#the plants got mauled by my cats

[ilackallhonour]

so stoked to have nearly been killed by the heat of these homegrown padrón peppers!!!!! :))))

[loozerboykisser]

pjo characters as weird and dumb things me and my friends have said

Percy: what the fuck is cockblocking like I can't block ur cock on Snapchat

-

Will: UUUUUUUGH MY ASS HURTS- ooh look a butterfly

-

Leo: I CANT FIND MY PRETTY STICKER- AW FUCK- SHIT- MY VAGINA- OOAOoOoOOooAHAHHAgh

-

Jason: I can't actually believe I just agreed with you but hey here we are

-

Reyna: why the fuck am I friends with any of you hoes

-

Piper: should I...? too late I did it

-

Will: the best way to rizz someone up is by rizzing them up *turns to friend, winks horribly* hey baby girl

-

Rachel: one sec getting my anger out *aggressively splatters paint on canvas*

-

Annabeth: sometimes I'm smart. When I'm smart, I'm smart. *awkward thumbs up and grimace*

-

Octavian: fuck the gays they should all die ... I mean I could fuck some gays

-

Hazel: I'll make you tea but not in a sweet way I'll make it so hot in burns your tongue and you can't speak for a week

-

Frank: hey guys check me out I'm a furry on drugs *WOOOF WOOF BARK BARK BARK WOOF WOOF*

-

Grover: I love plants :3 specifically magic mushrooms but like

-

Leo: I mean I would totally fuck you but like respect man

-

Will: Ugh fuck my life I hate everything *coldplay starts playing* I retract the previous statement I fucking love life

-

Jason: UGH UR ALL SO DUMB but I'm in

-

Nico: if u wanna kys clap ur hands *rapidly claps hands*

-

Piper: *hypnotizes u with my beautiful blue orbs* come over to my house

-

Hazel: respectfully hope you die <3

-

Frank: I'm on acid what's it called when a ton of cats jump on each other a dog pile or a cat pile

-

Reyna: OH THANK GOD- sike I don't believe in that motherfucker hahahha

-

Annabeth: I'm so smart *holds up the one good test I got in school* see the teacher even gave me an 11/10 because I wrote my name in a cool font

-

Leo: UUUUUGGGGGHHHH IM SO HORNY- *mom walks in* oh hi mom how are you

-

Will: we can just... fuck. as friends though no homo.

-

Rachel: IF I DON'T DRAW SOMETHING IN THE NEXT FEW MINUTES I AM GOING TO MAUL SOMEONE

-

Octavian: you all suck and I hate you *silence* no wait come back

-

Someone: haha ur gay

Nico: yeah??? and ur not?? like don't knock it until you try it dick is yummy man

-

Hazel: someone just told me what smearing is and honestly I kinda wanna die *fix you by coldplay starts playing* LMAO WTF

-

Frank: you sad ass emo dog just be happy

-

Percy: I Am OnE wiTh ThE oCeAn AnD HopEfuLLy aLL oF ThE hOt MerPeOpLe In iT

-

Leo: *talking to literally nobody* hey guys!! gonna go get my top surgery! *shows up at claires*

-

Reyna: I only wanna die sometimes and that's normal right

RIGHT

-

Will: *playing guitar* haha look guys I'm fingering A minor *strums violently*

-

Jason: screw men *eyes widen* I should start taking my own advice ngl

-

Will: *listening to a playlist that Nico made him* ugh my emo ass boyfriend and his stupid music I hate him *proceeds to write his name over and over again in diary with hearts around it*

-

Nico: what if I strangle someone with a pair of earbuds

Will: please don't

-

Leo: *in demonic voice* LeAf *eats it*

-

Nico: *pulls gay flag out of pocket* omg it's u

Will: *shuffles around in pocket, finds condom* ... it's u, vanilla flavoured

-

Leo: my name's Leo

Percy: and I like jugs

Nico: I'm mentally ill

Leo: and I'm on drugs :D

-

Jason: is there anything better than pussy

Piper: I thought you where gay

Jason:

Jason: my boyfriend's trans?

