#also wondering how she’ll behave herself after regaining her memories

[monochromatic-ahhhh]

i like how in the previous part i said "i wanna see how far i can go" then i proceed to just....not go HSHSHSHHS this is fun tho i have to admit

See i | See ii

"You...you don't remember anything, do you?"

Okay.

What the heck is she dreaming right now?

"No. No no no, I-I thought you would be immune-"

He's still talking, but she isn't paying attention anymore. Is this seriously that kind of scenario? 'She lost her memories, oh will she ever regain them', why on earth would she dream that?

Suddenly, she felt literal weight on her shoulders. The teenager boy's hands brought her to be all ears.

"-ody, listen to me. Trust me, okay?"

Their eyes met. His was brown in color, but dark enough to be considered black. It feels weird that she was paying attention to that.

"This is not a dream. I swear. This is not a dream."

Ah.

She looked to the side. Sure. She'll totally believe that.

The boy retreated his arms and crossed them.

"Mel, don't you dare not believe that," he said in a scolding tone.

Alright, then. Hold on, Mel? Is that her name?

"Yes, that's your name."

He nodded as he replied. Okay, cool.

...

Wait a second.

She abruptly turned right to where the boy was sitting, shocked at his response.

"Hey, hey, it's okay!"

He held up his hands, signalling surrender.

"I'm not a mind reader, okay? Calm down. I just figured you didn't know what your name was, and I've been calling you Mel for a while now. So, yeeaaahhh."

Admittedly, that was a big part of why she was shocked. But what she wanted to address was the name. That's not her name. Despite staying silent under the presence of this stranger, which is what seemed like common sense, she opted for him to know.

"Actually, it's-", she paused.

........

Haha oh shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii-

She can't remember what her name is. All right! So she does have amnesia, and this isn't a dream after all?

"What is it?"

The other person seemed to have noticed her stressful thinking. Weirdly enough, this guy seems nice, friendly and.....familiar.

Why does he look familiar?

Maybe she should just go along with it. If this is a dream, she'll wake up soon enough. If it isn't, she just had to make sure she can trust this young man.

"I was just wondering," she started to say, which immediately urged her need of food and water, "if it's not too much to ask, can you prove that I can trust you?"

She then proceeded to mentally slap herself, because why the heck did she ask for her freaking security so politely as if she'll take no for an answer.

She forgot this person, so he could either be a friend or a foe. He stayed at her bedside and didn't look like he slept at all. When she first saw him, he looked like he was just crying. So maybe they're close enough for him to be this deeply concerned. This boy also feels familiar. That alone is enough to conclude that she definitely stumbled upon this person before. But can she trust her gut feeling that screams 'He's very trustworthy'?

She should've slept it off. This much thinking is tiring her out. But as much as she wanted to completely disintegrate from exhaustion, she had to wait for his reply.

The maybe-not-a-stranger looked like he was thinking, but he definitely knows what to say. Maybe there's so much to say that he doesn't know what to state first?

"You," he finally said, "..you think bracelets and necklaces give you bad luck so we got matching earrings, instead."

That was such a ridiculous piece of information she cannot recall, but somehow she knew he was right.

He parted the ash-brown hair covering his ears to reveal small silver earrings shaped like puzzle pieces. Small silver earrings that she recognized. A pair of puzzle pieces she knew would connect with another.

The other pair they'd join with would be rose-gold.

She reached for her ears feeling for whatever decorated them. She couldn't see what they look like, but they felt like small squares. Puzzle pieces. Her earrings.

Her face must have failed to contain how awestruck she is because the person beside her, who witnessed the whole thing going down, tried holding in his chuckles. He then asked a question as if he knew how she would react to it.

"Do you wanna try and piece them together?"

HECK YEAH, SHE DOES!

Instead of stating coherent words as a response, she looked at him excitedly. Her realizing what had to be done caused her to behave.

"I can't take my earrings off without a mirror though," she stated, sounding more downhearted than she intended.

"I can take them off for you," he volunteered, "o-only if it's fine with you, of course."

He turned away at that last bit. Strange. He looks kind of pink, now.

"I'd actually like to go home first."

...is what she should say.

She should go back to her family because....well, because. That doesn't really need justification, does it?

But eventually, the words that came out of her were, "I'd actually like to go see outside first," as if it would be a place she could never recognize.

"Ah, of course! Don't worry, we'll move to a...more suitable and comfortable place soon," he said as he guiltily scanned the room like a butler who failed to provide the needs of the long-lost princess. "I'll just check if it's safe to go out yet-"

Dings and annoying vibrations in his pocket interrupted him.

He hastily took his phone out to check whatever caused it to make such a fuss. From the extreme and ironically careful scrolling the boy is doing, she assumed he was reading an abundant number of messages sent to him at the same time. Or maybe he didn't read all of them because he returned the phone to his pocket with a gentle smile on his face, perhaps satisfied with atleast one of the texts he received?

Considering his smile as the sign, she got off the bed and fixed up her hair with the gray hairtie she had on her wrist. The other person in the room seemed to be surprised.

"Something wrong?"

He smiled softly. "It's nothing, really."

There's definitely something. But before she could say anything, he went for the doorknob and frantically gave an explanation she never expected.

"Okay. So this might be crazy, but don't freak out. There's definitely a lot of things that won't make any sense and beyond reality but I promise I'll explain everything."

Well, that's comforting.

He took the lead and turned the knob. "You ready?" he asked nervously.

She shrugged. How bad can it be?

Apparently, she could never even imagine how bad it is because as the door opened to unveil what kind of view it was blocking from her sight, she threw away every hope of maintaining her sanity.

She has henceforth concluded that she has lost it.

