#idk yet but im leaning towards ginger

[magnus-the-maqnificent]

This 👌 close to snapping and writing a Kitty Malec AU.

[bexbaxx]

What you think about a Christmas or like holiday fic w viktor or silco? 👀 just imagining them despising the holidays (each for their own reasons, like viktor because he has to do more research because of of other researchers taking holiday breaks. And silco because hes just salty and idk hates holidays but secretly loved the presents he receives bec if jinx or reader) like just JDJJSJD IMAGINE READER (not dating viktor yet) STAYING BEHIND AND SPENDING THE HOLIDAYS W HIM IM THE LAB AND MAYBE CONFESSING IN THE PROCESS 👀 or just simply stating they care for him. DIAKDJDJ IM JUST OMF sorry if that was a lot i just oh god Christmas viktor in stress and reader just being there for him w their support and making him something so that he can eat.. im soft oh god 😭😭

(I'm going to focus this request on Viktor, since I thought that was a cute idea! Thank you for this ask it was a lot of fun to write out!)

You entered the lab, completely unsurprised to see Viktor sat at his workbench, quickly scribbling down something in a book laid out in front of him.

You almost rolled your eyes, but not at Viktor, at Jayce, who currently wasn't present. He had told you he was going to decorate the lab last week, to try to get Viktor in the "holiday spirit", but the lab looked the exact same as it always did.

It was a week into the holidays, and so far he hadn't taken a single day off from his work. You had at first hoped that maybe the holidays would push him to take a break, seeing as everyone else had done exactly that, but it seemed not even that would keep him from this lab.

So, you decided to be a bit bolder than you usually were.

"Hey, Viktor." You called out to him, moving towards where he sat. He startled from his writing, looking towards you with clear confusion written on his face.

"I didn't expect to see you today. You're not off celebrating?"

You set down the container you carried in your arms onto the bench beside him. "Nope! I was kind of thinking... That I'd spend today with you."

"With me?" He almost asked himself, now leaning back on his chair. You were silently hoping he wasn't about to reject your offer, as you found he often did in pursuit of his work.

"I even made some ginger bread cookies!" You announced, moving to open the lid of the plastic container. He rolled his chair towards you, leaning in to get a look.

You gestured for him to take one, and he did so, albeit hesitantly. The cookie itself was crudely decorated in white frosting, and was still warm to the touch.

"Cute." He said simply, before biting off the head. His response was almost immediate. "And delicious! I've never tried these before."

You hadn't seen him smile like that in quite a while.

"Well, I was thinking we could do something today, as a small celebration..." You confessed, now awkwardly averting your gaze in preparation for rejection. "I know you're busy, so I get it if you say no."

He took another bite and a moment to respond, which only made your nerves worsen. Maybe he really didn't want to celebrate with you at all, and you had overstepped.

Finally, he turned to you with a smile, and gently replied. "I'd like that."

You swear your heart actually skipped a beat. Before you could say anything else, he spoke again.

"Ah, also, I've been meaning to ask you. What is that?"

He gestured up to the shelves that hung above the workstation, and you quickly noticed the small, plastic elf dressed in red sat up there, seemingly watching the two of you.

Damn Jayce.

[cryolyst]

Tagged by @my-life-as-a-teenage-titan (technically. anyways.)

Name: Emma

Age: not 18 yet, and i wish it could stay that way, CURSE YOU TIME

Height: around 160 cm (5'2") 

Favorite color(s): I don't really have a specific color im partial to right now? but im leaning towards really dark colors and i've always loved blues and reds and purples 

Last Google search: it was "cm to inches" so i could do the height thing lol (before that "undergraduate education" bc i don't understand anything about post secondary education) 

Favorite dessert: not sure if this is what it's called, but taro coconut tapioca soup 

Pets: none, unfortunately 

Blankets I sleep with: I usually sleep with just one, a thicker one in the winter, a thinner one in the summer, but sometimes I sleep with two 

Favorite fictional character: dick grayson is my current fave, kagura from inuyasha is my forever fave 

Favorite show: yeah i haven't really been watching anything lately but brooklyn nine nine is cool. comforting. 

