#The Pronghorn Sisters

[atangledfate]

New Muses Added!

" It's a pleasure to be here... Stay away from my sister creeps..."

" OH MY GOSH!! I AM HERE! AHH!!! can you believe it! "

" Perhaps this will help alleviate my endless boredom..."

[atangledesire]

😏 for the sisters

" ... Oral might be my favorite thing... like a good tongue can beat a strap any day of the week... and chaos if they know how to use it? it's the best sex you could ask for..."

" Turns out having robotic joins means i am SUPER flexible... like eat myself out flexible! i'll let your little brains do the rest of the gymnastics hah! "

[atangledfate]

Clove Flexed her hands thinking about Knuckles strength was pretty scary. She never met the general herself but she knew the stories. Did that make her part echidna? what effect would that have on her body? She had alot of questions about what he did to her but that would have to wait till later. She placed both hands on Cassia's shoulders and guided her into that side room and gave Tinker a warm smile.

" No worries, she can rest up for at least a few days before she runs off into the sunset---Doctors orders Cassia..."

The younger sister groaned and slumped her shoulders and nodded her head knowing she couldn't argue with her sister when she was in protective mode! Clove gave the Doctor a final smile of reassurance before closing the door behind her. She tucked Cassia into the bed and poked her nose with her finger.

" now stay put... just one more day maybe two then we'll be up and at them... promise..."

Cassia still pouted but Clove Slid into the top bunk and curled up with the pillow clutched to her and closed her own eyes. Well they were alive and in the end that was what counted right? She prayed this nightmare was over but... what ever starline did to them she had a feeling that it was going to take some adjustments yet.

"Well, I can't say for sure if you'll have a sudden energy crash. Your bodies have been in overdrive to recover from the process that I had to use to save you two. It could wear off in a moment or maybe not for a few hours. Just be careful and stay by somewhere you may sit." Mr. Tinker couldn't say for sure as he made his own changes to Starline's design's. Mainly to make sure they kept their free will and control of their body. The tinkerer regrets not smacking him upside the head. Such an awful person.

"There's not need to thank me Ms. Clove. Honestly, I feel like it's this is only a drop in the bucket of what I could do. Eggman and Starline have hurt so many people, and I can't help feel responsible for that. Maybe if I'd been stronger then none of this would've happened to you two." Maybe it still would've, though he'd never know for sure. Mr. Tinker supposed thinking about the past wouldn't do much good now.

"If I require your assistance then I will call you, though I truly want you to take it easy. You both are still adjusting to your new bodies, and you specifically are a unique case. As I mention he spliced your DNA with Knuckles and that had granted you immense strength. You'll want to be as careful as you can while you adjust to your new level of strength." Mr. Tinker knew the only reason Clove hadn't noticed yet was because her body wasn't at one hundred percent yet.

[an0n0]

The pronghorn sisters and the evil single dad alien

[seramilla]

So in the Emily stays in Hell au…

Who would find Sera first and when?

I assume Sera’s fall is like a meteor crashing down and cratering the ground on impact, the vestiges of divinity gone, everything holy burnt away allowing hell to sink its claws and warp yet another ex-heavenly host. A primal scream of agonizing pain leaves her parched throat and cracked lips. Is that her voice? It doesn’t sound like her voice…

She manages to get to her feet when the pain suddenly hits her full force and she screams again. It feels like something is tearing through her flesh. Her head throbs when a pair of pronghorns burst through her skin. She’s still screaming as her tailbone grows into something long and serpentine seemingly ending with a stinger. Her legs contort and twist into something feline. Sera sobs as claws break through her nail-beds of her charred black forearms. Her sclera blacken as her glowing white irises lose their luster when she spies the remains of her shattered halo in the dirt. There’s so much of her golden blood pooling around her but she doesn’t regret it. She’s so tired and everything hurts but…she has to find Emily, she HAS to find her sister and let her know…but a familiar voice catches her attention…

“…Sera…?”

Then everything goes dark.

Whether divine intervention or sheer luck allowed Carmilla Carmine to find Sera that day, the overlord isn't certain. One moment, she and her girls are scrounging around an old battlefield, looking for weaponry and any other spare mechanical parts they can find, and the next, the sky quite literally opens up above them.

A loud BOOM and a roll of thunder can be heard across the Pentagram, and what sounds like a meteor falling out of the sky. Then, like some sick joke, a deathly sounding hymn follows the cacophony in its wake, and something shatters against the ground, not even half a mile from where they'd been standing.

Carmilla might have turned away. Very nearly does, except she recognizes that particular type of Heavenly body. Not many meteors make their way to Hell; there is no universe or outer space around them to make that possible (generally speaking). No, that sound had been one of an angel falling. In a particularly violent, intentional sort of way; one being forced down, with nothing to break its fall.

She tells her girls to go home. The last time this had happened, Emily had reappeared with Charlie; thankfully, the younger Seraphim hadn't been quite as badly injured as she could have been. Charlie had helped in her descent, but it still wasn't a gentle landing. This person, however...she imagines they are in pain. Quite a lot of pain. And with Lucifer nowhere in sight, she takes it upon herself to be the one to greet this unfortunate soul.

As soon as Carmilla sees the person lying there, however, she knows something isn't right. She's seen angels fall before; it's always a messy ordeal. This one, though...appears to be in mid-transformation. She tries to push herself up, and cries out under the weight of her own pain, and the agony of her twisting, mutating body fighting against her every movement.

Wings are charred. Blackened, with holes and entire feathers missing, having been incinerated up from the fall. They all look different -- some batlike, some like charred bird wings. Horns have already begun sprouting from her head, a tail slashes back and forth in irritation at its new existence, and screaming can be heard as the woman's form contorts and bends upon itself to accommodate these startling new features.

It's the voice that finally tells Carmilla why her gut feeling had been firing off. The closer she gets to this person, the more she recognizes the horrified pitch and timbre of that scream. It's one she had never dared hope to hear again. And witnessing it now, in this circumstance, fills Carmilla Carmine with so much pain, agony, and sorrow, she almost falls onto the ground under the weight of her own grief. She is weeping right along with the woman.

“…Sera…?” Carmilla cries, barely able to keep it together when the person in question looks up at her.

Those eyes. The horns. The wings. All of it is foreign. Twisted and grotesque. A horrific approximation of the woman she had once loved, even at this moment, continuing to reshape and reform in that unfortunate and inevitable change that every Fallen must succumb to. The process is happening much faster with Sera than it had with her, and listening to Sera's screams quite literally makes Carmilla want to die. She is sick to her stomach, and almost empties the contents of her breakfast onto the ground.

"Car---aaaggghhh!" Scales are forming on the tale, while it thrashes around and smacks against the woman's kneeling legs. The horns are becoming less like little pinpricks and more like curved spikes on her forehead, poking through her disheveled, singed hair. Fur is sprouting from her lower limbs, and her eyes are changing color, swirling and twisting in a whirlpool of fire that hasn't quite settled into its new normal yet.

Her wings...oh Fucking Hell, her wings...Carmilla doesn't even want to comprehend what's happening there.

"Carmilla!" Sera screeches, reaching for her with a clawed hand that is still elongating and changing to an onyx black right before her very eyes. "Carmilla, please...! Oh please, god, help me!"

Carmilla rushes to Sera's side. She moves like in a dream. Like time isn't real, and everything is in slow motion. She wants to believe this is only a nightmare she will wake from. She's had several like it before, of Sera eventually falling. But the sight before her is too vile, too horrible, too grotesque to be anything conjured from her mind. Her imagination would never hurt Sera this much.

"Sera! Sera, mi amor, breathe! Just breathe! Take my hand! It will be over soon!"