[bloominghope]

* — maëlys ( a summary. )

maëlys elayne leroux was born on the 29th of june, 2002 in monte carlo, monaco. daughter of a ( ex ) footballer - turned coach - and a sports journalist, she’s the youngest of two girls that blessed the leroux family. as far as blessings go, maëlys was lucky enough to have a beautiful childhood, filled with friends and fun activities, a very comfortable lifestyle and, perhaps, more than an actual kid could dream about. in hindsight, the myriad of options, the never-ending activities and limitless opportunities, may have been the reason behind why she has developed a thousand and one interests, and whereas that’s wonderful for she has grown with a wider perspective of the world and overall cultural patrimony, it also has downsides; such as constantly being faced with the struggle to make a decision, to settle out for one thing only while trying not to panic over whether she made the right or the wrong choice. maybe it’s the extravagant lifestyle or maybe it was the event that marked her teen years... 

— tw: sexual abuse mention —

the year is 2017, as monaco has just scored their first title since the ‘99/’00 season, making it their eighth, and maëlys finds herself in a natural state of euphoria and adrenaline alongside her friends. she can’t remember how a night of watching the last match of the season at inès’ turned into a sea of strange faces but she’s not really aware of much because the rush caused by the emotions of the match blurred out the vast majority of meaningless memories. she lost sight of her friends, most of whom she’s met through football, and the only question creeping its way up to her mind is how she’ll get home. another sip of a drink someone — she can’t really recall who — got her, another wave of glee cursing through her bloodstream; another question sliding to the front of her mind: how is she feeling drunk after one drink? minutes ( or hours ) go and then there’s an arm on her waist steadying her and bubbling out a string of melodious laughter she’s grown far too used to. marcel. and what’s that? offering to take her home? well... that’s her problem solved. the only person she can recognise at the party at this point, she knows he plays in the guy’s team, the next big shot on the football team and generally, a nice guy, always ready to help out others. except... fast forward twenty minutes, to his car, and she can feel herself going on and off. she can feel the range rover coming to a halt somewhere she can’t exactly place her fingers on but that she knows it’s not home. and she’s off again. next time, she regains consciousness, she can see that her blouse is gone and her jeans are ripped open and there are hands wandering where they shouldn’t be. where is she? who is she with? stop... non... is she saying it aloud or are those trapped inside her head? it sort of feels like a she’s ambushed into a situation that quickly lost control, that scares her senseless... then it’s fight or flight instinct. she recalls grabbing her phone from the car’s door, hitting him once, twice, three times until she hears something crack, a putain escape and the weight lift off. she doesn’t remember getting out of the car or how far she runs, she doesn’t remember who she calls or how she ended up home. she just remembers the heartache and the feeling of being drugged against your will, of having someone decide you’re not allowed to make a decision regarding what you want, of having them treat you like you’re not much more than a muppet. she just remembers that if girls weren’t taught to behave like princesses and be full of pleasantries, if boys were taught they need to be respectful and that there are boundaries, she wouldn’t have ended up spending a year having nightmares and being scared of so much as stepping foot outside.

perhaps, that’s more of the story of how maëlys became a tornado of a woman than it is about choices, as in that moment she didn’t have one. maybe it’s more of the story of how she bounced back to be intense and resilient. at seventeen, she made the choice to apply to an university far from home, settling for one in rome, less because the course was good and more because she wanted to prove herself that she could do whatever she put her mind into. deciding on a major didn’t happen — she studied a ton of classes, from advanced physics to physical education, and came to no conclusion other than she needed to go back to france after what was a dreadful 2020. she had proven her point and now she needed the familiarity and safety of her culture, alongside the knowledge that she would be within driving distance of her parents and her sister and what she’s known forever. on a personal basis, it’s not much different. maëlys spent a year of her life being so closed off, she wouldn’t even want to talk to people she had known since she was a baby. she quit football ( only to play again when she was at uni ) and drifted away from everyone she had known because she couldn’t handle the pity looks or the feeling she got thanks to the judgmental stares. she found new hobbies — yoga quickly became her escape and her way of centering herself, and to this day she can’t express how much it has changed her life — and new friends and promised herself she would reclaim her body and her sexuality. she promised herself she wouldn’t judge every other guy she met based on marcel and what he had done. yet, no relationship ever fully happened because it never worked. maëlys soon realised that even if she wasn’t judging, she also wasn’t trusting and with that came the struggle of communication and opening up. the reverse also happened — her opening up, letting everything out, and being ridicularised and judged by someone who never quite got her. so, with a lack of belief and hope, she quit trying. she settled for getting what she wanted out of guys for a night and leaving it at that, because no one ever proved themselves to be worth fighting for.

in a funny metaphor, maëlys resembles a coin in the sense she has two sides. she’s kind and loving, she’s funny and caring, and she’ll always look after those she grows to love. and she can easily toughen up; be cold and detached, be unsympathetic and arrogant. both the sunshine and the rain. both good and bad. 

[signs-of-the-moon]

Moon Rise: Chapter 43

Only two days passed when the clan needed herbs again. Swiftcloud and Rabbitstorm travelled along the snowy path, led only by Ruby, back to through the Twolegplace. They paused at the fence by the large Twoleg's den, looking to their guide as they prepared to jump over.

"I shall wait for you right here. Please try not to take too long, it's very cold today," Ruby meowed, seating herself by the Twoleg fence. Swiftcloud and Rabbitstorm gave her an agreeing nod, leaping into the yard on the other side. Tabitha was already there, patiently waiting for them outside by the door. Fat Louie was also present, though he didn't appear as cheerful as his mate.

"Oh no. Not them again!" He griped. His expression was sour as he glanced from the Grassclan warriors to his mate and back.

"There you are!" Tabitha bounded towards the clan cats. She completely ignored Fat Louie's remark. "I've been waiting for you. I was worried you wouldn't come back."

"We told you we would. A warrior's word is their bond," Rabbitstorm responsed with his tail raised in greetings.

"I didn't mean any offense by that remark," Tabitha insisted,"it's just that I never know when you're coming back. For all I know, I could be waiting seasons to see you all again."

"Well, I can garuntee we'll never stay away that long," Swiftcloud promised, touching her nose to the other molly's assuringly.