Talents: does creative nail art designing and being able to go from fidgety shaking mess to completely relaxed & still count 

Wearing right now: some boxers, a pyjama shirt and a sweater 

A fact about me: um??? idk anything about me?? I used to hold my phone up with my pinky on the bottom supporting it (still do sometimes) so now my right pinky is weirdly crooked and bent at an angle 

When you made your account: i had a different account i deleted before making this one but ive had this one since 2014

Current amount of followers: a lot more than i should have considering the content i post

When my blog reached it’s “peak”: sometime in 2015 or early 2016 i think? I was blogging a lot about attack on titan and haikyuu and a few other popular animes. i was gaining 10 or so followers a week and i actually got asks and tagged in stuff like this haha.

Most active follower: not sure about the most, i have a few. the ones listed on my activity are @phyein, @clever-ginger, @lkprime, @my-life-as-a-teenage-titan, and @yepthismyname. anyways i love and appreciate y'all

Why I joined tumblr: this girl i had a crush on in like 7th grade was always talking about it, so eventually i made one myself. i made this one because i saw screenshots of posts on facebook a lot, and eventually happened to think 'wow, everything is so funny, i should join again'

Why I chose my URL: i really liked the song when i was making this blog

Weird dream: i have a lot of dreams i consider weird but they're weird in a "that doesn't really make sense" way and not a "that's a mess what the hell" way and none are too memorable. um, had a dream last night, warning for unreality. there was a sale at toys r us for kit kats so me and a friend brought 23 each and when I got home my computer got a virus so i had to call my uncle to fix it. somehow that progressed to me getting trapped in the stairwell of a doctor's office and when i climbed up the stairs i went into a portal that brought me to a placd between space, right next to the edge of a bigass galaxy, and this big field where a bunch of my middle school classmates were standing in strait jackets. yeah.

I'm tagging anyone reading this who wants to do it! You are tagged, tag me back so i can see it.

[matsbarzal]

O Mama Don't You Cry - Zach Werenski

Notes: look its not a smut for once (and ima wait on a few smuts, write a few non-smuts for you all then post bc :) ) but yeah, here’s a sUPER cute Zach Werenski one and its a lil fluffy with a bit of a grumpy zach so be excited!! also i feel like my titles have nothing to do with the story and im sorry

Warnings: Mentions of underage drinking

Mentions: Dylan Larkin, Jack Eichel, Auston Matthews, Noah Hanifin, Charlie McAvoy, a few more

Requested By @werenzki (also check out her imagines bc if you have time to binge-read, would definitely recommend!!): I'd love who when the reader is at some party or something and she's interested in zach werenski but he thinks she's into Dylan Larkin so he gets sort of awkward and jealous but by the end of the night she turns her attention to Zach and it's all cute and stuff..

Up Next: idk its a surprise y’all

“You take advantage of me and my semi-attractive friends and I don’t appreciate it, (Y/N).”

“Oh shut up, Dyl.”

Growing up with Dylan Larkin meant two things specifically. One, his parents basically thought you hung the moon, dealing with their son on an everyday, almost twenty-four-seven basis. Two, you always managed to secure yourself an invite to the best possible USA hockey parties, and thankfully, those parties were always littered with free booze, free food and very very good looking boys.

“So, what are we gonna do tonight (Y/N)?” Dylan looked over at you, a sarcastic look evident in his eyes. “We’re gonna drink all the booze we can find and flirt with the cutest guys. Then we’re going to embarrass Jack about how much he loves McDav-”

“Or we’re gonna take you home and then you can see the party from Snapchat?”

You loved the kid like a brother, but Dylan Larkin was the epitome of a party pooper. D-boss himself always found a way to put a damper on your fun, especially when it came to your terrorizing of the Sabres player.

“Also, there’s gonna be a bunch of new kids there tonight, some you haven’t met, so don’t offend anyone.” Turning another corner, the cooler in the back making a loud bang as the alcohol inside rolled around. “Like?”

“Um, Matthews, McAvoy, Werenski, a few others I think.”

“Werenski’s the one that finished the season with the cute little purple bruise on his eye right?” You could almost remember the game vividly, the American teen taking a puck off the face from Phil Kessel had everyone around you scrunching up in sympathetic pain.

Raising an eyebrow at you, Dylan nodded his head, “Yeah… the little purple bruise.”

Pulling up outside a house, the two of you looked at your surroundings. There were a few cars, not that many, and it didn’t look like a lot of people had arrived yet. “Pretty dead for a 4th of July party, Larks.”

“Boys told me to come early, said if I wanted a parking spot it’d be the best option. Also said they wanted you there early so they could get early dibs.”

“Oh fuck you, Dylan.”