"Carmilla, what are you even doing here?! I ca-I can't! It hurts! Carmilla, it hurts so much!"

"I know! I know, mi querida. Take my hand! It will be over soon!"

Sera takes Carmilla's large claw in her own, squeezing hard and piercing the skin. Carmilla flinches, but it's nothing compared to the pain that Sera is going through. Carmilla squeezes Sera's hand back, even though her palms are soaked in her own golden blood from where Sera's nicked her skin, and it's trailing down her arm, soaking into her sleeve.

But she doesn't care. It's the absolute last fucking thing on her mind right now.

She can be here with Sera for this. If she can't outright stop the pain, she can guide her through it, at the very least. Be present during the most agonizing thing Sera will ever have to go through. Unlike the last several thousands of years, she won't let Sera be alone in this. No. Never again.

Eventually, things on Sera's body stop shifting and twisting. They settle into a more or less final amalgamation of varying features, which may eventually change or morph even more as Sera settles into her new body. All new Fallen angels must go through something of this sort. Eventually, Sera will learn to control how she looks, and hide some of these features. Just as Carmilla once did. Carmila looks more or less "human" now, for lack of a better comparison. At least more than she did when she first fell.

She'd learned to control it and hide most of what she doesn't like. Now her true form mostly comes out when she is angry, and or when she needs it. Sera will learn her own abilities and limitations, as well. But as things settle down, Sera collapses, overspent and tired from the entire ordeal. Carmilla is grateful that, at least for now, the worst of it is over.

She picks up Sera in her large claws. Sera has always been tall. This manticore-esque creature is no different. But to Carmilla, she weighs like nothing. She never has. Carmilla will always carry her. So she does... carries her back to her compound, so she can call Belphegor. And let Emily know what's happened...that her sister is hurt, but safe.

Sera's world is about to change. Much more than it already has. And this time, Carmilla will be there when she awakens. And for every day and moment and second after that. She will never leave this woman's side again. Ever. She swears it on her life.

[fereise]

That one particular meme but with Archie Sonic’s Pronghorn sisters 👌

[harmonytre]

if its still open, can I suggest cassia and clove from the post-reboot sonic archie comics having some sisterly bonding time?

I was pleasantly surprised my first request was characters I hadn't heard of yet and they're green pronghorn sisters, I love them so much!

See if my requests are open HERE!

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Close Up with Coyotes

Often confused with wolves, foxes, or even stray dogs, the coyote (Canis latrans) is a species of canid found only in Central and North America, from Panama to central Canada. Historically, the coyote mainly occupied grasslands, scrubland, and deserts; however, in the past few centuries the species has expanded its range to include deciduous and evergreen forests, mountains, swamps, and even cities. Generally individuals and groups keep to one home territory, but they will move when resources become lacking.

Among the canines, coyotes are rather small, weighing only 8 to 20 kg (18 to 44 lb), and males tend to be larger than females. Generally coyotes sport a light gray, red, or brownish coat with a lighter underside; however, regional populations may differ wildly. This species may be identified from other canids by its large pointed ears, whitish facial markings, and narrow snout.

Though C. latrans does occasionally form packs, it is more likely to hunt individually or in small family groups. Nonfamily packs, usually made of bachelors, are rare. In addition, coyotes have been known to form mutualistic hunting relationships with other species like badgers. It is primarily carnivorous, hunting mainly at dawn and dusk for rabbits and hares, squirrels, mice, lizards, and occasionally larger targets such as deer or pronghorn. This species will also readily consume carrion, as well as produce and human food waste, making it highly adaptable to urban areas. Traditionally, the species has been limited via both competition and direct predation by wolves and cougars; in its expanded range, coyotes may also be predated upon by bears, alligators, lynx, and golden eagles.

Though reproduction typically takes place in the spring, from January to March, temporary pair bonds may form as early as November. Mates prepare dens, which may be dug out or selected from tree hollows or pre-existing burrows, and establishes a territory up to 19 square km (11 square miles). During this time, daughters from a females previous litter, or her sisters, may join the group. Pregnancy typically lasts just over 60 days, during which time the male and any assisting females do most of the hunting. Litters average 6 pups, and weaning takes about a month. During this time, the male continues to provide for the mother and pups, but will abandon the den if the mother goes missing. By the age of four or five weeks the pups develop a hierarchy through play-fighting. After about 6 months, the male pups will leave, while females will typically stay with their mothers until at least the next mating season, at which time they reach sexual maturity. In the wild, individuals may live as long as 10 years.

Conservation status: Due to its large range and adaptability to human habitats, the C. latrans is considered Least Concern by the IUCN. In urban areas, coyotes are regularly hunted as a nuisance species due to their predation on free-roaming pets and, occasionally, livestock.

In traditional Indigenous American stories, the coyote was seen as a trickster or anti-hero (here is an interesting paper about the 'Coyote' character in traditional stories versus western interpretations). The European colonization of North America and the eradication of large predators like wolves and cougars has allowed coyotes to spread far beyond their original geographic range and become a 'nuisance species' in urban areas.

If you like what I do, consider leaving a tip or buying me a ko-fi!

Photos

Neil Nurmi

Carlos Porrata

Natrice Miller

Tom Koerner

[songclangen]

bee

”Heatherpaw! Heatherpaw!”

Beekit pressed up against her father, watching her sister touch noses with her new mentor. She was adopted, and a moon older than Beekit, so she’d start her warrior training earlier. Beekit was insanely jealous.

”Icymoss is like the best warrior in the Clan, and she’s a moon ahead of me. How am I supposed to ever catch up?” she thought out loud once the cheering had died down.

”There are plenty of good warriors in SongClan,” Honeystripe corrected her, tapping her head with his tail as he approached Heatherpaw to congratulate her.

Beekit hadn’t meant to sound so bitter, and sincerely hoped Heatherpaw hadn’t heard her. She should be happy for her sister, and she was. But it just wasn’t completely fair. Heatherpaw was better than her at pretty much everything already, despite not being born in the Clan and having been very small when she was found. They were actually pretty close in size despite the moon between them, but Heatherpaw was lean and nimble, while Beekit still stumbled over her own paws if she got distracted by a butterfly.

”Congrats, Heatherpaw!” Beekit smiled, pressing her cheek to her sisters anyway. It felt a little forced, so she quickly continued talking; ”I wish Icymoss could become my mentor. You’re so lucky!” That didn’t help, did it?

”Thanks,” Heatherpaw nodded, voice even as usual. ”He’s kind of a goofball, you two would never get anything done.” 

Beekit forced a small laugh. It was hard to tell when Heatherpaw was joking, because her expression was always so unrevealing, but she’d started to get the cues. Still, she didn’t find it very funny.

”Speaking of…” Honeystripe mumbled, nodding to Icymoss who was stood at the entrance of the Camp. ”Don’t you have a territory tour to get to?”

Heatherpaw bounded off without saying goodbye, and Beekit let out a tense breath. She did like Heatherpaw, of course. But they were so different. They had always been different. Heatherpaw didn’t like to play that much, even when they both had been kits. She had preferred to hunt leaves or bugs in silence, and she didn’t like pretending she was an enemy warrior when they wrestled, so Beekit always had to be that. And Heatherpaw always won. Not because she desperately wanted to, she was just better. Beekit was actually pretty bad at play-fighting.

Once she did become an apprentice, she and Heatherpaw would be the only ones. The idea of sharing a den with her sister alone wasn’t all that appealing. Beekit had lots  of weird dreams all the time, and Heatherpaw would always scold her for waking her up. Not to mention, being one step behind her all the time in training would be annoying.