Tabitha purred, turning to press her side into Rabbitstorm's. She didn't stick to the topic of their discussion anymore, now that her favorite cat was here to dote on. "Brr. It's so bitter outside today, don't you think?"

Rabbitstorm began to lick his chest fur, avoiding Tabitha's sunshine yellow gaze. "I hadn't really noticed," he mumbled.

"I bet it's because you have all that long fur, hm? No cold can get through that handsome pelt of yours, I'm sure." Tabitha nudged him. It was so obvious that she wanted the tom's attention. Probably in more ways than one. Swiftcloud thought it was cute.

Rabbitstorm shuffled his paws around in the snow, looking at them as if he suddenly found them fascinating. Swiftcloud resisted the purr of amusement that wanted to rise in her throat. She could tell just how flustered her friend was by how he was behaving. Tabitha was the only cat who could push his buttons this way, besides Heatherwing. If fate would have allowed it, Swiftcloud could have seen the pair becoming mates some day. But they came from two different worlds, and lived too far to maintain any sort of bond. Besides, Tabitha had Fat Louie as her mate already, despite how much of a fox-heart he'd previously shown himself to be. And despite how flirty and flustered he'd get, Swiftcloud doubted that Rabbitstorm was ready to move on from Heatherwing yet. It was still too soon since her passing.

"C'mon 'handsome' let's get that catmint," Swiftcloud teased, ignoring the memories of the deceased molly her mind tried to hold. Rabbitstorm perked up right away to glare at her, though a hint of mischief was noted in his expression.

"Haha, funny." He rolled his eyes, bounding ahead with Tabitha right beside him. Swiftcloud purred, falling in step with her companions. From behind, she could feel judgemental eyes upon them. Swiveling her ears back, Swiftcloud could hear an extra set of paws shuffling through the snow. She paused just outside the Green House door.

"You guys go ahead. I think I'll wait outside this time. Tabitha, can you bring a bundle of herbs for me please?"

Tabitha trilled, leaning herself against Rabbitstorm. "Sure!" Though her words were addressed to Swiftcloud, her attention was still placed on the lynx point tom next to her. Tabitha batted her eyes at him dreamily before following Rabbitstorm into the den. Swiftcloud was left outside alone and ignored. She watched the pair slip away into the tamed undergrowth before turning herself around. Her eyes narrowed as Fat Louie appeared before her.

"Can I help you with something?" Swiftcloud asked the fat tom, not disguising the distrust she had for him.

"Yeah. You can help me by getting your mangy hides off my territory," Louie hissed. "Y'know you're all Tabitha's talked about since you came by the other day? It's always 'Swiftcloud' this. And 'wild cats' that. It's driving me batty! And if I have to listen to her gush one more heartbeat about 'Wabbitstorm~' I'm going to claw my own ears off."

"Is there really a problem with that?" Swiftcloud prompted. "Surely you'd want Tabitha to be happy? To have friends?"

"Tabitha doesn't need any cat but me. She's been fine the past six moons, with just her and I. And she'll be perfectly happy when you're gone! You're ruining everything we've planned for. Everything we've been brought together for."

Swiftcloud tilted her head, unsure of what Louie was referring to. "And what would that be?" She asked.

"To have kits, of course. Tabitha and I are supposed to have a few litters of kits for our housefolks."

So that was the reason why Tabitha was so open to flirting with a tom that wasn't her mate. She wasn't in love with Fat Louie at all. They'd been made to be mates by their Twolegs. Tabitha didn't have a choice. Swiftcloud resisted the urge to cringe at the realization. She'd only ever known of something like this happening with show cats; like her parents. Swiftcloud's parents had been coupled together to produce award winning kittens. Luckily, the two of them had found true love for each other over time. But Swiftcloud couldn't see that being the case with Tabitha and Louie. Especially when Tabitha was so infatuated with Rabbitstorm. What a miserable life she'll lead, Swiftcloud thought bitterly.

"You being here's putting too many ideas into that molly's head. She's thinkin about being a clan cat, yknow," Fat Louie added, looking disgusted.

She'd definitely be happier if she was, Swiftcloud wanted to say. But she held her tongue, her nubby tail wiggling in agitation.

"So why don't you all just stay away? Go home to your fields or something. Keep out of housefolk neighborhoods. And especially our territory." Fat Louie took a few steps closer, his nose only a mouse-whisker away from Swiftcloud's. From this distance she could see the scratches Rabbitstorm had left on the tom's muzzle. "I heard your story, yknow. You made your choice to be one of those wild cats. Let Tabitha stay where she belongs; don't force her to make the same decision as you did."

"Nobody is forcing her to choose. Tabitha is her own cat. She can decide to follow whatever path she pleases. You have no right to keep her from her happiness."

Fat Louie drew his lips back in a snarl. "I make her happy. We are happy. You're just too blinded by your wild lifestyle to see it. Maybe you had been a house cat before, but that time has passed. You've forgotten what it's like. You can't possibly begin to understand anything about our relationship. I'll warn you one last time; stay away from our territory, or else."

"Or else what? You'll drive us away? Sick you Twolegs on us?"

"I'll do something I'd rather not. I'll hurt Tabitha. I'll make sure our housefolks see her injuries. And when they do, they'll never let her outside again. She's declawed, yknow. There'll be no way for her to defend herself."

"That absurd," Swiftcloud growled, "there's no need to take things that far. We visit your territory to gather catmint for our sick. Once the greencough has been eliminated from our clan, we won't need to come around anymore. We'll be gone for good within the next moon or so. Besides, the clan can't handle any new mouthes to feed right now." Swiftcloud was careful with how she worded things, knowing that whatever she'd say would make its way to Tabitha through Fat Louie. There was no need to give him more ammunition to use to try and prevent his mate from running away to the clans.

Louie grunted in response, "I'll believe it when I see it... Heed my warning, wild cat." With that, the fat tom stalked off, giving a grumble as he went. Nasty old badger, Swiftcloud thought sourly, turning to meet with her clanmates inside the Green House.