It didn’t take long for the place to fill up. Plenty of familiar and unfamiliar faces were sat all around you. You were basically glued to Dylan’s side, though, due to his ‘worry’ that you would end up terrorizing someone and getting kicked out for being rude.

“I literally just wanna tell Jack his hair looks extra ugly and Philadelphia-like today.”

“And I literally just want you to not do that so we both don’t get kicked out for offending the actual host of the party.”

Just as you were about to retort, a few semi-familiar faces appeared in front of the two of you. You had met Auston a few times, the Leafs player often frequented these parties, and you were pretty sure you recognized the guy beside him and your thoughts were confirmed when Dylan screeched his name into your ear.

“Werenski! Look at that ugly mug. Plastic surgery in the future to fix the beauty of a save you made?”

“Still better looking than you, D-boss.”

They did their bro-hug thing, while Auston turned towards you, a smirk on his face. “So who called dibs today, (Y/N)? Heard Hanifin may’ve gotten the first call.”

“I’ve actually decided to call dibs on Dylan over here, thought it’d be best if we just appeased our parents wishes and I popped out a few Larkin babies. I’m hoping for twins, right dear?” Dylan looked at you in mild disgust at the thought of procreating with you.

“Anyways, (Y/N), this is Zach. Zach, (Y/N).”

The man in questioned leaned forward to shake your hand, right as you moved in for a hug, leaving the two of you at an awkward stance. It took a beat before he opened his arms for an awkward hug. “It’s uh… nice to meet you, (Y/N). I’ve heard a lot of things.”

“Trashy things, I’m sure.”

The Blue Jacket looked embarrassed as he stumbled over his words, his two USA teammates looking on in mild amusement. “No I uh… just that you’re a cool chick and stuff.”

His stumbling of words and awkward demeanour made you internally swoon, he was seriously a cutie. Even if he couldn’t form full sentences in one try.

“Yo, I want you to meet a few more people.” Dylan tugged on your hand, as you gave an awkward wave to Auston and Zach while allowing your best friend to pull you away from the conversation.

“So Werenski’s a real cutie.”

Dylan shook his head, a silent laugh etched on his face, “You’d destroy the poor guy, but I think he thinks the same, man couldn’t even keep up one full sentence near ya. I’ve never seen him like that.”

“So, (Y/N), huh?”

Auston Matthews looked at the Jackets defensemen in confusion, “Yeah, what about her?”

“Are her and Larkin… like a thing?” He was seriously hoping the answer was an affirmative no, but the look on Auston’s face told him otherwise.

“No ones really sure. She never goes home with any of the guys here, and she only ever comes with Dylan and leaves with Dylan. Some people think they’re secretly a thing, others think she’s secretly fucking some baseball player from Las Vegas. No one knows. Don’t worry about it dude, she’ll never go for you anyways.”

Thanks for the encouragement, Matts.

He secretly glowered at the couple in question, as you threw your head back in laughter at something Dylan had said. He wasn’t allowed to be jealous, he had just met you for fuck sakes! It didn’t help that you looked gorgeous and your hair was perfect and the shorts you were wearing showed off all your curves and your long as fuck legs and he really needed to get over this before things got awkward.

“Your crush is glaring over at us.” Dylan stated, pressing the cold beer into your hand which you greedily accepted.

“My crush?”

“Zach.”

You turned in the direction Dylan was looking, only to make eye contact with the man. He quickly diverted his attention to something else, a small tint of rosy red going up his neck. “I think he likes you. Go talk to him.”

“He thinks y'all are a thing.” Auston stated from behind you, a small grin on his face. “And why does he think that?”

“Cause I told him that you’re basically a thing, fun to fuck with him sometimes.”

Silently shaking your head in laughter, you stood up and handed the beer back to Dylan, walking over to the empty seat beside Zach. “Is this seat taken?”

Looking up at you in shock, he awkwardly shook his head and gestured for you to take it.

“You look pretty lonely over here. Very grumpy an’ all. I know you got a puck to the eye a few months ago, but come on, smile a little.” You nudged him jokingly, pumping your fists internally when it did bring a smile to his face.

“Did the happy posse send you over here to make me look like I secretly don’t wanna kill Matts for dragging me here?” He questioned, a small tint in his eye that you couldn’t place.

“What, you don’t like these fun as fuck parties, hosted by our favourite ginger, Jack Eichel?”

