and Lavinia are obviously mates, but had no issues in the Clowder.  Mudfur admits to having had a mate before becoming a Healer, and that another Oracular Healer, Fireheart, had been working behind the scenes to make it that any Healer might take a mate.  Echo, while preparing cobwebs, notes that she has never wanted a romantic relationship, and is assured that such a thing is absolutely fine.

Mutter and Harveymoon scout out where Skywatcher is kept – a small Twoleg nest kept by a Rogue named Dodger and his group.  Late that night, Hollowback and Leafdapple sneak in while Maguyver and Hassle bother Dodger out front with Sharpclaw and Ebonyclaw.  Skywatcher wakes to Leafdapple carrying him out, with Hollowback watching her tail.  A clattering from a Twoleg Thing (which Macguyver calls a trash can) sends the distraction cats hurtling back to the makeshift camp, and the Skyclan cats welcome their old friend back.  The full moon is but two nights away, and then Skywatcher will see his protégé become the Leader he Foresaw.  The clouds let the sky peak through, and the air is lighter with the promises of new life.

The next morning, Yewtail, Hollowback, Bagel, and Gorgon start setting up traps for the Rogues.  The invaders out to hunt found themselves stuck in pits, caught up in sticky honey and chased by bees, and every attempt at hunting thwarted.  This went on as the time until the full moon came. The day of the full moon, Macguyver, Hassle, and Bagel stroll up to the captured camp, and loudly demand that Sol meet with them.  The lanky Heretic oozes over, and Macguyver proclaims that he is represents the leader of a Clowder that wants the Gorge.  Hassle quietly states that unless Sol meets with them the next morning, that the Clowder will attack.  Bagel giddily purrs that maybe Sol can talk their leader into sharing instead of conquest.  Sol sneers, and agrees, but demands the meeting be at a particular clearing.  The deal is made, and the three cats trot off, content that the next step of the plan is complete.

The night came, and the free Skyclan cats and the Rescue Patrol gathered in a clearing.  The sky was, for once, clear of the strange clouds that gathered, and the moon and stars shone clearly. Leafdapple and Skywatcher sit together, and Echo calls upon Starclan to bless this Leader with nine lives, and the Wisdom of the Stars to guide Starclan.  The skies glitter and gleam, and six familiar Starclan spirits descend, followed by three unfamiliar spirits, that wait farther back from the rest.  The other living cats watch in awe and wonder.

Nine Lives and Three Precedents

Cloudstar greets Leafdapple and Skywatcher, thanking the molly for her care and the Elder for his enduring faith in them.  He then gives Leafdapple her first life, for having Enduring Faith in her Clan, the Stars, and herself.  Willowpelt rubs her head companionably against Leafdapple’s shoulder and gives her a life for Second Chances. Jagged Peak makes her laugh at a particularly bad pun (don’t worry, your reign won’t be a Cat-astrophe!) and gives her a life for Good Humor In Bad Times. Turtle Tail compliments her cunning, and gives her a life for Defending The Defenseless. Bumble smiles sweetly and gives her a life for Finding Joy In The Small Things. And Grey Wing approaches, I’m so proud of you, keeping your Clan as safe as you could in these times; he bestows a life for Knowing When To Ask For Aid.  And then he beckons the three spirits forward.

Three cat spirits wearing kittypet collars.

A grey tipped molly steps forward, introducing herself as Smoke.  Her face twists sadly, as she tells of loving a clan cat who rejected her, and dying to protect her kit.  Leafdapple apologizes for her having to go through such events, and Smoke smiles sadly.  My son is happy now, with a better father than his sire ever could have been.  Smoke then gives Leafdapple a life for Love and Affection, giving Billystorm a side-glance and a smile.  He flushes, and several cats break the solemn air with hoots, cackles, and coos.

The next cat steps forward, introducing himself as Jake.  He speaks of having an adventure with a Clan Cat, and falling in love with him.  Even after they were parted, he remembered the strength and faith of that tom.  He sighs, and remarks that his feelings for a cat he would never see again kept him from having any other relationships.  Jake steps forward, and gives Leafdapple a life for Knowing When To Let Go, and hopes that she will be a better parent than he was in life.

The last cat steps up, a tortoiseshell as well, but with a flat face.  I was named Wishkit at my birth, but was known as Nutmeg for the rest of my days. I was born a Clan Cat, lived as a Kittypet, and bore Kittypets, Clan Cats, and Hopeful Cats.  I give you your final life for Balance and Adaptability – may you find a way no matter the obstacles.  Welcome, Leafstar. Leafstar! The cry is raised, by the living and the dead.  Leafstar! LEAFSTAR!! LEAFSTAR!!!