A quarter moon went by. Swiftcloud had returned for another needed round of herbs. A new set of cats had joined this patrol, cats she was eager to introduce to her new kittypet friend.

"I can't believe we're so far in Twolegplace!" Frostfeather exclaimed as they entered Tabitha's yard from the fence. She shook out her pelt as snow sprayed over her from the impact of her landing.

"I think it's awesome," Tulippaw chimed, having regained her spunk after recovering from greencough. "I know aunt Whitestar approved of us coming here. But crossing into unknown territory makes me feel like a rebel spy."

"Are you interested in being a Spy?" Swiftcloud wondered aloud. She'd be thrilled if her apprentice wound up following in her pawsteps. And even if she didn't, she was glad to give the young cat a taste of what the job may intell. Ambereye would probably approve as well.

Tulippaw gave an unsure shrug, bristling slightly as she noticed the door to the Twolegs' den swing open. Swiftcloud followed her apprentice's gaze. Tabitha came bounding over the moment she noticed the clan cats waiting for her. She waved her tail in greetings, coming to a stop in front of them. Disappointment momentarily took over her expression, a look Swiftcloud figured was for Rabbitstorm's sake. He hadn't been assigned to join the herb patrol this time, even though he insisted.

"I see you've brought some new faces," Tabitha remarked to Swiftcloud, glancing at the strange she-cats.

"Hi there!" Frostfeather beamed. "I'm Frostfeather!! Gee, you sure smell funny," the silver and white tabby mewed, giving Tabitha a sniff. Swiftcloud giggled, reminded of the time she'd first met Frostfeather. She'd reacted the same way then, too.

"Well, so do you! Actually, you kinda smell like some other clan friends I have," Tabitha noted.

"You must be talking about Rabbitstorm and Mistyleaf, right? They're my littermates!"

Tabitha gasped happily. "You're Rabbitstorm's other sister?? How is he? Has he mentioned me at all? I miss him so much!"

Frostfeather let out a trill of amusement.

"Hey!" Tulippaw caterwauled. "I thought we came here to pick up catmint, not to gossip like elders."

"Tulippaw's right," Swiftcloud agreed. Across the way, she could see Fat Louie watching them through a window. His eyes were narrowed, teeth exposed. Swiftcloud felt a little anxious at the sight. She didn't want to distract Tabitha for long in fear for the kittypet's safety. But at the same time, she was feeling a bit spiteful. Louie wanted to prevent Tabitha from becoming too enthralled in clan cat culture. But that didn't mean Swiftcloud couldn't teach her a thing or two about survival.

"Tulippaw, I'd like to assign you to a special task," she mewed. "I know you think herb gathering is boring. So, as compromise for coming along, I'll let you hang out here and play with Tabitha. Maybe you can show off your talented hunting skills, hm?"

Tulippaw perked up at the suggestion, an excited grin forming on her face. "That'll be fun! Hey, hey Tabitha, have you ever tried catching a mouse?"

Tabitha shook her head looking curious. "No, never. I wish I could though."

Tulippaw's grin widened, "then stick with me, I'll teach you everything you need to know."

Swiftcloud and Frostfeather let out a mrrow of laughter, letting the two excited cats play while they went and gathered up everything they needed. Swiftcloud felt relieved, having someone there to protect Tabitha during their visit. It felt good to do right by her. It was the least the clan could do for her generosity. And for potentially breaking ger heart in the near future.

*******

After a moon and half of continuous visits to the Twolegplace, the need for catmint had been completely fulfilled. Today would be the final visit to Tabitha's den, to tell her the good news, and to say farewell for good. It was a bittersweet day for everyone. But it was one they all knew would come. Soon, life would return to normal. With every cat well again, Grassclan could get back to business as usual. And Tabitha could go back to living the life that had been chosen for her by the Twolegs.

"Swiftcloud, Frostfeather, Mistyleaf, Chicorynose!" Tabitha cheered as she saw the warriors approach. Her eyes became particularly sparkly when she looked towards the final cat in their patrol. "Rabbitstorm!" The round tabby launched herself at the tom, slamming him into the padded ground below. They slid a mouse-length, leaving an indent the snow. Tabitha sat on top of Rabbitstorm, beaming down at him.

"Get off me you great big furball!" Rabbitstorm meowed, though there was laughter laced within his tone.

Tabitha smiled that much brighter, rubbing her cheek against his. "I missed you all so much."

"It's only been a few days." Chicorynose purred with amusement. Tabitha sat up, allowing Rabbitstorm to slip free from her grip. She lifted a paw to lick, casually running it over one of her ears.

"I know, but it's always so hard when you have to go away."

"Hey Tabitha, we have something amazing to tell you," Swiftcloud informed the kittypet molly. Tabitha perked up. "The last of our clanmates has been confirmed well again!"

"Really? Oh, that's fantastic!" Tabitha cheered.

"Grassclan's grown strong thanks to you," Chicorynose added. "We're very grateful for the aid you've provided, Tabitha. Thank you... I know our visiting is payment enough for your assistance. But, I wish there was something more we could do in return for your charity."

Tabitha shuffled her paws. "There's only one thing I'd ask for, if I could. I'd love to be taken back to Grassclan with all of you... But I know I wouldn't do well in the wild. I have no claws. I can't hunt or fight. I don't have much of a way to provide for a whole group of cats the way you can. And...I'm expecting kits."

"There's plenty of ways to hunt that don't always require claws," Swiftcloud pointed out, her bird catching technique standing out in her mind. "Plus in our clan, cats have partners. You'd always have somebody around to help you catch prey."

"And not every cat in the clan hunts for the rest," Rabbitstorm added. "There's cats who repair dens or help the medicine cats gather their herbs. And our queens tend to the entire clan, and their mental wellbeings "

"Really?" Tabitha was intrigued.

"Yeah!" Frostfeather chimed. "If you joined us, there would be plenty for you to help with. Besides we all really like you, you'd fit in with Grassclan perfectly."