Shrugging his shoulders, he looking around the room with a raised eyebrow, “There’s so many puck bunnies here, I think my bank accounts already draining. I hate the people he invites, sometimes. But seriously, did they send you over here?”

Immediately shaking your head, “Nah, couldn’t leave a cute guy like you to sit all by yourself. Especially with all these girls around, I wanted to be the first to call dibs, ya know? Girls gotta let her inner bunny out every now and then.”

Laughing at your own joke, Zach looked at you in confusion. “Dibs?”

“It’s a running joke between all of us. Every time I get invited to one of these parties, they always tell Larks to bring me early so whoever comes early can call dibs. This time, I get to be the one to call it.”

Nudging his side with a wink, you moved back into the cushions, getting yourself comfier. “Oh, so you and Larks… like… aren’t like… actually gonna have twins and stuff?”

A large bust of laughter burst from your throat. You tried to contain it as quickly as possible, which only had you gripping your sides in silent pain. “Oh my god, no! Ew, never! Dylan’s literally the brother I never wanted. Ew.”

You saw Zach let whatever chip was on his shoulder fall off, as his body let the tension roll off and a larger smile appear on his face. “Oh.”

“Why?”

“It’s just that I like thought you were super cute and um… I didn’t really wanna like um… make you uncomfortable and piss Larks off and uh… yeah.” He subconsciously scratched at his chin, an awkward grin plastered across his face.

“Oh my god, were you glaring because you were jealous?”

“No! I uh… I wasn’t glaring. My eye makes it look like I’m glaring but-”

“Your eyesight wasn’t fucked up dumbass, this is pathetic. Just tell her you think she’s hot and ask her to have twins with you instead. Or on a date. Both work. You’ll end up practicing for the twins after the date anyways.” The host of the party interrupted your conversation, his ginger hair clashing with his red and blue outfit, his outburst also attracting half the party to your conversation.

“Jack! Just who I’ve been wanting to see! Your hairs ugly, and it’s such a shame you couldn’t wait out in your draft year, you already lost to McDavid so you should’ve given the world some justice and let Philly take you so you could’ve matched their jerseys with that ugly mop of hair on your head, sweetie.”

Glowering at you, Jack ignored your words and raised an eyebrow at the man beside you. “Well, you gonna ask her out or not?”

“Yeah, ask her out Werenski!” Dylan yelled from the other side of the room, which induced the multiple repetitions from a bunch of other surrounding people.

Ignoring them, Zach gestured to the currently half-empty backyard. “Wanna go out back?”

Nodding your head, he stood up and lent his hand out for you to take to pull yourself up with. He followed closely behind you as you stepped around people to the back door, pulling the sliding glass open and holding it so he could come through too.

“For a Fourth of July party, shouldn’t everyone be outside?” You questioned, looking at the few people who were sitting at the edge of Jack’s pool.

“It’s Eichel, man’s probably trying to get his own damn party shut down. Man’s a freak.”

Nodding your head in silent agreement, you watched the couples in the backyard, “These couples are precious. They all have matching Fourth of July outfits and I love it.”

“I want matching Fourth of July outfits with you.”

You looked at Zach in shock, and he seemed shocked about what he said aloud, obviously it was supposed to be an internal statement. The blood that was currently rushing to his cheeks made you squeeze his arm with a silent smile. “It’s cool, we can match for Halloween or some shit. Ketchup and mustard maybe?”

“Don’t be basic. I’m thinking more like Captain America and Black Widow?”

Squinting at him, you let out a small laugh, “I know you’ve got huge biceps and washboard abs to match but I really don’t think you could pull off the Captain America look. Only Chris Evans can do that.”

Pouting toward you, Zach solemnly nodded his head, “I guess you’re right. Maybe I’ll just dye my hair before then. Just kidding, could you imagine me as a blonde? That’s a nightmare waiting to happen.”

Agreeing with his statement, you surveyed the yard, before turning to him. “Well?”

“Well what?”

“Are you gonna ask me out or do I have to do it for you?”

Groaning could be heard from behind the two of you, “Why does she have to ruin everything?”

“Fuck you, Larks.”

Turning to you with a half grin, have grimace, Zach gestured to the rally of hockey players behind you. “So?”

“So what?”

Rolling his eyes, “Go on a date with me? Columbus has some nice restaurants, plenty to give you a reason to get all dolled up and looking extra gorgeous.”

“Well if you put it that way, I’d love to, Werenski.”