(elsewhere, the Stargeist shakes and writhes, its eyes multiplying and mind fracturing.  something is wrong.  something has gone terribly wrong)

The Confrontation

The dawn comes, and Sol approaches the meeting grounds, his loyal Rogues at his side.  He left the controlled behind to guard the camp, knowing that Leafdapple would never be able to break the Power he holds over them – only the Stars could do that, and they cannot walk here. Sol scoffs, then looks up as the black and white cat from before appears.  My leader will be here shortly, he says confidently, they wished to be prepared for negotiations.

At camp, the controlled cats and a few loyal Rogues guard the den where the prisoners are held.  Suddenly, Loudbelly slams into the first Rogue, followed by Sharpclaw, Ebonyclaw, and Hassle.  Leafstar leaps onto the first controlled cat – Patchfoot shakes his head, and the green bleeding back into his eyes.  Petalnose embraces Rainfur as he comes back to himself, both weeping in relief.  The Rogues scatter, and the apprentices and Elders cry out in joy.  Leafstar, having freed Shortwhisker, calls out to them – come with me, we have a meeting to get to!

Sol spits angrily – time has passed, and the only cats to show are the black and white tom, an elderly brown tom, and a few hideous youngsters.  Where is your leader, you dung faced freaks?!?

Here I am, Harry. Here we all are.

Sol spins in shock – Leafdapple stares him down, rage in her eyes. Next to her is that white cat he heard wanted to join.  But behind her, behind her are his prisoners!  And his Controlled Cats! Whu-how!?  You have no power, Leafdapple! Sol sputters, and the dratted molly snarls at him – My Name Is Leafstar!

No.

NO!

A horrible noise echoes from the trees, and a twisted creature of eyes and wings and cat claws launches, bringing a stench of rot and illness.  It leaps towards Leafstar, who dodges and screeches a war cry.  Suddenly the trees are filled with cats, charging into the Rogues and scattering them.  As the Stargeist twists to attack her, a pair of shapes slam into it like meteorites – Grey Wing and Turtle Tail.  Sol does not stick around to find out how this goes, running at top speed away.  The Starclan Cats batter and shred the former Founder, and Grey Wing tears the belly of the beast.  With a sound like bones breaking and stars dying, the Stargeist faded away, with all the grace of a fish out of water.  Clear Sky – Skystar – was dead.

The Rogues scattered, and Skyclan rejoiced. The gorge was retaken, the Elders enstated in honor, and the Clowder cats gladly joining up.  The Cultures of the four Clans join with the Ancient Skyclan Culture.  Echosong teaches Frecklepaw to heal, and Lavinia and Pasqual celebrate a litter. Hawkpaw and Pebblepaw fall in love, and Hawkwing and Pebbleshine watch the world go by.

Within a year, all the elders passed into Starclan, at peace that the future would hold wonders…even if it held pain as well.

(in the stars, a fading golden molly snarls and grieves. How dare someone take her mate from her)

Time passed.

(Rain seethed, his glorious leader had left him – but he would destroy the Clans himself.  He would fall on them, like his namesake…)

(Late one night, Leafstar and Billystorm are awoken by Skywatcher’s spirit.  She startles awake, as her old friend screams.

RUN!  WAKE THE CLAN AND RUN!

More wails of danger shake the air, and Leafstar bolts from her den.  Frostfur is loading Macguyver with kits, Mudfur is shaking Frecklepaw awake, Loudbelly is rallying the Brawlers and Warriors.  Hollowback is shoving apprentices out of their dens with a frantic Jangle, and Yewtail is helping Echosong load up on herbs.

A cry splits the night. Followed by more and more and more.

Rogues pour into camp.

The Clan scatters.

Rain laughs wildly – Skyclan is no more! Scattered like leaves! Like prey!

But there will be five clans.

One Day.

#my art #warrior cats #warriors #warrior cats au #hello from the void #longstar au #new longstar au #skyclan #hope's rest clowder #oh we are FIXING skyclan #elder's squad #frostfur #mudfur #loudbelly #shadepelt went on the journey #speckletail already died #look at all these ocs #macguyver #i love him so much i cannot WAIT until you see his design #spatter has wobbly cat syndrome #vespa is a sphinx #bagel is a mostly black tortie #mutter discarded their gender #hassle is a hasslehoff ref from me momther #hassle and macguyver are platonic bros #healers CAN have kits #true seers don't WANT kits - please ask me what the difference is #ask me stuff about this!