Maybe Tallbeam or Pronghorn could be her mentor. They were some of the best fighters and hunters in the Clan, and respected warriors. Really, as long as it wasn’t Bugskitter, she’d be happy. That tom really had it out for her. Once, when she was small, she’d asked why he was always so cold and nasty to her. My sister would still be alive if it weren’t for you, he’d said. Beekit had been so shocked and scared that she’d never asked him what he meant, and when she asked her dad, Honeystripe had just told her not to listen to him, that it wasn’t her fault. She still didn’t know what wasn’t her fault, but she would never hurt any cat. Whatever Bugskitter had been talking about must have been a lie. That’s what she told herself, anyway. Really, she didn’t really want to know, because the whole thing just made her feel awful.

The moon before her apprentice ceremony came and went. Any day now, Amberstar would call a meeting and set on her on the warrior path. Like the last few nights, Beekit found herself sleepless. Her uncle Bearfreckle was snoozing soundly in the nursery den (usually someone would to keep her company), his breaths light but weighed with sleep. It didn’t give her much comfort, though.

She didn’t know why she was so nervous to become an apprentice. Deep down, she knew it wasn’t just excitement, like everyone told her. And although she just knew she’d mess up a lot and probably be a terrible hunter and fighter, it wasn’t just doubt either. Something felt wrong. The idea of fighting itself felt horrifying, she couldn’t understand how warriors took such pride in it. She didn’t want to hurt anyone, ever! For any reason!

Restless and feeling like ants were crawling through her pelt, she got to her paws and got out of the nursery. The early Greenleaf air was cool and still. There was no wind and no sound of insects, just perfect silence. At camp’s edge she saw Gulldrizzle’s silhouette, keeping guard. She was facing out into the territory, so she didn’t notice Beekit.

Above, countless stars shone steadily down on her. Finally, a calm feeling began to spread through her body. She loved the stars. Pretty much everyone agreed that they were beautiful and comforting, since StarClan was up there. But when she looked up there, she got the same feeling as she did when she saw Honeystripe, or heard his voice. The comfort that told her no matter what, everything was going to be okay.

Laying down in the soft grass outside the nursery, she tilted her head so she could look up at them. They looked back, like they always did. Then, a shape began to take form between the little white dots. A milky white shadow, that grew more and more intense. Beekit threw herself up, and almost lost her balance when she realized the stars weren’t just above her, but all around her, even under her paws!

Her fur tingled with fear, breath quickening. Then, a voice.

”Don’t be afraid,” it said.

She looked ahead again, and the pale shape had turned into…a cat! A white cat, sitting a few tail-lengths ahead of her, with her tail neatly wrapped around her paws. The first thing Beekit noticed was how one of her ears was folded over her head. Her expression was bright and focused, and Beekit almost felt uncomfortable by the intensity of her deep gaze.

”Hello, Beekit” the she-cat mewed.

Beekit forgot to answer for a moment, then mewed back quietly; ”Hi.”

”You’ve grown so much!” the she-cat burst out with a big smile, then closed her eyes briefly as if to contain her emotions. ”See, I’ve been watching you ever since you were born.”

”Oh,” was all Beekit could force out, still a bit taken aback by seemingly floating among the stars. It finally hit her that she was dreaming, and that calmed her down a little. It was a weird dream, sure, but not weirder than the time she’d dreamt that she was an actual bee, flying between flowers, and all her Clanmates were also bees all living in a hive and making honey instead of hunting.

”Do…” the stranger paused, tilting her head. ”Do you know who I am?”

She sounded very hopeful, so Beekit made sure to think really hard. She’d never seen a cat with a folded ear, and she was sure she’d remember that. Finally, she shook her head slightly.

The she-cat sunk a little bit, looking down at her paws. ”No, of course not…” she mumbled, then stood up. ”That’s alright. My name is Peatswan.” She paused, looking at Beekit expectantly, like that would mean anything to her. It didn’t. Peatswan cleared her throat, looking a bit worried. ”Um, I’m a StarClan cat, but maybe you guessed that?”

Beekit hadn’t guessed that, but now she did notice the stars twinkling in the cat’s fur. They hadn’t been easy to see, since she was as white as snow. Then a chill ran up her spine.

”Wait…am I dead? Am I in StarClan?” she gasped, rising to her paws quickly.

The she-cat’s eyes widened, then she purred with amusement. ”No, you’re not dead. This is StarClan, sort of. Our hunting grounds are in a different place, but I thought maybe it would be good to talk to you somewhere less foreign. Though I now realize this isn’t very normal, either.”

As she talked, a weird feeling buzzed in Beekit’s chest. She suddenly realized her voice was familiar. Had she seen this cat in a dream before, and forgotten? Without thinking, Beekit walked up to the StarClan warrior. Peatswan tensed up, but Beekit couldn’t help herself. Once she was close enough to smell her properly, another chill spread through her body. The scent was sweet and so familiar, like walking into the nursery after being out of it for a whole day. Who was this cat? More and more, it was like she could almost remember, but it was buried deep in her mind.

Then she took a few steps back, realizing she was being a bit rude to this stranger. ”Sorry. Um…did you want to tell me anything in particular?”

Looking up at the she-cat’s face, she was surprised. The white warrior was smiling, but her eyes were so full of sadness and grief that Beekit felt her whole chest twist into knots. Had she said something bad?

”Are you okay?” she asked softly.

”Yes,” the she-cat nodded, almost laughing. ”Yes, I’m okay, Beekit. It’s sweet of you to ask. You’re right, I did want to tell you something.”

”What?” Beekit asked, sitting down in the field of stars.

”As I said, I’ve been watching you since you were born. So has all of StarClan. Do you remember when you were a little kit, and you dreamt that you were buried under the snow?”

Beekit shuddered. ”Yes, and then a blizzard came and all the dens got snowed in overnight…it was scary.”

”That was actually StarClan talking to you, in a dream,” Peatswan explained.

Beekit tilted her head, thinking. ”So it was like…a warning? I’m sorry, I didn’t know that…” she apologized, feeling bad. If she’d understood that, she could have told everyone to prepare for the storm.

”It’s okay, we knew you would all be alright. Otherwise we could have sent it to Ratquill or Riverpetal.”

”So why did you send it to me?” Beekit asked.

Peatswan twitched her whiskers with amusement. ”Isn’t it obvious?” she purred. ”You care so much about your Clanmates, and all you want is to help them and make sure everyone is okay, right?” Beekit nodded at this, suddenly feeling more understood than she ever had before. ”That’s why StarClan thinks you would make a good medicine cat. That’s why your dreams are so vivid, too. You have a very strong connection with us.”

”Really?” Beekit chirped, surprised more than anything.

She hadn’t really considered becoming a medicine cat before. The Clan had always had two, and Ratquill and Riverpetal were excellent at their duty. But then…Ratquill had passed away recently. That’s why Riverpetal hadn’t been able to hang out with her and show her stinky herbs the last moon; he’d been too stressed and busy. She’d felt so sad for him. But now, maybe she could finally help him!

”I’m going to be a medicine cat?” she meowed, standing up, paws restless with excitement. This felt nothing like her doubt about being a warrior, this felt completely right! As a medicine cat, she wouldn’t have to practice fighting, she would just get to help her friends and family when they got sick! That was the dream!

”Does that make you happy?” Peatswan meowed, though it seemed she knew the answer.

”Yes! Very!” Beekit mewed and threw herself forward to press her head against the StarClan warrior’s chest. ”Thank you, Peatswan!”

Peatswan laughed and pressed their heads together in a warm embrace, and although they had just met, it felt so familiar and comforting and just right, and Beekit was filled with so much warmth and happiness that her heart was about to pound out of her chest.