[acdaemic]

30 questions tag!

rules: answer 30 questions and tag 20 blogs you would like to get to know better

I was tagged by @studiently tysm!! <333

nicknames: none, just aimee 

gender: female

star sign: the virgo/libra cusp, leaning toward virgo! i just found that out, no wonder im not always organized dkjfkdl

height: 5′3

time: 7 pm

birthday: september 19

favorite bands: hmm bad suns, misterwives, walk the moon, and panic! at the disco

favorite solo artists: ariana grande, lorde, and blackbear are the only ones i can think of off the top of my head

song stuck in my head: evermore from the live action beauty and the beast it made me cry when i was watching the movie

last movie I watched: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST emma watson and josh gad kill me every time

last show I watched: the great british baking show on netflix b/c it’s such an aesthetically pleasing show and the innuendos are top notch

when did I create my blog: february, but i didnt start using it until july-ish

what do I post: pics of my studying & productivity, which has helped me a lot with my procrastination problem!

last thing I googled: “ecclesiastical definition” b/c of my apush textbook :/ as if id know what that meant

do I have any other blogs: err well yeah i do but we don’t talk about it lololol, and i left it for this one

do I get asks: no not really but feel free to send them in :)

why I chose my url: it’s academic but misspelled, ive seen 3 other urls just like it ahahah

following: 230

followers: 1.2k (thank u !!!)

average hours of sleep: lately 7-9, some upperclassmen call it the honeymoon phase of ib rip

lucky number: 16 but heres a story: i stole it from my best friend in second grade and later justified it by saying it has an integer square root (nerd)

instruments: violin since 4th grade! not amazing at it tho sadly

what am I wearing: an XL sweatshirt from target and bunny slippers its the life

dream job: idk actually, i just want a job that involves lots of travelling. but rn im thinking ill pursue medicine

dream trip: europe someplace!! maybe italy or france idk

favourite food: oh my god food. i could list off like 100 but i rlly love my mom’s sichuan boiled fish, spicy lamb skewers, and chicken soup w/ ginger, and potatoes. im making myself hungry 

nationality: chinese (i feel weird saying chinese american but thats what i am really) 

fave song: god thats harddd probably the louvre by lorde currently

last book i read: the stranger by albert camus for school, i havent read for pleasure in no joke a year

top three fictional universes i’d want to join: harry potter hands down like have you SEEN all the food in the great hall at hogwarts during meals… lowkey not joking

I tag: ARGH i know legit 2 people here so @junebugstudies i tag you hopefully u havent been tagged yet !! and maybe anyone from the @flstudynetwork too?

[xavierscos]

hey everyone so im officially leaving this site : (( VM and GCC will be left in the hands of our wonderful mods and the new heads will be Alex + Henna (who I will be giving my password to so that if they ever need something from my side, they can just hop onto my account).

Most of my characters are characters I’ll probably never use again, honestly??? I will still keep Ross, Hollyanne, Persey, and Felix though! W/ mentions of Axel/Selena/Cheryl (maybe connor, idk) etc. as they will be sides/part of their families and stuff! Those four will be my stand alone ocs specifically in a human au, and if you really still want to interact w/ them, that’s fine by me! I’m still up for rps actually, but they’re just gonna be stand alones and not on here! And preferably stuff that’s not feral cats ah!  

But yeah, those four characters will be my own personal stand alone ocs and their warrior cat versions will just be an au because im trying to drift from that honestly? I need more human or humanoid ocs !! They’re still open to interact with (and believe me I love oc interaction more than I love myself) but they won’t be tied to DA or GCC/VM anymore, and I will no longer be making posts or replying to comments on this site :’O

For info on where to find me, hit my journal up.

All cats mentioned here belong to their rightful owners!

 The Stories themselves:

<b>GCC</b>

<i>Hornetstar, Duckpaw, Roseface, Fennelbee</i>

               The soft summer breeze tugged at Hornetstar’s thick fur as she padded through the dim evening light, her eyes narrowed and focused. Behind her slunk Roseface and Reyes, accompanying her with her knowledge on her little ‘mission’ – after reports of two-leg sightings, scents, and contraptions, Hornetstar had decided it was time to take matters into her own means for the time being.

               Little did she know Duckpaw seemed to have the same idea; the lithe, scrawny apprentice slipped between shadows and wove between fences, making sure to keep both downwind and out of sight of her foster-mother and the rest of her family. She picked up her pace a bit when Hornetstar veered another corner, squeezing by some gates and into a much more open area.