-

Will: the temptation to fuck an emo boy rn is killing me

-

Leo: the masculine urge to

Leo:

Leo: I forgor

-

Will: that's good!

Nico: like me in bed

*silence*

-

Leo: smash or pass Ryan Gosling

Nico: SMASH

Will: PASS

Solangelo: *glares at each other*

-

Nico: omg stop with that song

Will: but

Will: but you can take me hot to go :(

-

Annabeth: yeah

Percy: yeah

Annabeth: *in funny voice* yeah

Percy *hentai moan* yEEEAAAaaH

-

Leo: *pointing at Nico* EEEEEEWWWW AN EMOOOOOO EWWW

-

Jason: never ever look up what an eyesha erotica lyric means

Reyna:

Reyna: oh you poor soul *pats back*

-

Nico: I can't breathe

Will: just

Will: breathe air

Nico: I breathe drugs

-

Piper: I'm gonna go play basketball

Leo: haha play with my balls

Jason: already do

Leo: *chokes on air*

well that's all sorry for the torture, thanks to @localcosplaymushroom, @crowwolf8, @justagremlinoncaffeine, and @secret-mewtwo for all of the funny convos that went into this

[a-polite-melody]

In about an hour Diesel will no longer be with us.

I’m really going to miss him. He was such a wonderful, sweet boy.

I have so many pictures of him through the years, so I’m going to post some of my favourites.

So first, here are some from when he was a kitten:

This is the first picture we have of Diesel, at least that I’m aware of. He was a barn kitten who was taken in by someone with a vacation trailer nearby to ours. They quickly realized they would need to re-home him because their older cat was not fond of him. My parents were divorced and I went back and forth, week by week. I was at my dad’s the weekend my mom brought him home. I got home to my mom’s after school on Monday and out of my room walks a tiny orange kitten! He had been asleep on my bed when my mom had left to pick me up, and was hoping he’d still be there when we got back, but not quite. He did very quickly fall back asleep on my bed with me (you can see a bit of my arm in the picture, young teen me wanted my sleeping face very much cropped out of the photo lol).

The majority of pictures I have of him as a kitten were from up at the trailer, where he would climb trees and maul plants like a good little hunter.

[fruitycasket]

Carleton Told A Lie (6 of 6)

They did it. Sunday and Carleton got into the shed and saw what they needed to. Now, the next day, they have to face the consequences.

Word Count: 1,717

Notes: This is the final chapter of CTAL! Read from the beginning, or read the previous chapter here. If you want to see my lovely artwork, read on Ao3.

"The cat's just an image your subconscious created."

Carleton didn't come to school the next day.

Half the kids who'd been chased off Marvin's property were absent, too, and of those that still showed up, most of them were so fidgety their professors took notice. Maybe their nerves were simple first-time jitters and none of them had ever done anything more criminal than steal a pencil, or maybe they somehow felt something had gone horribly wrong.

Could they feel the Cat's eyes on them, even from so far away?

Whatever the case was, Sunday didn't blame them for their absence or their nerves. He was only here because he hadn't felt sick enough for his parents to let him stay home.

They'd been pissed he was gone so long, more so when they took his stammering, stuttering attempts to lie about where he'd been as a poor cover-up for him practicing teleportation and getting himself trapped in a patch of park soil. It was easier to let them think that, so he sat there and was yelled for the better part of the night about it. When they were done, they plucked the grass and plant mush out of his flesh, flushed the dirt from his scratches with clean water, bandaged him, and sent him to bed.

They'd left him a bowl of stew beef, but he didn't eat. When he tried, he had to fight to not throw up the single bite he'd taken for the next thirty minutes.

The Cat was trapped in his head, and he was certain it wasn't just numb terror making him feel that way.