Tabitha's eyed began to sparkle with hope. She smiled, chest puffing out excitedly.

"Hang on," Ruby interjected. "Surely you need to think this through. As much as I hate to agree with Fat Louie, its true you belong here. You aren't like these clan cats, Tabitha, please see reason."

"No I don't," Tabitha argued. "I don't belong here at all. In fact, I hate this place! I'm always so bored. There's nothing fun to do. And Louie doesn't care about me. He has no interest in what I talk about or in spending time with me. He hardly even reacted when I told him that I'm expecting. The most excitement that's come from my life has been from interacting with you, and with all the wild cats you've brought to visit me." Tabitha turned to address the Grassclan patrol. Tears began to well in her eyes, her voice was pleading. "I want to be warrior. I want crazy adventures, and friends that I can count on. I want my kits to be born wild and free in the meadow. Not miserable and lonely in some dusty old den like I was. The only thing I want in return from you is a home. A family. Please, take me with you!"

"Well." Chicorynose twitched her whiskers. "Typically, this decision would be up to Whitestar. However, the clan could use fresh blood now that so many of our warriors have passed on. And you've proven yourself capable of loyalty to our clan. I see no reason why we shouldn't take you."

Tabitha's pelt fluffed with excitement.

"But be warned," Swiftcloud cut in. "Living as a clan cat is not all fun and games. There's danger everywhere. The cold seasons are harsh, and food will not be so readily available. There's predators; and the other clans can be vicious, too. Know that by coming with us, you're giving up comfort, warmth, certainty. For you and your kittens. Are you sure this is what you want?"

"All of that sounds pleasant, compared to the dull life I've had to lead. I'd rather die than stay here a moment longer. At least in the clan I'll know that I've truly lived. And I'll know that my kits are happy too."

Chicorynose beckoned the others with her tail. "Then come. We'll be off to the meadow at once. Whitestar will want to meet you. And we should probably move quickly, before Louie comes along to try and stop you."

Tabitha let out an excited trill, doing a little spin of joy. She bumped her head against Chicorynose's, purring. "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!!"

"Well." Ruby stepped closer to her kittypet friend. Her purple-ish eyes narrowed down at the plump molly, her ears twitching. "I suppose, if there's no stopping you..." Without warning, the large she-cat snatched up Tabitha by the collar. She gave a few hard yanks, ripping it right off her friend's neck. Tabitha let out a surprised gasp, her fur standing on end. She stared down at her collar, which had been dropped by her paws. Tabitha looked up at Ruby with wide eyes. Ruby in turn lowered her head to touch noses with her. "Take care, Tabitha. And good luck out there."

Tabitha blinked and purred once more, licking her friend's muzzle. "Thank you," she whispered, stepping back. Chicorynose flicked an ear, beckoning the Grassclan patrol to come along.

"I'll lead the way," Swiftcloud offered, padding on ahead. The rest of her clanmates followed, Tabitha rushing over to join them. Ruby traveled with, eventually allowing the clan cats to move on without her. She watched as her friend and the rest of the Grassclan patrol disappeared over the horizon.

When they were back in familiar territory, Mistyleaf piped up from the back of the group. "Swiftcloud, could I speak with you for a few heartbeats?"

Swiftcloud turned, following her friend's request. The two she-cats hung back, while the rest of their clanmates continued ahead towards camp. They fell in step with one another, speaking softly.

"I wanted to let you know how grateful I am for the help you've provided these past couple of moons. Starclan knows how much of a pain it was to get Snowfrost to agree to allow you to assist. But I think if it weren't for you, Grassclan may have been suffering from greencough until Newleaf."

"I just did what any other cat would do," reasoned Swiftcloud.

"That's not true," Mistyleaf disagreed. "You've gone above and beyond what was expected. You let yourself go hungry so others could eat. Pushed yourself to keep going even though you were tired. You volunteered to help Snowfrost and I with your immunity. And you were the one to insist we look in Twolegplace for catmint. No other cat was able to do all that. And now, Grassclan is strong again. It's all because of you."

Swiftcloud felt herself flush beneath her pelt. Her head dipped bashfully to avoid Mistyleaf's gaze. She couldn't bring herself to believe that what she'd done was out of the ordinary. I was only fulfilling my duty as a warrior.

Mistyleaf moved to press herself against her friend's flank. She purred softly, drawing Swiftcloud's attention onto her with a flick of her thick tail.

"I knew you were important," she whispered. "I never realized how much of an impact you'd make, until now... I admire you so much, Swiftcloud." Mistyleaf pressed herself against her companion further. "Maybe even more than that..."

Swiftcloud gulped. "More..?"

Mistyleaf nodded, "I suppose, well...It's taken me a long time to consider my feelings about you. I thought I just wanted to be friends, but... Stars, I can't hold back my affection for you anymore...! Swiftcloud...I-"

Swiftcloud suddenly curved around to stand in the medicine cat's path, interrupting her. She trembled slightly, but stood tall. Her eyes sparkled and heart fluttered as if butterflies had found their way into her chest. Mistyleaf blinked. Confusion showed in her pretty silver features. There was a silence that settled between the pair. What felt like eternity lasted only heartbeats. It was clear what Mistyleaf wanted to say. But Swiftcloud couldn't let her be the first to speak those words.

"I love you too," she finally confessed, moving to touch her muzzle against Mistyleaf's.

Mistyleaf's eyes began to water. She pressed her face to Swiftcloud's, her purr rising to a loud elated rumble. The she-cats nuzzled one another, shedding a couple of happy tears. After so many moons of pining, they could finally give into their desires and be together. Swiftcloud couldn't be happier. Now she could call both of her greatest loves her mates.

The two she-cats trotted on ahead, flank against flank, back to Grassclan's camp. They arrived just in time to make it to Tabitha's apprentice ceremony.