               “There they are,” Reyes announced suddenly, stepping forward to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Hornetstar, “The culprits themselves.” Roseface hovered by Reyes, eyeing the strange contraptions with wary pale green eyes, “What <i>are</i> they?”

               “Don’t know,” Hornetstar murmured as she advanced on the odd den, sniffing it with caution, noting the pile of food in the back of it. She eyed the dried pellets skeptically, pulling her head away from the entrance to face Reyes and Roseface, “But whatever they are, don’t go into them.”

               “What do you suppose we do about them?” Reyes inquired with pricked ears, his own eyes watching the den with just as much caution; something hung heavy in the air, a thick, ominous sensation that hung over the three cats and made the fur on their spines prickle up with unease.

               Heck, not even just the three – make it four. Duckpaw remained pressed flat against some grass, out of sight of the distracted warriors, and even though she couldn’t exactly keep up with their conversation – they were far off and Duckpaw could only hear so well, you know – the fur along <i>her</i> back began to lift with apprehension as well. Too bad she was too busy focusing on the conversation instead of her surroundings, else she might’ve sensed the creeping presence behind her.

               Odd, furless paws wrapped around her scrawny midsection, and Duckpaw twisted around to catch a glimpse of her abductor – <i>two-legs</i>. She thrashed in panic as she was lifted off of the ground, legs flailing at the disappearance of solid earth beneath; a shrieking yowl escaped her mouth in her panicked frenzy, “Hornetstar – <i>mom</i>! <i>Help me</i>!”

               Hornetstar’s head snapped up at the cry, and Roseface and Reyes whirled around, their own eyes widening with dumbfounded shock.

               “<i>Duckpaw</i>!” Roseface all but <i>shrieked</i> at the sight of Duckpaw being lifted up and away by some two-legs, and the pale ginger tabby shot off like a rabbit, pelting across the open grassy area to the attacker; Hornetstar and Reyes shot after him, their own alarm spiking. Hornetstar skidded as she veered to the left, bounding to the odd den that Duckpaw had been thrown into. Some strange covering had slung over that now prevented Duckpaw from escaping; it was the same material as the rest of the den, cold and shiny and seemingly unbreakable. Hornetstar lifted up her paws, pressing them against the openings of the covering as she frantically tried to think of a way to get Duckpaw out.

               “Hang on, baby, I’m here, don’t worry, I’ll get you outta there.” Hornetstar tried to soothe, though her attempts at comfort weren’t exactly helping when the situation seemed to go from bad to worse. Hornetstar all but flinched at Reyes own horrified cry, “<i>Roseface, move</i>!”

               The two leg shoved on Roseface’s hindquarters one last time, effectively pushing him into the den, then slamming the covering over and preventing Roseface from his escape. Reyes struggled with his own two-leg, writhing and hissing as the two-leg attempted to carry him to yet another empty den; Hornetstar bounded forward towards the two-leg, colliding with their bare leg and sharply nipping her teeth against the furless skin. The two-leg hissed and dropped Reyes in the process, giving Hornetstar just enough time to explain the last second plan she had conjured up, “Reyes, get out of here, get back to the camp!”

               “I – wh – no, you’re shitting me,” Reyes blurted out, “I can’t ditch you guys - !”

               “Go, that’s an order! <i>Go</i>!” Hornetstar snapped, voice straining as she was hoisted up into the air by the two-leg, and Reyes looked around in panic, before relenting to Hornetstar’s demand; he turned and pelted away, back into the direction of the streets.

               Hornetstar found herself in a den of her own, placed into the back of a monster, settled neatly between other dens, some empty and some full of cats. To each of her sides were Roseface and Duckpaw, and there was someone above her that she didn’t know.

               “Duckpaw – Roseface, are you two alright? Talk to me.” Hornetstar’s concern was met by a string of curses courtesy of Roseface, who was shoving his small pale ginger paws out of the openings of the covering, “I’m <I>great</i>, dude. Just <i>perfect</i>.”

               Hornetstar blew a puff of air from her nose, acknowledging the fact that besides being a tad bit pissed off, Roseface was fine. Her eyes wandered to her other side, where Duckpaw’s den was, “What about you?”

               “I’m alright,” Duckpaw murmured, distracted; she had her nose pressed to one opening in the covering, her eyes up and watching the den above her intently, “I’m Duckpaw, by the way, what’s your name?”