Then, she suddenly felt the ground materialize under her body and cool night air surround her, and Peatswan’s warm body was gone. She was laying in the grass outside the nursery again, but not for long. Brimming with excitement, she scrambled to her paws quicker than prey running from a warrior’s claws and bounded into the warriors den.

”Honeystripe! Father, wake up!” she yowled, crawling over her adult Clanmates where they slept. They all protested loudly to being woken up, some beginning to scold her, but she didn’t care.

”What is it, Beekit? Are you okay?” Honeystripe meowed worriedly once she found him.

”I just had the craziest dream!” she meowed, instantly being hushed.

”No one cares about your stupid dream, Beekit…” Breezebriar grumbled, his amber eyes glinting in the darkness.

”What did you dream, Honeybee?” Honeystripe continued, slightly calmed now.

Beekit took a deep breath, and began to retell her experience in a whisper; ”I met a warrior from StarClan, she was so beautiful and nice, her name was Peatswan, and she told me that StarClan has watched over me and sent me dreams — you remember my dream about the blizzard that came true, right? — and...” she trailed off as she saw her father’s expression change to one she couldn’t read, and suddenly everyone in the den were looking at her. ”What is it?”

”What did she say to you, Beekit?” Twigmoor asked from where she was laying nearby, deep curiosity in her face.

”She told me that I’m supposed to become a medicine cat,” Beekit said, feeling odd suddenly, but smiled at Honeystripe. ”Isn’t that great?”

Finally, he cracked into a smile, and she recognized the look in his eye. It was the same as Peatswans had been, in her dream. ”That sounds like something you’d be good at,” he said.

The stiff silence shifted, some beginning to purr congratulations to her, or speaking quietly to each other. Twigmoor leaned closer to her brother.

”You have to tell her now,” she mumbled seriously, and Honeystripe nodded.

”Tell me what?” Beekit asked, but Honeystripe just stood up from his nest and guided her out of the den with his tail. ”Sorry for waking all of you up!”

Honeystripe led her to the edge of the Camp, above the slope behind the leader’s den. There they sat down. Beekit was prickling with anticipation.

”What is it?” she repeated, studying his face with the unreadable expression.

”I want to tell you about your mother,” he said.

Beekit perked up. She’d wondered about her mother since Ratquill told her where kits came from — her father had been annoyed the old medicine cat her told her that when she was ”too young”, but Beekit had actually understood it pretty well — because that meant Honeystripe couldn’t have done it all himself exactly. Though, there were other families in the Clan that weren’t so obvious how they came to be. Either way, when she’d asked him about it, he had become quiet and upset, and not given her an answer. Even though she had been little at the time, she had understood that she shouldn’t ask about it. Besides, she had Twigmoor and Bearfreckle too, they had helped take care of her since she was born, and the three of them had always been enough. So she’d tried to stop thinking about it.

Honeystripe went on to tell her about how amazing her mother had been. Apparently she was very funny, and knew a lot of things that no one else seemed to know, and could copy bird sounds. Then the story turned very sad. When Beekit was born, her mother had died. Apparently this could happen sometimes, and there was nothing medicine cats could do, and it was no one’s fault.

Beekit was struck with a grief so deep that she had to crouch down.

”Was she Bugskitter’s sister?” she asked, looking up at her father, remembering the warrior’s cold words when she was little.

”Yes,” Honeystripe nodded. ”Bugskitter loved her very much, and misses her very much, just like I do.”

Beekit nodded solemnly, her mean feelings for Bugskitter melting away into sympathy. He couldn’t help being angry, and she could understand. After a brief silence, she asked;

”And Peatswan was my mother?”

”Yes, that’s right,” Honeystripe nodded, laying down next to her.

Beekit had known she and the white warrior were connected from the moment she felt her scent. It had resonated deep within her, filling voids inside her that had been there since she was born. It just felt stupid to start assuming things like that based on so little, and she had trained herself not think about her mother for so long. But deep in her heart, maybe she had known it.

”I’m so glad I’m becoming a medicine cat now, I probably get to see her again soon,” Beekit hummed, smiling to herself. Then she was suddenly struck with guilt after saying that, since Honeystripe clearly missed her a lot. She looked up at him to meet his eyes. ”I’m so sorry, Dad. It must have been so hard when she died.”

The emotion in Honeystripe’s eyes almost made her look away, but she held fast. ”You remind me of her so much, Honeybee. When you’re around, I don’t need to miss her so much.

[axilarycobra]

[Wings of Fire] H-K Dragon Character Headcanons

I'm back! And to celebrate, here is a longer (maybe) post of some character headcanons. Some of these letters have very few characters so I just decided to put them together and make a maybe longer post.

Hs

Hailstorm - ever since he returned to the Ice Kingdom, he started to get somewhat better, but he still doesn't feel like a full IceWing. He wants to help his tribe, but he also doesn’t know how to act like himself. Snowfall related to him ever since she experienced her visions, so she decided to make him a part of her new council as an ambassador in Possibility, so Hailstorm returned to the city where he made amends with Eagle. The two started dating after that.

Handsome - Handsome is Grandeur's brother. The two meet up and gossip often. Most dragons think that they are dating because they are so old that barely anyone remembers that they are siblings. After Grandeur and Tapir ended their relationship, Tapir and Handsome started dating, which the two siblings often bicker about.

Harrier - Harrier is the mother of Peregrine and Garnet. They lived in the SkyWing palace during the war, but her dragonets were too young to be sent out as soldiers, so she didn't have to leave like Avalanche did. Once JMA academy opened, she sent her sons there so that she could become one of Ruby's most active guards.

Hawk - after Chameleon's masks became their own dragons, Cirrus was sent to the Sky Kingdom to be the IceWing ambassador there. The two became friends and later lovers.

Hawker - Hawker is the older brother of Bombardier, but ever since Hawker was assigned to be a guard, he didn't get to see his family often, so the two were reunited after years when Hawker came to the LeafSilk Kingdom. In the LeafSilk Kingdom, Hawker continued to work as a guard, but now happily protects the borders from other HiveWings.

Hawthorn - Hawthorn was the brother of Sequoia, so although she banished him away in the jungle, she still missed him dearly. Back before the Tree Wars, Hawthorn was dating Fritillary and after he was sent away, he would make wood carvings of his old flamesilk lover.

Hazel - after returning to the LeafSilk Kingdom, Hazel stepped down as queen so Sequoia could continue to rule. Hazel is set to be the next queen, but first will go through training. While she is not the queen, she is given the position of tribe leader, a role given to several trusted LeafWings who help Sequoia to maintain order and feedback throughout the whole kingdom. Hazel also spends her time making and writing books, starting up and managing the library in the new Treetop Palace.

Heliconia - Heliconia is the older sister of Kinkajou. She and Liana start dating. Heliconia is one of the members of Queen Glory’s council for the RainWing tribe, serving as the head of military.

Heliconian - Heliconian is the grandmother of Atala. Atala is not a flamesilk, but she has the gene, however, it is unlikely that her descendants to be flamesilks.

Hemlock - after the formation of the LeafSilk Kingdom, Hemlock was given a high rank in the LeafWing military. He and Belladonna are separated at this point, but they remain friends and work together to deal with the nasty HiveWings who are opposed to the LeafSilk Kingdom.

Herring - Herring is the father of both Snails, previously being arranged to marry Kelp. The two eventually divorce and Herring starts dating Shark, but he still helps as the father of his dragonets while they are growing up.

Hope - after living in the NightWing village for a while with Peacemaker, Hope eventually joined a relationship with Secretkeeper and Avalanche. Since Secretkeeper and Avalanche both have children who are away, they spend time with Peacemaker. Hope struggles with insomnia, night terrors, and anxiety.