He barely slept. When he did nod off, he'd dream of the White Cat and its burning eyes. He would not realize he'd fallen asleep. His bed would disappear from beneath him and he'd fall into the Cat's domain, a vast, vantablack land lit by distant stars. It would look at him with its head cocked to the side, study him.

Sunday was never scared during the dream, but when saliva and blood and black crud filled with stardust dripped from the Cat's dried lips, it'd spatter against his forehead. That would wake him up. Then he'd be scared.

Needless to say, school passed him by in a haze of grey and white.

He only barely snapped out of his stupor to assure his teachers that he was feeling alright, otherwise it was back to circling the drain. Every question he asked himself was another heavy chain hastening his descent.

What was that thing? Why was it in the shed? Was it made of the dead cats? But how? Why?

And why couldn't Carleton just leave it alone?

But it wasn't fair to lay the blame purely on his shoulders. Sunday also had to ask himself: Why couldn't I just leave it alone?

More pressing questions followed that one:

Is Marvin alright? Did I get him killed? What about his mum, what about Ramesses?

Did any of them see me? Carleton?

This was a fuck up of impressive proportions. Possibly the worst ever committed by anyone, by Sunday's estimation. He had no idea if he'd been seen, and if he had, what would happen next. His parents would kill him if Marvin or his mum didn't first and that was almost as terrifying as being tried in court. But it was dark out, it would all be a he-said-she-said, right? Maybe he would only have his own shame to deal with after all.

Time passed and lunch rolled around. The place was abuzz with a different, somber type of chatter. Everyone wondered why Carleton wasn't there.

Some students posited that he'd found a regular shed and was scared Sunday would maul the other half of his body if he turned up empty handed. Others wondered if Marvin had got him. Or the police. Or if he'd just realized how stupid he was being (or been stood up), called the whole thing off, and was now too embarrassed to return to school.

People kept coming up to the students who'd crowded around Carleton the day he'd laid out his idiotic plan to ask about the shed and what had happened. Maybe one of them had gone after all, they reasoned. They'd know what had happened.

Nobody came up to Sunday.

Why would he have been there?

On the second day after the ill-fated caper, Carleton still wasn't back.

Slowly, the school was piecing things together. Or, it thought it was.

The story went that Carleton had gotten caught, not immediately, but in hindsight when Marvin's parents managed to narrow down who the teen rifling through their belongings might've been and gotten the police to investigate. It was unclear what would happen now, but every boy who'd followed Carleton that night now rightfully feared they were next to be caught.

As people continued to pester Carleton's posse for any answers on his success (or lack thereof) and whether he'd been arrested, they became cagey about questions. They started telling lies, but they were sloppy. Uncoordinated. A couple busybodies figured out they were lying, and soon they had to dodge hordes of their peers like Marvin had not so long ago.

Sunday doubted they recognized the irony.

It was the third day. Carleton was still MIA.

Sunday kept his head down, but his penance was due any day now. When they thought he wasn't looking, his professors gave him sidelong glances. Carleton must have told the police when they caught him.

Did he show them the White Cat? What did they say? What would happen to it and Marvin?

As he meandered through his day, his peripheral vision filled with bruised faces and white fur, Sunday wondered what the Magic Circle would think of the creature. Could they contain it, or had Carleton and Sunday unleashed some unknowable thing into the world—forever?

The other boys made themselves scarce. Some of those who'd tried to keep up attendances stopped coming, maybe because they'd been caught, maybe because they thought they could delay the inevitable.

A sense of malaise and macabre curiosity spread far and wide. The professors had to address this.

They started explaining at the beginning of their early morning classes that yes, Carleton was missing, but only because he was in a lot of trouble for trespassing. No elaboration beyond that was necessary. No more rumors, please.

But Sunday wondered if there was more to it. Something not fit to be said in a school or around magicians under a certain station.

When asked again whether Marvin was a cat killer, the teachers said no. He was, however, being kept from school until further notice so he could heal both mentally and physically.

Some students said their instructors hesitated before denying the claim.