               A tan paw managed to squeeze from the openings and dangle in the air, and a nervous voice spoke from the den above Duckpaw’s, “I’m Fennelbee.”

  <b> VM</b>

 <i>Foxface, Chubtail, Slugpaw, Spiderstorm</i>

The wind whistled between the reeds as Foxface trudged through the muddy shores, nearing the MarshClan border; it was a routine – every night when the moon was high enough and everyone was sleeping, Foxface snuck out to go visit his best buddy, a sweet MarshClan caretaker by the name of Beetlecone. Then, when the moon began to sink and the first rays of light hit the sky, Foxface would press against Beetlecone and bid him goodbye, turning to trudge back into his own territory.

But tonight was different.

He had no intention to ever go back to FloodedClan territory.

“Are you sure you guys want to do this?” Foxface murmured after a moment, turning to face the three cats trailing behind him; Chubtail stood before Spiderstorm and Slugpaw, who was leaning against the smaller, tortoiseshell caretaker.

“Of course, I already lost one son, I’m not losing another.” Chubtail countered with a swift lash of her tail, refusing to even give any form of thought towards the idea of staying in camp while Foxface left; the tom smiled weakly at his parent, yellow eyes warm and affectionate, before he glanced to Spiderstorm and Slugpaw, “What about you two? Slugpaw, you might never get you’re warrior name - ,”

“<i>We’ll</i> give her one – at least, Chubtail will.” Spiderstorm interjected before Slugpaw could even respond, or before Foxface could even finish.

“<i>And</i> you might not ever talk to Lichenfoot again.”

               Something shone in Slugpaw’s eyes at the mention of her mentor, but the apprentice simply lowered her head, “I know, I’ll miss her, but – you’re all my family too. We gotta stick together.”

               Foxface’s expression still fell with concern over his family’s desires, but his maw did quirk in a soft, appreciative smile at their support. He turned with intent, continuing to pad along through shallow water, “Alright then. First, we gotta make a stop.”

               The group trudged on along the MarshClan border for a moment, coming to stop on a specific mound of earth; Foxface dropped his hindquarters and sat firmly on the ground, tail curling over his paws as he reminisced over who he’d miss.

               Kestrelcloud was one of the first names that popped into his head. Yellow eyes glittered with remorse as he realized he’d never given his friend a proper goodbye – maybe one day he’d see him again, Foxface could only pray. He’d miss their banter, their teasing, their little competitive games, their friendship in general.

               And, speaking of missing things, another name popped into his head. A pang stabbed Foxface directly in the heart as his thoughts wandered, because oh <i>StarClan</i> he was going to miss –

               “Beetlecone.”  

               The reeds rustled as Beetlecone pushed through, his eyes lighting up with a mingle of emotions swimming together – first, excitement over the sight of Foxface, but the minute his eyes laid down on the rest of the group, a flash of fear glittered in his eyes.

               “Hey, uh, are you aware you’re being followed?”

               “Huh – wait, shit, really - ?” Foxface’s voice rose with panic as he whipped around, though he relaxed the minute he realized that Beetlecone was simply referring to the other three lingering on another mound of earth just out of ear shot, as Foxface had requested earlier that they did so.

               “Oh! Yeah, them! That’s – that’s just my family.” Foxface explained quickly once he turned back to Beetlecone; the other feline relaxed a bit, though he still bore a puzzled countenance, “Why are they - ?”

               “We’re leaving – I mean, <i>I’m</i> leaving, and they’re coming with me.”

               Beetlecone’s smiled shakily, grin wavering as he joked coyly – and almost hopefully - , “Leaving to join MarshClan?”

               Foxface’s didn’t match Beetlecone’s own sheepish demeanor, much to his horror. Beetlecone’s shoulders slumped a little, eyes glittering with an emotion Foxface can’t exactly read, “You’re not – you can’t be leaving the territories as a whole.”

               “Beetlecone, I just – I can’t stay here anymore.” Foxface confessed quietly, his ears pinning flat against his head, “I have to go.”

               “Please don’t - ,” Beetlecone’s voice fell below a whisper as Foxface moved forward, voice pleading as he blurted out, “Why don’t you come with us?”