Horizon - Horizon lived in Blaze's fortress with his brothers Ocotillo and Torch, and his nephew, Pronghorn. When he was captured, he became depressed and shortly after he was put in the SkyWing arena, he stopped talking and refused to speak.

Hornet - Hornet was the smartest of the HiveWing ladies when it came to math. She was never interested in being queen and preferred to run her own businesses rather than the tribe. Throughout the tribes, Hornet established a monopoly within several areas of business, making her one of the richest HiveWings in all of the tribe. She was devastated when she lost all of it following her imprisonment.

Humpback - before he married Lagoon, Humpback was a studious scholar in the Kingdom of the Sea. He was from a noble family and made his way into the Deep Palace library where he studied. Lagoon's mother arranged their marriage.

Hvitur - before he left the Ice Kingdom, Hvitur had a forbidden romance with Narwhal, him only being a commoner IceWing, while Narwhal was a prince. This was before Narwhal married Tundra, but it was still very forbidden. When this romance was discovered, Hvitur had to flee the kingdom, which is how he ended up with the Talons of Peace, and Glacier was unaware of this as it was her mother who kicked him out. He is the father of Changbai.

Is

Icicle - for a very short period of time at JMA, Icicle and Carnelian met in private and got to know each other. Icicle developed a crush on the SkyWing, but tried to push it away because of her pride and her mission. When Carnelian was killed during the explosion, Icicle was more upset than she presented outwardly, and it made her want to get revenge on Sora even more. During her trial, she was sentenced to be imprisoned, but will likely have the chance to get out with her ability to challenge for the throne revoked.

Igloo - Igloo is the head chef of the IceWing palace. He and his dragonets, siblings Ivory and Polar Bear, live there. Before her death, Igloo was close friends with Glacier, having met during school as dragonets.

Inchworm - Inchworm moved to the LeafSilk Kingdom with his daughter Glowworm. There, he got a job as a fisherman and he and his daughter live near the bay.

Indigo - while living off the coast of the Rainforest Kingdom, Indigo would often go meet RainWings and taught them several things about the SeaWings. In the southern regions of the rainforest, there are still some smaller RainWing villages that remember what Indigo taught them and have scrolls that document their relationship with the SeaWing.

Io - after settling in the LeafSilk Kingdom and joining the SilkWing Assembly, Io started dating both Cinnabar and Tau. The three live together and are a pretty chill trio.

Ivory - Ivory is an adult, but still relatively young, not being much older than Snowfall. She is the youngest IceWing to rise to the rank of lieutenant general due to her being one of the few dragons Snowfall trusts, but also for very good leadership and dedication.

Js

Jacaranda - one of the reasons why Jacaranda turned toward peace is because she had a lover who was a pacifist. She never told Python about this because she knew that its great aunt would be furious. Despite their bitterness toward each other, Python and Jacaranda sometimes did get along and Jacaranda let Python lead the military for a short while. Jacaranda's dragonets became the lineage for the RainWing royal family, going all the way down to Queen Grandeur.

Jambu - when Glory established the RainWing council, she had Jambu be in charge of the tree gliding subset of dragonet care. His job was to make sure that all tree gliders were properly trained and had areas to teach. Jambu enjoys this job.

Jasper - Jasper is the father of Cliff, but Ruby kept this a secret from the tribe, afraid that it could be used to harm Jasper because of her mother. Jasper also has another dragonet from a previous marriage, Cardinal. He and Ruby never become partners, but it is revealed that Cardinal and Cliff are halfbrothers and the two get along like brothers.

Jerboa - Jerboa came from a commoner family. After her animus magic was discovered, Queen Scorpion's mother ordered her to the palace where she was raised alongside Scorpion. The two were once friends as dragonets, but Scorpion's mother taught her daughter that Jerboa was a tool to be used. When Scorpion was queen, the two had a small bit of a relationship, but Scorpion grew too ambitious and controlling, causing Jerboa to flee the court.

Jerboa II - what went wrong with Jerboa II was that they discovered that Jerboa had created them from magic which caused them to become angry with Jerboa. They eventually tried to flee from Jerboa, but when Jerboa found that Jerboa II had disappeared, they decided to erase them from existence rather than try to start over again.

Jerboa III - after eradicating animus magic, Snowfall made Jerboa III a SandWing delegate of her council. Although Boa can't travel to the Ice Kingdom, she and Snowfall communicate with each other with an old animus enchanted scroll that Jerboa made which allows dragons to write messages to each other that will show up, similar to Turtle's slates.

Jewel (THQ) - Jewel has three dragons, two sons and one daughter. After Jewel became queen, she had the three of them spread out between the Hives to help her rule the entire kingdom. Scarab is also in charge of one of the Hives. She is dating Rootworm.

Jewel (TLC) - Jewel would grow up to be one of the most beautiful BeetleWings in the tribe. She loves animals and would spend lots of time taking care of the wildlife on Pantala.

Jewel-eyes - after Foreseer takes the throne from Vigilance, Jewel-eyes is made Foreseer’s seer.

Juniper - Juniper is a fictional character, not inspired by any real dragon. They are nonbinary and Rowan and Juniper is a nonbinary t4t love story.

Ks

Katydid - Katydid and Malachite dated as a disguise, both of them loving other dragons. After moving to the LeafSilk Kingdom, Katydid started dating Sandfly.

Kelp - Kelp is the mother of both Snails, giving them the same name. She is also the sister of Tortoise.

Kestrel - Kestrel used to be one of Scarlet's top soldiers, acting as a detective almost. Scarlet liked Kestrel's ability to be stone-cold and the two developed a relationship. Scarlet wanted Kestrel to have eggs so that her dragonets could replace Tourmaline, but when Kestrel discovered that her dragonets were flamesilk twins, she became afraid that Scarlet would kill them, so she ran away. Scarlet, upset by this, chases after her and feels jealous of the dragonets that Kestrel chose them over her, so she orders her to kill them.

Kindle - Kindle and Six-Claws eventually separate, but they both still care for Ostrich. Kindle becomes a head medic in the SandWing Stronghold after Thorn becomes queen.

Kinkajou - after graduating from JMA, Kinkajou becomes a delegate of the RainWing tribe and resides in the new Night Kingdom after Firefly becomes queen. She works closely with dragonets, helping to teach them. At this point, she and Moon are living together and dating.

[atangledfate]

(from crossed-worlds) (Cassia to both alternate pronghorns) ".......Welp. This is officially the LAST time I let Tails use me as a guinea pig for his teleporters." The doe's face was hidden behind the now repained mask, made to match her colors better...but it couldn't hide her voice. "I can handle badniks, Eggbosses, and the end of the world apparently....but this? THIS is a bit much for me." Looking at those same two faces, mirror images of herself and her now lost sister. Ugh...the multiverse had a cruel irony to it. Still she shifted her stance just in case this Clove had the same reaction to intruders that her sister used to: hostility. When it came to combat, Cassia was better. Her sister had always been the one to talk things out if she could...so lets see which one these does would choose. "Like looking in a mirror... with a photograph tacked on."

One moment they had been picking through the old badniks for parts and scrap that was worth a few rings. The next Clove's senses went into overdrive! She didn't exactly have a weapon so she grabbed a large pip and held it like a bat! They could probably outrun what ever came at them being pronghorns and cybernetically enhanced they were both quite fast. Though in truth Cassia was the faster of the two as she was more enhanced then she was.

Yet what came through that flash of light was not what she expected. She'd heard of alternates from other zones but she'd never met one, or seen one let alone one of her sister. She looked a bit older to boot, or at least carried herself that way.