"Ah, there you are,"Whitestar meowed. "I was just about to make mention of you, Swiftcloud. I've assigned Chicorynose to be Tabitha's mentor. And I'd like to ask you to help as well. Having a cat from a similar background to teach her our way of life would be most beneficial. I hope you can handle training two apprentices."

Swiftcloud blinked, glancing from Mistyleaf back to Whitestar.

"I'll manage just fine. Thank you, Whitestar," she replied, padding over to the base of the Tall Stone. Chicorynose and Tabitha stood their waiting, the second of the pair turning to touch noses with Swiftcloud. At once, the clan broke out into cheers. Swiftcloud basked in the excitement of it all. Of the energy in the air, and of the strength of her clanmates. Perhaps now everything could return to normal. And with it, perhaps Grassclan could live in peace. And maybe at last, Swiftcloud could indulge in life's simple pleasures.

[recentanimenews]

Catarina Is Changing up the Relationship Chart in My Next Life as a Villainess Episode 2 Recap

  Welcome back to another recap post of the wonderful My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! series. Let's refresh on what happened before the new episode airs tomorrow! In the last episode, Catarina discovered who she really was and the world she now has to survive in the place of the villainess of her favorite otome game, "Fortune Lover."

Doom flags are everywhere and Catarina has to do her best to avoid all of them so she can live a longer life this time around! Unfortunately for her, she's already engaged to Geordo and Keith arrived right on schedule, which follows the game's story. But it's no biggie. All she has to do is make sure things don't go sour with either relationship to avoid getting killed or exiled. Easy peasy, right? ... Right? Hmm ...

**SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 2 AHEAD**

    It's been several months since Catarina's memories from her past life came back to her, and ... she's still doing that garden thing to increase her Earth magic, huh? I'm 99 percent sure that method won't pan out for you, girl! Tragically, some of the veggies aren't growing. Geordo and Keith offer some assistance ...

  Oh my, it seems like they're both quite attached to Catarina! What does Catarina think of all this and how could their rivalry affect her as it intensifies?

    That's not it at all, Catarina! Open your EYES! How oblivious can you be?

    Being oblivious isn't the only glaring problem Catarina has. Her table manners are a total mess! She's been invited to a tea party ... how do you expect that she'll behave? I think she's just gonna gobble up all the food, after all, free food is best food, right?! Not to worry, dear reader, for Keith will be sent alongside Catarina so she doesn't misbehave. It's not a problem anymore! But wait, isn't she the older sister? What example are you setting here, Catarina?

    First impressions are important, right? Catarina managed to properly introduce herself to the folks responsible for the party. And without Keith's help, at that! We're so proud of you, Catarina! So far, so good. We also get a first glimpse of someone closer to Catarina's age.

    Mary is pretty shy compared to her sisters, who are way more outgoing. If you ask me, Mary's the cutest of them all!

    Catarina is the belle of the ball at the party. People just won't leave her alone! Between wanting to introduce themselves, trying to befriend her, and talking endlessly ... Catarina is quickly reaching her limit.

    I get it. Totally relatable!

    What's this? Everyone's too busy chatting it up and no one's eating that wonderful spread of sweets on the table. A true CRIME! I don't blame Catarina at all. I too would be hitting up all those delicious cakes on display! Hm, but wait, is this how a dignified daughter of the Claes family should act?

    Before Catarina is able to stow away the sweets to take home and gobble up later, Keith appears right on cue to remind her of her standing. She is the older sister, right? I'm beginning to wonder.

    The galaxy brain solution to this predicament? EAT ALL THE SWEETS NOW. If only Catarina's mother was here to see all of this unfold right before her very eyes!

  Of course, this comes back to bite Catarina (get it? bite?), because her stomach ain't having none of that! She makes a strategic retreat to "powder her nose." Brilliant!

    Phew, Catarina managed to save her dignity. (In more ways than one!) On her way back from ... uh ... freshening up, she encounters a gorgeous garden she hadn't seen before. Look at those beautiful flowers! The amazing fountain, too! And at the center of that garden is ...

    ... The shy and cute Mary! Why isn't she also gabbing it up like her sisters with all the other guests? Turns out events like parties with a big crowd aren't exactly her kind of thing. I'm sure many of us totally get where Mary is coming from here. 

  Of course, our Catarina thinks it's because of her villainous and evil face that Mary won't show up to the party. (That's not it at all!) She turns the conversation to the elegant garden and how skilled the gardener is to grow such beautiful flowers, only to discover it's Mary herself who tends to the garden. Amazing! 

    Catarina?! Down, girl! But she has to get the gardening deets from Mary, so she can level up her own gardening skills. She must do anything and everything to avoid those doom flags! Unfortunately for her, Mary doesn't have experience with growing veggies—but that's not enough to stop Catarina! If Mary could see the fields herself, maybe she can impart some of her gardening wisdom and tackle this problem together. Teamwork! (What's in it for Mary, though?!)

    Turns out Catarina wasn't giving her vegetable garden the right amount of nutrients to grow. They replant the veggies elsewhere to see how they do with this new insight. Thanks to Mary's help, the garden is looking healthier. Take that, doom flags!

    Catarina leaves Mary with the one line that changes her life forever, making Mary completely affectionate toward Catarina. Turns out what Mary gained was a new friend! According to Keith, Mary hasn't been having a good home life, since Mary's mom was Marquess Hunt's second wife, which the family wasn't exactly too pleased with. This caused Mary's older sisters to treat her like she's a thorn in their side (heh, thorn), verbally abusing her for most of her life. Geez, no wonder she didn't feel like hanging at the party! But thanks to Catarina, Mary now feels like she's not alone anymore. Yeah, friendship!!

  Keith also mentions that her engagement to Prince Alan is set to happen soon.

  Wait. Her engagement to Alan??

    ALERT! ALERT! A NEW DOOM FLAG HAS ARRIVED!

  Is it wise to befriend the girl who's going to marry the guy who is one of the conquerable routes in the game? Isn't that like saying "yes, I would like to have this doom flag, please"?! 