               Beetlecone’s eyes flashed with uncertainty for a moment, before he lowered his head bashfully and regretfully spoke, “I – Foxface, you know I want to but – but I’ve got to stay, I’ve got family here, I’ve got – I’ve got…” Beetlecone trailed off, and Foxface thought briefly that he was lucky Beetlecone was staring at the ground because if Foxface’s countenance mirrored at all how he felt, that would be <i>one</i> hurt expression.

               “It’s – it’s okay, I understand.” Foxface finally managed to sputter out, shoving away that one sharp feeling of grief. He stepped forward, pressing his muzzle to Beetlecone’s, who nuzzled back briefly before slumping forward and resting his head against Foxface’s shoulder, “I’ll miss you, frog face.”

               “I love you?”

               Beetlecone coughed, choking on thin summer night air, “Excuse me?”

               “I love you.” Foxface repeated, feeling much more sure of himself, evident by the confidence seeping into his voice, “Or, at least, I like you a whole lot more than I like a, uh, regular friend, I guess.” Foxface kneaded the soft earth beneath him, eyes darting to the side as he continued to blabber on, “You know, I know this isn’t the best time to say it, but I just wanted you to know - ,”

               “I love you too, you absolute fish brain.” Beetlecone’s voice lifted up in a weak laugh as he leaned forward to touch his nose to Foxface’s; Foxface leaned into the soft gesture eagerly, wishing silently that he could have just spent this last night here with Beetlecone.

               But he had to go.

               After one more reluctant goodbye, one more reluctant lean and retreat, Foxface led his family away from the borders.

 <i>Comfreyclaw</i>

               “I have to find him, Redflare.”

               “Comfreyclaw,” Redflare began, voice cracking as he watched Comfreyclaw hop down another one of the rocks; the soft-furred white tom turned to face Redflare as the tiny red warrior hopped down next to him, “Then I’m coming with you.”

               “No, no you’re not. You’re staying here.” Comfreyclaw ordered firmly, pale amber eyes narrowing as his eyes locked with Redflare’s own determined gaze, “No way! Pansypaw is – he’s like my son too, Comfreyclaw! I have the right to go out and look for him.”

               “You need to stay here with the others, Redflare,” Comfreyclaw’s voice faltered, and Redflare visibly stiffened at the heartbreak in the other tom’s voice, “Someone needs to watch over the other kits, make sure they’re growing up well. And someone needs to go find my son, and that’s <i>my</i> responsibility.”

               Redflare’s eyes glistened as he took another step forward; Comfreyclaw straightened, chest puffing up as he held his ground, ready to forcefully <i>drag</i> Redflare back to the camp. Redflare, however, caught Comfreyclaw startling off guard when he ducked forward and pressed his muzzle into the white fur of Comfreyclaw’s scarred; the red tom stretched up and strained, considering the awkward height gap between them.

               “Please stay safe.” Redflare murmured gently, voice low with remorse and longing, and Comfreyclaw simply leaned against Redflare’s touch, amber eyes fluttering shut for a moment, before he nodded curtly, “Of course I will. The next time you see me, Redflare, I’ll be back with our Pansypaw by my side again.”

               There’s too many things left unsaid between them as Comfreyclaw turns and continues his trek down the rocks and out of the territory.

<i>Burdockstar, Minnowflower, Pikeclaw</i>

               <i>We managed to get three cats with the tranquilizer, including the one we’ve been keeping an eye on. The gray one has a twisted leg and jaw, we’ve got her in a blanket in the back. We caught a hold of two more strays, too. The gray tabby short hair has some lacerations, and we can just give the long hair a quick check. Then we’ll send them to the humane society so they can find homes – maybe cut down on the stray population.</i>

               Burdockstar couldn’t understand the garbled two-leg speech as she remained tangled in pelts within the back of a monster. Her body felt like stone, weighing her down as her bleary mind struggles to comprehend through the fog. Pikeclaw was tangled beside her, squirming against Minnowflower as she weakly cried out Nightface’s name.

               “What if I never get to see her again?” Pikeclaw whined, struggling to haul herself to her paws, only to collapse beneath the pelts; Minnowflower had already fallen asleep.

               Her. Her. Burdockstar’s hazy mind made a slow connection, and she weakly extended her foreleg and rested a weak paw against the wall the monster.

               Moonblaze.

               What if she never saw Moonblaze again? Her best friend, her deputy, the mate she always wanted but never had. Burdockstar’s eyes fell shut and her claws flexed against the odd material, praying to the stars above that her path would reconnect with Moonblaze’s once again.