" What on mobius... you sound just like my sister... how bizarre... "

She said as she loosened her grip on that pipe yet she didn't drop it as she gazed at the other warily.

" ... what is your intent ... I would like to believe you would do us no harm--- but the world is rarely so kind... and i've already made the mistake of trusting someone once..."

Cassia reached up to tug the pope of Cloves down and gave her sister a nervous smile! Always so ready to throw down and fight! but Cassia liked to believe in the good in people no matter how bleak things sometimes got!

" Clove... come on chill... she coulda threw hands already and she didn't besides! sounds like she knows Tails, and everyone knows he's a hero! right? "

@crossed-worlds

[atangledesire]

So, what are the proghorn sisters sexualities like?

" I don't really see how that's any of your business... "

" Clove likes girls! like she use to have the biggest crush on the general! but she never told nobody! cept me of course! "

She grinned like the big dork she was!

" As for me i'm into boys---and i guess i'm a little curious about girls, but i've never really dated so! its all new to me! I just hope the new hardware isn't a turn off..."

" CASSIA! i will drown you sister or not!!! "

She thunked her sister on the head!

" Chaos she has no filter... less now that she can run around... "

[atangledfate]

Clove had no clue who the sheep was, and couldn't help but want to strangle the snickering Cassia nearby! Truthfully, she was shocked that Tinker encouraged the two to come at all, and she was always the more socially awkward of the two.

" No no, its fine... you don't have to..."

Though the sheep seemed to be perfectly fine with the gentle kiss, as innocent as it was. It still made clove's cheeks grown Warm, despite her skills in battle. She felt so defenseless in these situations.

" ... Umm what? oh--- I was just... that is my sister and i were just... "

She fumbled over her words!

" What my Sis is trying to say--- she thinks your cute and wanted to say Hi! "

She winked and giggled!

" Also we heard you guys could use a hand after that big zep crashed! "

🌿Clove and Lanolin

"Hm? Oh, sorry, I was a bit distracted and didn't notice. Um, I suppose I should or Tangle will complain given how much effort she put to hang them everywhere, and you did point it out as well. I hope this isn't too weird for you." Lanolin would give the stranger a kiss on the cheek. She could only assume they were fine with it since they pointed it out. "With that out of the way, what can I do for you?"

[jokerislandgirl32]

(I have no ideas what your kids are named but this is for them, also hiiii!!)

What do you think of the Wild Kratts kids? (Specifically their sons - Ronan, Gavin, Aidan, Nolan)

Varina: Well, for starters HI!!! We are Varina, Vera, Victor, and Vallen Varmitech! There is one more of us on the way, but mom and dad haven’t had Victoria yet, so we’ll answer this for now…with basically me (Varina) and Vera answering because well, Victor and Vallen are 2 right now… we are 9 and 5 so we’ve been able to really hang out with and get to know the Wild Kratts kids! More below cut!

Varina: We’ve had pretty awesome creature adventures with all the Wild Kratts kids, especially Gavin, Ronan, Aidan, and Nolan because they are always around! I’m pretty close with Gavin and Aidan. Much to Dad’s dismay, he still hasn’t gotten over losing to Gavin in the fishing competition. I also really love spending time with Jenny, Katie, and Sani! They are like my best girl friends aside from Vera! She’s my best girl bff for life! *muttering* Well, usually…

Vera: I really like all the Wild Kratts kids! It’s always fun to be able to play with kids that aren’t Varina, Victor, or Vallen. It kinda gets boring playing with them all the time. But I love playing with Nolan and Gavin, they are really nice boys! I really like playing with Nolan because he’s so nice, he really likes Pronghorns, and I do too. He’s also got really cute hair. And I like his eyes, they are really pretty and blue…

Varina: She’s got a crush on Nolan…

Vera: No, I don’t! I just think he’s cute!

Varina: She’s got a bear named after him that she kisses!

Vera: No..No I don’t! Daddy! Varina’s making fun of me!

Varina: Mom! Vera is lying and is calling daddy to save her, that’s not fair!”

*Victor and Vallen piping up amid their sisters’ argument*

Victor: I like wild kids! (They are 2, they mean they like the WK kids lol)

Vallen: Me too!

*Zach and Violet arrive to calm their children*

Violet: Sorry dear, I think our girls need a minute to compose themselves. I hope this answers your question, *sigh* our girls are a blessing, but I’m glad we only have two.

Zach: *mumbling* Come back in 3 years 😉.

Violet: What was that?

Zach: Nothing!

[thornbushrose]

Five Things I Learned When I Was Kidnapped

Thornbushrose

So I wrote this little story that's set in the future of my Unreadable Heart story. I think it's really fun; it's about kids who get kidnapped and the heroes who come to rescue them (spoiler: the first one is the family pet). Matt Murdock's son is hyperactive, blissfully unafraid of anything, and a menace to society. Matt's daughter is highly observant, snarky, and about to discover things about the world and herself that she'd probably rather not know.

Summary:

When a disgruntled client of Nelson, Murdock and Page kidnaps the Murdock kids, he gets a lot more than he bargained for, and Dulce Murdock learns why no one messes with her mom and dad. ******************************************** Remember when you found out about Santa Claus? Did you feel betrayed, realizing that every adult you’d ever met was part of this huge conspiracy to keep the truth from you? Let me tell you about my life. ********************************************

Read it on AO3

Chapter 1: My Sensei Kicks Ass

Remember when you found out about Santa Claus? Did you feel betrayed, realizing that every adult you’d ever met was part of this huge conspiracy to keep the truth from you? Let me tell you about my life.

When I was eleven, my family lived in an old brownstone building in Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan, up near Harlem. We bought it during the Blip, when real estate prices were really low. It was a four-plex but we combined two apartments to make room for all five of us, and rent out the other two. We were never super rich, but there was plenty of love in our house. Mom was an orphanage administrator and Dad was a pro-bono lawyer. They had big hearts, but not much family of their own, so they sort of made a big, tight family out of whoever was available. As a result, there were always adults in and out of our house, and even when Mom and Dad were busy, we never felt like we were being babysat, just visiting family.

There were three of us kids–forever kids, at least; there were foster kids and homeless teenagers who stayed for a while and moved on when they could. But the forever kids were me – I’m Dulce – , my little brother Frankie, and our baby sister Lauren, who everyone called Lolo. When Lolo was three, she had cute little pigtails and never stopped smiling. She and Mom were best friends and she never had to walk anywhere if Daddy was available to carry her.

Frankie was a sturdy little eight-year-old with dark curls that fell into his eyes. He never walked if he could run and he never whispered if he could shout, and if there was something that looked like you might be able to climb it, you’d get to the top and find him already there. He had Mom’s big heart, though, and Dad’s dimple.

I was born with two little lumps on my head that looked enough like devil horns to make my birth parents think I was the spawn of Satan. They walked away and Mom took me in. I remember piles of flowers and lots of sparkles at Mom and Dad’s wedding, smiles and big hugs later that day when Dad signed the papers to adopt me, and the loft we lived in before Frankie was born. Mom made me wear hats in public until I was old enough to understand a little about how mean people could be. By the time I was in fifth grade, those little knobs on my head had grown to about the length of my index fingers and each of them had a fleshy little fork at the end. The effect is kind of like a pronghorn antelope, so I’ve sort of adopted antelopes and reindeer as my spirit animals. Mom says that’s okay as long as I remember that I’m not anyone’s prey.