  In Alan's route, he has a huge inferiority complex toward Geordo. But when the heroine of the game appears, he softens and his relationship with his brother improves. A lovely story! Catarina barely appears in this story, so it should be okay, right? The rival for this route is Mary. So, does that mean she could either get exiled or die?

    Nope, only Catarina. What kind of cruel joke is this?! Well, Mary is a nice girl, after all. And in the game, Catarina constantly bullies the heroine. There's gotta be a way to turn this around. Let's think more on the way Alan's route is supposed to go ... Hey, wait a minute!

    Isn't this EXACTLY what Catarina said to Mary? She said Alan's line first before he even had the chance to?! How will this affect the outcome? Will Mary even fall in love with Alan now? We'll have to wait and see how this pans out.

  Things seem to be going smoothly. Does it even matter if Alan was able to comment on Mary's gardening skills?

    Mary reveals that Catarina told her she's special for her green thumb. Of course, he couldn't dare say the same thing now, could he? This couldn't cause a problem for their future relationship, could it?

    Of course, it would. Alan waltzes into the manor, demands to see Catarina and tells her to stop SEDUCING his fiancee! Apparently most of the time when he invites Mary over, she declines because she's at Catarina's place. And when Mary accepts his invitations, all she talks about is Catarina! Wow, she's totally smitten by Catarina.

    Instead of calmly talking and working things out, Catarina tells Alan he's full of it. Oh, and he's boring and has zero appeal. Real mature, Catarina! Alan takes this as a challenge and dares Catarina to a duel of her choosing! But ... what's Catarina good at again?

    Oh right, climbing trees. How could I forget? Look at her go! It's like someone pressed the Turbo button on a controller. Alan can't possibly win. He's unable to regain his dignity. And so he constantly visits Catarina to challenge her endlessly in tree climbing—and always loses. He doesn't want to give up though. He'll win no matter what!

    Of course, this had to stop at some point. Alan comes by on a day when Geordo is also there and the situation gets really tense. To ease things, Catarina offers a different challenge: a piano duel! It's probably best that way since her mother is bound to find out about the tree climbing sooner or later.

    To everyone's amazement, Catarina can hold her own in piano playing, but Alan is on a whole other level. He's exceptionally gifted at it, having everyone who's listening swooning over his beautiful music. But Alan won't take the positive attention lightly. His inferiority complex comes out in full display when Geordo compliments him. He feels as if Geordo is secretly mocking him. 

    Catarina, being the great pal that she is, chases after Alan to talk things out. Everyone has something they're good at and something they're lousy in—it's part of being human! Even the seemingly perfect Geordo has a weakness of his own.

    Snakes! Now that Catarina knows Geordo can't handle snakes she has something she can use to her advantage when things get hairy. What precious knowledge!

    But that would only work as long as Geordo thought it was a real snake and not one made out of paper. Whoops! 

    This situation is too hilarious for Alan to continue to be upset. Look at that smile! I'm sure in her own way Catarina is helping Alan come to terms with his inferiority complex.

  It seems like another doom flag was avoided, but when will the next one pop up? We'll find out tomorrow when the next episode of My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! airs! See ya next time!

What's been your favorite part of the show so far? Isn't Catarina totally relatable? Let us know in the comments!

  Catch My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! every Saturday at 10:30am PST / 1:30pm EST on Crunchyroll!

  ----

Nicole is a frequent wordsmith for Crunchyroll. Known for punching dudes in Yakuza games on her Twitch channel while professing her love for Majima. She also has a blog, Figuratively Speaking. Follow her on Twitter: @ellyberries

Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[q--uee--n]

Presenting Part 2 of my Post-Zero Requiem headcanons/notes! I’m so happy the others were well-received, and I hope these will be, too. Enjoy:) 

Nunnally 

• never for a second contemplates hating Suzaku for his role in her brother’s death. Though she was admittedly bitter, those feelings are later targeted toward Lelouch for leaving her behind in a “perfect world”. So long as he isn’t around, the world will never be perfect in her eyes. 

 • is one of the youngest ever rulers of Britannia. This, coinciding with the fact that she actively used  F.L.E.I.J.A. in the past, leads to questions about her competence and fidelity. However, she proves herself an effervescent, warm-hearted empress who is determined to make up for the many, many faults of her predecessors. She starts by improving Britannia’s egregious foreign policy and establishing a stable Parliament. It’s hard work, but that’s how she prefers it since it’s also her own way of repenting for her past sins.  

• never regains her ability to use her legs, and she hates being patronized due to her crippled state. War and politics have hardened her some, so she rarely hides her feelings to make people comfortable when she isn’t and doesn’t hesitate to tell others when they’re acting condescending. In the earlier stages of her reign, she frequently has to remind Suzaku that she isn’t a glass doll or a helpless little girl.   

• her official residence is in Japan. She remained there during Pendragon’s reconstruction, and though she knows she’ll more than likely have to move back to Britannia someday, she can’t help but consider Japan her true home. It was where she and her brother lived and made their first friends, and despite the circumstances, some of her happiest childhood memories are there. 

 • becomes close friends with Kaguya due to their being so young and so involved in the affairs of the world. They meet for lunch whenever they can find the time and host pajama parties where they gossip about their older contemporaries and how nonsensical they behave. The Tianzi joins them once she gets a little older, and she has dirt on everyone. Seriously, the girl has ears everywhere. Do. Not. Mess. With. Her. She will destroy you with what she knows alone.  

• bequeaths hefty amounts of money to humanitarian organizations each month, despite being advised to donate less, and was key in helping Kallen and her mother's charity get off the ground. 

 • develops a guilt complex. It's why she overcompensates to the point that she does, even though she's accepted that no matter how hard she works, nothing she'll do will make up for the lives she's ruined. 