Sunday went to lunch that day wishing he could disappear or turn back time. He relived that night and all the stupid steps he'd taken to get there, now able to see every mistake, every moment he could and should have turned back.

He kept to himself until someone—Caoimhe—approached him, but she wasn't there to bother him with more questions. In fact, she looked more anxious than Sunday had ever seen her.

She took a seat beside him and spoke as low as she could get away with, "How are you feeling?"

"How do you think?" Sunday didn't look at her. He hoped she would speak no further on what Carleton had done, he didn't want to lie to her face.

"Figured as much, I can't believe"—Caoimhe hesitated, then stopped speaking. She studied him for a while before continuing, "Sunday, can I trust you to keep a secret?"

Sunday blinked. He studied Caoimhe in turn, trying to figure her out. "I… Think so…"

"I hope so. Talk to you after school."

She left before Sunday could ask what she meant.

When school let out that afternoon, Caoimhe found Sunday before he could even think to wonder where she'd meet him. Once again, polite conversation was forgone. She launched straight to business, "If I hear a peep about this to anyone else, Sunday, I swear"—

"There'll be no peeps! Promise." Sunday used his best placating grin, but Caoimhe's face remained wrought with stress. She kept looking at him with dark, distrusting eyes, like she thought he might run at or away from her any moment. "I um, still don't know what this is even about."

"Marvin's back," she whispered at last, "Kind of. But… no normal classes, and not in any of the regular parts of school. His new professors have to vet any visitors he gets, but he wanted to see me, so I got called in for a little while yesterday."

Sunday's skin broke into gooseflesh. "How is he?"

"He's… better," Caoimhe wouldn't hold his gaze, "He, uh, wanted me to give you this." She produced a folded, crinkled piece of paper from her pocket. Sunday could see letters written in black marker but not the words they formed. "He wants to talk with you, too."

"He does? Well, where is his"—

"Sunday," Caoimhe seemed shocked she was speaking, "did you really do it?"

Sunday recoiled. He knew what she was referring to but dare not speak it into existence. "Do what?"

"I just, he… I can't believe you. I-I told you it was a bad idea and you… you…" her face rapidly switched from anger to unease to sadness, then settled on disappointment. That was about all she could or would say to him as she thrust the paper into his hand and stormed away. "Bye, Sunday."

Sunday stood there, dumbfounded, clutching the crinkled piece of paper for a few minutes before he dared even think of unfolding it.

Once the thought entered his mind, he decided to go home first. Maybe because being around his parents soothed him. Maybe because he just wanted to put this off as long as possible.

When he was home, and it was dark, and he was sure his house was asleep or not likely to bother him, Sunday finally unfolded the letter in the light of a desk lamp.

It's elaborate handwriting said:

I know you were there.

[rubylarkspur22]

No Context Manga Note Quotes

So, to best prepare for writing the manga arcs of Demon Slayer(mostly in Sunlit Blossoms), I purchased volumes 15-23, and made some notes to have a general idea of what's supposed to be going on. Here are some quotes from my notes, which I am reading backwards!

Of course, Manga Spoilers ahead. A lot of 'em.

"Tanjirou wakes up demonic and ready for war crimes..."

"... Evil Sunshine Boy who's clearly prepared to rip their head off and eat their internal organs."

"Oh, yeah, the sun's still in the sky and demons still burn up in its vengeful rays, and Tanjirou starts getting crispy before he can kill someone."

"Surprise mf! Sun Breather is sun proof! God damn it!"

"One man must be Bakugou's ancestor with hw aggressively he yells 'DIEEE!!'..."

"... and apparently the plan is Giant Demon Baby..."

"... Miss 'Casually Spend a Year Micro-Dosing Until My Body Has 700x the Lethal Dose of Wisteria Poison'"

"Muzan calls Kaburamaru dumb... like the guy who's failing with 5 brains has room to talk"

"Muzan reflects on his clash w/ Yoriichi, claiming Mr. Chillest MF Alive was the true monster..."