So one afternoon, Frankie and I got off the school bus and Dad was casually leaning against the bus stop shelter with both hands on his mobility cane. “Hi Daddy!” I called. Mom taught us to do that when we saw him, because he’s blind and that way he’d know where we were. Frankie came out a step behind me, shouted, “Hi Daddy!” and hurtled into Dad’s chest almost before Dad could brace himself. Dad laughed and straightened his red glasses while he tossed Frankie over his shoulder. At the time, I didn’t think this was weird – I thought everyone’s dad could casually carry a fifty-pound second grader on his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. “Did you guys have a good day at school?”

“Yeah,” I said. “How was court?” I could tell he’d been to court because he was wearing a suit.

“Court went well,” Dad said, shuffling his cane into the hand wrapped around Frankie so he could offer me his free arm. “The judge accepted our motions.”

I took his arm above the elbow, like you’re supposed to when you guide a blind person. I knew Dad could find his way around the sidewalks of Hell’s Kitchen just fine without any help, but he liked the contact, and although I’d have died before I admitted it, so did I.

We only got a few yards down the sidewalk when Dad’s phone vibrated. He paused, taking his arm back so he could pull it out. “Sweetheart?” he answered. Then he said, “Yes, they just got off the bus. Yes, of course. I told you, it’s probably just a bluff. Everything will be okay.” He waited another moment, a smile growing on his face. “Well, it’s about time you had a turn being the anxious one. We’ll see you at home, Sweetheart.”

He put his phone away and Frankie took the opportunity to swing down from Dad’s shoulder. Dad skipped ahead to catch up with him, thrusting a hand out behind him, towards me. I took it and pulled myself up beside him. “What was that about?” I asked.

“Nothing to worry about,” Dad said casually. “How do you feel about Thai food for dinner?”

“You don’t usually meet us here,” I continued. “Is something wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong. I meet you at the bus all the time. Do you want me to stop?”

“No.”

“Good. I need a couple more years before I turn into your cringey old man.”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re already cringey. I just don’t mind it that much.”

He barked a laugh.

It was only a five-minute walk to the brownstone, where we found Mom working on her laptop on the folding table in a corner of the living room while Lolo assaulted a coloring book on the coffee table with her crayons. When we came in, Mom got up and hugged each of us as we were trying to get our shoes off. “I love you,” she whispered in my ear when it was my turn. Dad kissed her and they went into the kitchen together while Frankie and I dropped our things off in our rooms.

An hour later, Uncle Foggy knocked on the door, and after him was Dad’s friend Mr. Marc, who drives us around when we need a car, and then Aunt Karen, Miss Jess and Sensei Danny, who teaches Kung Fu to me and Frankie. A few minutes later, two guys showed up with a ton of Thai food and we all sat down around the dining room table and had dinner. After we ate, Danny helped Mom clean up while Dad played dominoes with Uncle Foggy and Mr. Marc. Karen and Jess went out to the balcony for a while and when they came back they smelled like alcohol – real alcohol, not the beer the other adults had been drinking. Frankie chased Lolo all over the ground floor of the house while my mom’s pet raven, Harbinger, swooped and dove between them. I just sat and listened to all the grownups talking about politics and their various jobs and sports.

Later, Frankie sat down at the table and Aunt Karen pulled out a deck of cards. She was teaching us to play poker, but we weren’t supposed to tell Mom, so we called it Vermont Rummy when she was around. I was pretty sure she wasn’t fooled. No one ever fooled Mom. Harbinger perched on the back of Frankie’s chair and hissed when he started to put the wrong card down.

I have no idea how a raven learned to play Vermont Rummy.

Eventually, I realized that all the other adults were in the living room with Lolo. “You said he was just bluffing,” Dad growled quietly.

“That was before I realized he had a history of trafficking,” Uncle Foggy stage whispered. “The prosecution never mentioned it.”

I returned my attention to the game for a few moments. Then I heard Mr. Marc say, “Relax, Matt. Those kids might as well belong to all of us. We won’t let anything happen.”

“Is that what Khonshu thinks?” Jessica said, with a sneer in her voice.

“I’m not sure Khonshu understands the concept of children,” Marc replied lightly. “But he understands justice.”

“I don’t know if justice is what’s called for here,” Mom said coldly. That was pretty shocking. Mom and Dad were all about justice. What could possibly have made her that angry?

“Let’s talk about the facts.” Uncle Foggy sounded uncomfortable. For some reason, everyone acted scared when Mom was mad. I heard papers rustling, like he was bringing out a file. “Here’s what Karen turned up. Jess?”

“Dulce? It’s your turn.”

I jumped at Karen’s voice. “What are they doing in there?”

Her eyes widened, but she put on a fake, friendly smile. “Oh, you know. Grownup stuff.”

I started to stand up. “They’re talking about us.”

Karen stood up too. “It’s nothing to worry about. Let’s go upstairs. Frankie, do you want to show me your new video game?”

“Yeah!” Frankie shouted, jumping up. “It’s so cool! It’s like Pokemon and Fortnite at the same time, and there’s this really cool…” His voice trailed off into the distance as he pounded up the stairs.

I hesitated, glancing over my shoulder at the living room.

Karen came over and put an arm around my shoulders. “It’s nothing for you to worry about. You’re still a kid, let the grownups do the grownup stuff.”

I frowned, but I let her pull me up the stairs to Frankie’s room.

The next day, Dad took us to school on a city bus instead of just walking us to the school bus stop. When we arrived, he kissed us and wished us a good day, and then we headed in to our classrooms. When I glanced over my shoulder at him, he was talking to the police officer who always stood watch at the front door when school started.

At the end of the day, my teacher told me not to get in line for the bus because Dad was going to pick us up. Sure enough, he was outside the door when we stepped out into the late afternoon sunlight. Dad buzzed with tension as we walked to the bus stop. When the bus arrived, he hesitated for half a second, holding Frankie back from boarding. Then he ushered us aboard and climbed up behind us, paying our fares with his pass.

When we settled into our seats, I said, “What’s going on, Dad?”

“What do you mean?” His I’m-just-an-innocent-blind-guy routine infuriated Mom every time, and now I understood why.

“Yesterday you met us at the bus. Then you had some kind of power conference with our friends, and Aunt Karen said it was grownup stuff and I should leave it to the grownups, but I know you were talking about us. And today you’re all playing guard dog. What’s going on?”

He smiled ruefully, shaking his head. “Karen was right. And you are too smart for your own good.”

I folded my arms. “Obfuscation.”

His smile got bigger, more genuine. He liked it when I used lawyer words. “Look, Uncle Foggy and I tried to help someone, but it turned out that he was really a bad guy, and he got mad when we wouldn't help him do bad stuff. So we’re just trying to make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid.”

I pondered that for a moment. “He threatened us. Me and Frankie and Lolo.”

“He threatened all of us. Your mom and Lolo and Uncle Foggy are taking special precautions too. But it’s probably nothing to worry about.”

I would have believed him, if he weren’t fidgeting with the handle of his cane.

When we got home, Mr. Marc and Harbinger were tossing a toy mouse between them across our living room, while Mom cleaned the dining room. I was pretty sure she only did that when she was nervous. She had the furniture polish out and everything.

A couple of hours later, Uncle Foggy turned up with Miss Jess and some pizzas. We all ate together, and the messy, raucous, jovial conversation did a pretty good job of covering up the undercurrent of anxiety. But I noticed every time someone glanced over their shoulder at a strange noise, every time they looked at each other like they could read each others’ minds, every scramble to fill in the silence.

After dinner there was a little whispering, but no conference like the night before. Uncle Foggy played with Frankie, whom he called Mini-me, while Mom and Jess watched the latest episode of whatever silly romcom series they liked to watch and make fun of. Mr. Marc slipped out quietly. Dad called me over, sat Lolo on his lap and we read some books together. Reading with Dad wasn’t like reading with Mom, since Dad couldn’t actually read the pages. He had a device that converted text to a little Braille display, but it was slow, so a lot of the time I’d read the words and Lolo and I would describe the pictures to Dad.