 • goes to therapy sooner or later to sort out her issues, but it's at Kaguya's behest because "my cousin doesn't even vilify himself the way you vilify yourself—and pardon me because he absolutely does. But my point still stands." She's reluctant to share her feelings at first, but once she does, she doesn't stop. She reaches a point where she stops blaming everything wrong with the world on herself, which is a huge step-up from where she started. 

 • takes an interest in fashion. It starts off as a means of distraction from her less pleasant thoughts, but she quickly embraces it. She vigorously designs and sews in her free time, and it isn't unusual for servants to find sketches of gorgeous ensembles in the most random places in the palace. She's also quite efficient at styling, Suzaku being her favorite model due to her finding his fit physique the most fun to work with. 

 • visits her brother's grave once a year, on his birthday. Suzaku and Arthur are her lone companions. It starts off as a morbid affair, but as Zero Requiem grows into the distance, it gets significantly more lighthearted as she allows herself to let go. Her favorite thing to do is "show" Lelouch her designs, as well as update him on the progress the world has made in wake of his sacrifice. 

• never quite accepts Lelouch's death as much as she just moves on because she knows he wouldn't want her to spend the rest of her life mourning him. Still, anniversaries of his death are hard for her to get through since she has to pretend she hates him as much as the rest of the world does. Kaguya's kind enough to let her cry into her lap when it all gets to be too overwhelming. 

 • the first person she falls in love with is a commoner and is unattainable for multifarious reasons. The second person she falls for is more accessible but oh-so oblivious.  

 • her moniker is the "Champion of Peace". 

Kaguya 

• mellows out considerably and loses a lot of her fangirl tendencies. Her straightforward attitude, though, is still intact, and you either like her or you don't—at least that's the case for her fellow politicians. Her charisma and natural appeal guarantee that's she's well-received by the public. 

• figured out Lelouch's motives the second he was killed and is irritated that the world hasn't and likely never will. As a result, she holds the few memories she has of him as a child close to her heart. 

• difficult to work with, but that's only because her adult peers should know better than to underestimate a teenager who runs three-fifths of the planet, and Kaguya never backs down when challenged. The most irking thing is said to be that she does it all with a smile.

• though she's grateful she and Suzaku are on speaking terms again, she is every so often overwhelmed by his affection and attention. She wonders if that was how Zero felt in regards to her. 

• finds every opportunity she can to make Nunnally smile. She can sense the sadness permeating her being and thus makes it her life's goal (one of them, anyway. Never let it be said that the girl isn't ambitious) to maintain her friend's happiness. 

• is a contributing (anonymous) writer for Zero Weekly, because duh. Her articles are popular due to their being quality garbage, and she once wrote a think piece alleging that Zero was the second coming of Christ that generated so much controversy, it was denounced by multiple religious sects. The situation got so out of hand, Nunnally herself had to come out and declare that there were more important matters to discuss than whether or not Zero should be worshipped as a deity. Kaguya regrets nothing. 

• is eventually introduced to Milly, and they hit it off immediately, something made possible due to their peculiar senses of humor and mutual love of gossip investigative journalism. Kallen tries in vain to keep them apart, but they prove too incorrigible to manage. 

• forms an unexpectedly close bond with C.C. Often times she doesn't even understand it, but there's plenty of wisdom to go around, which is why they work so well. She discovers C.C.'s name by accident but doesn't disclose it out of respect, no matter what Kallen does to try to get her talk. 

• remains petite even into her adulthood. Unlike Nunnally, who doesn't grow much in terms of height but does fill out some, she is forever tiny and diminutive. She isn't overly happy about it. 

• fully anticipates Suzaku's reaction the first time she tells him, " I love you". Hence why she ensures they're in private when she says it. 

Milly 

• quits anchoring and becomes a full-fledged journalist. She loves the thrill of research and investigation, especially when it comes to digging up information that shouldn't be accessible under any circumstance. 

• discovers Zero's identity after launching a months-long investigation into Zero in general and the events leading up to Zero Requiem. She's not surprised so much as she is relieved, because she could never quite bring herself to hate Suzaku or Lelouch as she should have, and once she learns the full truth, most of it, that is, she's ecstatic. Confused ("I get making up for his sins and all, but couldn't he have become the Emperor of Justice or something elegant like that instead of, say, using a contrived dictatorship as a means to force the world to unite? I mean, there were other ways to accomplish that") but ecstatic nonetheless. 

• chooses to make Japan her permanent home, defying the wishes of her parents, who wanted her to move back to the homeland with them. She learns fluent Japanese and extensively covers the decolonization of Japan and other states formerly under Britannian occupation. 

• is the proud(ly anonymous) founder of the infamously hedonistic Zero Weekly. It starts as a jocular thing she uses to entertain herself, but when the subscribers come pouring in...Well, she still uses it to entertain herself, but it's a very beneficial source of entertainment. 

• one of, if not the most controversial name in journalism. Her work has sparked outrage from just about everyone, and her most debated project was one that revealed a good chunk of the stories circulated to emphasize Lelouch's wickedness to be false. However, the one thing that people can agree on is that she never excuses his wrongs so much as she puts them into perspective.  

• after revitalizing their friendship, if you can call it that, her favorite pastime is teasing Suzaku. It astonishes her that despite everything that's happened, he can still be so easily flustered if she pushes the right buttons (such as when she brings up Kallen being his supposed "paramour"). Seeing glimpses of the Suzaku she knew reminds her of the short but pleasant time they spent together at Ashford Academy. 

• met C.C., once upon a time. They sat beside each other on a crowded bus, and Milly couldn't shake the familiarity radiating off of the other woman in waves. The incident bothers, even after she's officially introduced to C.C. through Suzaku, because she knows this girl. She just doesn't know how or where from. 

• begins a matchmaking business as a side job—aka what she does whenever she's suspended from the real thing, which is often (some people have no sense of humor). She initially does it because she's bored and nosy and needs an outlet, but she quickly discovers she likes meddling in others' love lives. Unfortunately, no one else seems to be as appreciative of her newfound hobby, but hey, at least Rakshata and Cecile seem happy.