"'F*** You' drug cocktail"

"Surprise mf! Tanjirou's back in business! Man's half-blind, actively dying, and ticked all to hell, all bets are off!"

"... but Tanjirou's f*** to give got taken out by the poison."

"... until they mention Muzan will escape, which has homeboy[Tanjirou] suddenly very awake"

"1000+ Year Old Man Doesn't Know What a Cat Is, more at 10"

"Nezuko gets Ghost GPS from Tanjurou, and promptly yeets herself off a cliff..."

"Meanwhile, Tanjirou can't breathe because of the blood he's choking on..."

"Tanjirou's ready to end a career and an existence"

"... free round of entrees"

"... Tanjirou is prepared for a multitude of felonies involving Muzan until Giyuu tells him to calm tf down"

"Yuichirou tries to get Muichirou to go back to the land of the living... like Muichirou hasn't been cut in half like Darth Maul"

"Spoiler alert! The dumb f***s don't standby!"

"Hello, Monster Head! I can already see the monster f***ers drooling all over this guy"

"Mama Tsugikuni is a queen, protecting her baby right after giving birth to twins"

"Gyomei casually alters his blood flow... as ya do"

"Then Sanemi whips out the foot sword, like the absolute madman he is"

"Being in complete control of the terrain has its perks, and is annoying for the opponents"

"Akaza realizes Tanjirou has gone Plant Mode..."

"... then the dumba** yells his intent"

"[Akaza] pokes at the wound labelled 'Kyojurou Rengoku'"

"Yay, Blood Demon Styptic(anti-BDA-Juice)"

"Zenitsu has balls now. Good for him"

"Go off, Queen! Poison him! Avenge your sister!"

"Muzan's a b**** who refuses to take responsibility for his role in messing up the world(... not surprised)"

"... Tanjirou violates his restraining order..."

"... he[Tanjirou] and Giyuu chat after the daylights are regained"

"(Tamayo is a menace, and she's great!)"

"... Tanjirou gets a restraining order"

"... Zenitsu gets chucked in a river and Inosuke gets CPR"

Not directly backwards, but these are some of my favourite quotes from the Volume 15-23 notes I took for the Demon Slayer manga.

It's not even every note I took. Some were very straightforward, others had humour to them.

[jazzyvlogs]

Just left the dentist, got my last round of fillings. I listened to BMB while getting my teeth done again because it calms my nerves. I didn't smoke the plant before going this time and my dentist was pleasantly pleased- also almost got my tongue cut trying not to laugh at nick getting MAULED by a cat. Absolutely love @patiently-burning's work.

(Does anyone else pretend like the drill hurts to get more shots to make sure there's no chance of you feeling pain because your extra numb?)

[o-wise-corvid]

1. Unwritten

2. DS9

3. Both. Depends on how I’m feeling but to love one is to love the other to me.

4. Warming up after a cold day.

5. Everything shower, good meal, good show, pets in bed with me.

6. Oxford Library from Frostgiant

7. My parents and grandparents

8. Quilts

9. Catching a huge catfish on a cane pole

10. My mom was playing with my arm fat and we got really tickled about it.

11. Hmmmm. I don’t. I don’t think so anyway. Maybe I should get one.

12. Being home.

13. Depends. If I’m heading to bed immediately, shower. If I have time, a bath.

14. My grandparents’ anniversary and Halloween!

15. Black eyed peas and cornbread.

16. A painting for my friend of her cat. (Shhhhhh)

17. When I’m told and held. I like to hear that I’m at least appreciated.

18. Now. 33.

19. HA absolutely not. To either. I’m not stupid enough to try to confess my feelings to any man I’ve ever fancied and no man has ever looked at me and thought “I’ve got to shoot my shot.” I’m just not made that way.

20. Sitting in the car with my great grandfather, people watching and eating candy. Feeding the seagulls.

21. Coffeeeeeeeeeeeeee

22. Maul😅

23. Yes! My grandfather sends me them sometimes

24. My dog. I used to have a best friend but we’ve since grown apart. I miss her but I also remember that she withdrew from me.