Later, after bedtime, the door of my room creaked open and Frankie stuck his head in. “Prongs? You awake?” he whispered.

“Yeah, Mini-fog.”

He slipped in and shut the door behind him. He came over and climbed into my bed. “What’s with the grownups? Everyone’s all… buzzy and…” He patted his belly. “Tense.”

He could read emotions like Mom could, although he wasn’t very good at it yet. “A bad guy threatened our family,” I told him. “They’re worried that we’re not safe.”

In the dim light of my reindeer fairy lights, I saw him furrow his brow as he considered that. “Do you think we’re safe?” he said.

“Mom and Dad are pretty tough,” I said, yawning.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“And Mr. Marc is a…” I hesitated. I’d always assumed he was some kind of police officer, but he definitely wasn’t a New York City cop. “...FBI agent. Or something. He probably has a gun.”

Frankie snuggled in under the covers.

“There are lots of people looking out for us,” I continued. “And you got me, too.”

“I thought you hated me,” he sighed into my pillow.

“Well, sure,” I said, rolling over to wrap an arm around him. “But no one else is allowed to.”

**********

The next day, Dad walked us to school again, but after school, our sensei, Danny, was waiting for us.

“Your parents were busy,” he said, with a tight, fake smile. “So they asked me to take you home.”

I frowned. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah,” Danny said. “Everyone’s going to be okay.”

I didn’t like the sound of that, but I let it go.

“Are we going to have our lessons tomorrow like usual?” Frankie asked him.

“I don’t know,” Danny said. “Probably.”

“We can't skip a day! The competition is coming up,” I protested.

“You’ll do fine,” he said. “You guys are way ahead of most kids your age. You definitely have your dad’s talent.”

He meant Frankie did, of course. I’m adopted so it was impossible for me to have Dad’s anything, and that was really obvious in our Kung Fu lessons. I was still a little salty that Frankie was better than me, even though I was older and taller and had three whole years’ more training than he did.

“Was Daddy your student too?” Frankie asked.

“No, of course not,” Danny said, half-smiling. “He’s, like, ten years older than me.”

“I bet he could kick your butt!”

“Frankie!” I chided.

But Sensei Danny just laughed. “He did, once. Then we decided to be friends.”

When we got on the bus, Frankie kept getting out of his seat to show Danny his favorite moves. He was still punching and kicking air when we got off the bus on our block and started up the sidewalk. Danny was watching him with an approving smile, which was why I was the first to notice the white van parked illegally in front of our building.

“Hey, Danny…?” I said, stopping in my tracks.

Danny’s head swiveled toward the van as three big guys got out of it. He put a hand on Frankie’s chest to stop him. “Kids,” he said, “Go find a police officer.”

The men focused on us. One of them pulled out a knife with a complicated flipping movement.

“You guys are making a really big mistake,” Danny said to them as he dropped into wide-horse-stance with his hands raised in front of him. “You have no idea the nest of hornets you’re trying to kick.” He snapped at us, “Go!”

Frankie and I spun and bolted – right into the arms of two more big, scary guys behind us. The guy I ran into, an ugly guy with a black beanie over his bald head, tried to force a giant sack over me, but I screamed and threw my arms over my face to stop him. From the corner of my eye, I saw Frankie hop back from his attacker, a skinny guy in a green satin tracksuit, before the guy could bring the sack down on him. Quick as lightning, Frankie set his feet and punched Tracksuit Guy in the nuts, just like Danny taught us to.

Beanie guy had really long arms, though, and I couldn't get far enough out of his reach to copy Frankie. I was dodging back and forth, avoiding the sack, when suddenly Danny flew past me, foot-first, and kicked the guy in the middle of his chest. The thug tumbled backwards and Danny landed lightly on his feet. “Get your brother and go!” he gasped, turning back to the three guys running towards us.

I ducked past him and grabbed Frankie’s wrist. Tracksuit Guy stuck a leg out and swept our feet out from under us. We went down hard, scraping up our hands and knees, and then the guy jumped on Frankie, punching him (!!!) and shouting, “You little shit! You’re done!”

I got up about halfway, took two crouching steps, and hurled my entire body into the guy from the side. I punched him a good one in the jaw, which hurt all the way up to my wrist. He rolled under me and got his hands on my shoulders, but before he could push me away, I stuck my thumbs in his eyes. Tracksuit screamed and tossed me away from him.

Frankie was still on the ground, sobbing hard, bleeding from his nose. I scrambled over to him and tried to pull him up, but Tracksuit grabbed me by my hair and hauled me backwards. I screamed again and pulled away, feeling a lot of my hair rip out, and then one of the knife-wielding thugs flew backwards into Tracksuit. We all went down, but I was suddenly free, and I immediately bounced back to my feet.

I caught a glimpse of Danny fighting two guys at once, a ball of fists and feet, and then a sack fell over my face and Beanie Guy grabbed me around my elbows and lifted me off my feet. I screamed and kicked. Beanie Guy staggered, but the arm around me squeezed tighter, and he didn’t lose his grip. I threw my head back, trying to club him with my skull, but I couldn’t find him. I could hear Frankie nearby, screaming and crying, and he seemed to be moving along with me.

Somewhere behind us, I heard Danny shout, “No!” A van door slid open. The sounds of fighting stopped, except for Frankie struggling beside me, and footsteps running toward us. Beanie dumped me onto the scratchy carpet of the van, and I immediately wiggled around until I got the sack off my head, just as he tossed Frankie on top of me. Something mechanical clicked and clunked and loaded up like a jet engine. I finally got Frankie’s hair out of my eyes just in time to see Beanie pointing an impossibly huge and complicated silver gun at Danny.

A flash of yellow light centering on the gun blotted out my vision for a split second. I threw myself forward, but I couldn’t see anything and something flat and metallic crashed into my head. I fell back and my vision came back to show me the ceiling of the van. Beanie was sliding the gun back into the front seat of the car. Frankie snarled something like, “That's my sister, bitch!” and threw himself at the guy. I rolled over and pushed myself up, my ears ringing. Beanie caught Frankie and pinned his arms against his ribs, like he’d done with me, and used his other hand to drag the sack toward him.

I kicked at his hand, but missed. Where was Danny? We just had to fight until Danny got here and kicked this guy in the head and then we’d go home and be safe. Tracksuit Guy ran up to the van and helped Beanie get the sack open and stuff it over Frankie’s head. I tried to get to my feet, but the van spun and I couldn't find my balance.

They ripped open some duck tape and wrapped it around Frankie, securing his arms and the sack over him. I kept trying to get up. Danny would be here. I couldn’t let them hurt my brother. Danny would get here and rescue us.

Then Beanie growled to Tracksuit, “The blond guy dead?”

“Dunno,” Tracksuit shrugged. “Neutralized. Who cares?”

My stomach sank. I thought I was going to throw up.

Beanie Guy looked at me. “C’mere, princess.” I jerked back, but he caught my wrist and forced me closer to him. Tracksuit pulled another sack out from under a seat, and even though I fought them as hard as I could, they shoved it over my head and taped me up the same way they’d done to Frankie. Then they tossed both of us farther into the van. I heard them climb into the van and shut the door, and then we were moving. I couldn’t help it. I started crying.

[fereise]

Something I had done for @SonicRevolt a while ago. I think it’s a good time to upload it publicly. Features with our beloved Pronghorn sisters from Archie Sonic comics👌