25. Either a deep ruby or a vibrant, living forest green.

26. Franklin, North Carolina. I’d bring my family, which means my pets. And I’d like to scoot my Discord herd a bit closer perhaps.

27. I do but it’s so hot here that I usually don’t. I do grow house plants though.

28. Being a good daughter, helping my parents. And my achievements in education.

29. God, I hope so. I try to be.

30. Drawing, writing, gaming, reading, houseplants. Cottagecore maybe????

✨soft asks✨

What song makes you feel better?

What is your go to comfort show?

Reading or writing? Why?

Whats your favorite feeling?

How do you like to take care of yourself?

What’s your favorite candle scent?

Who do you feel most like yourself around?

Whats a fabric/texture that’s nostalgic for you?

Best childhood moment?

When was the last time you laughed so hard you cried? (or just felt really good afterwards)

Do you have a comfort item? Tell us about it!

What calms you down?

Bath or shower to relax?

Whats something upcoming that you’re excited for?

Comfort food?

What’s something you want to create soon?

How do you feel best loved?

What age in life do you think you’ll feel most yourself at?

Have you ever written or received a love letter?

Tell us about a memory you hold close to your heart.

Tea, Coffee, or hot cocoa?

Name of your favorite playlist?

Have you ever received flowers?

Who is your bestfriend?

If your soul was a color, what would it be?

If you could live anywhere with anyone you want, where would it be and who would you bring?

Do you like to garden? Have you ever grown something?

What are you proudest of?

Are you a kind person?

What do your hobbies look like?

[sampokoskihsr]

i swear some kind of fae is playing tricks on my mother and i.

picture this: short, brown hair boy, laying in bed in his plant themed room. wakes up, notices his underwear are off. looks around, finds them on the floor by his bed. no biggie.

the next day, mother washes my lunch box for me. messages me, can't find the lid for the pot my strawberries go in. can't find it for 6 hours. no biggie, again.

next day again, i wake up with my sleep shirt and bra off. cant find them for ten minutes, find them. get suspicious, "what if someone's doing something to me in the night?"

and finally, today. i wake up, grab my phone to check the time. 5 am. and it feels weird, you know? so i flip it round, the case is gone. weird. but also NOT good. it has my card in it. and i need that.

search my room. search the hallway. search the bathroom, even peek in my mothers room. do this multiple times for a whole half an hour. i finally give in, defeated, and go back on my phone. doesn't feel weird anymore. lo and behold, the case is... back? ok, now im weirded out.

then tonight. mother and i are putting the washing away, and she cant find the lid to my lunchbox. we search and search and search once more. drying rack, cupboards, drawers, her bag, my bag, microwave, dishwasher, sink, washing machine. everywhere. and we still cant find it now.

im not one to believe in the supernatural. but... what?

edit: cats have been behaving weirdly too. 'cat a' has been sitting on my bed when he never has before, just caught him mauling the clothes basket too. 'cat b' got into a fight he's friendly (and maybe slightly flirty?) with. 'cat c' is fine for now.

[theknucklehead]

After going to see an ABBA cover band, I decided it would be fun to write my own song parody of one of their most famous songs (I'm also a huge fan of "Weird Al" Yankovic).

So here is the parody I wrote for ABBA's Mamma Mia!

I've been eating mushrooms since the very first game

Beating Goombas and Koopas, yes it's always the same

Breaking these blocks with these power-ups

Levels unlocked when the player is in control

Fire Flowers are in my soul

JUST ONE try before the stage is complete

ONE MORE life and then I'll call it defeat

Mamma mia

Here we go again

Wah-Hoo!

Tanuki suits forever

Mamma mia

Let's-a go again

Okie-dokie

Here's a super feather

Is this a house that's haunted

Boos are the ghosts that want it

D'oh! Oof!

Got hit by a Hammer Bro

Mamma mia

Let's restart and go

Yahoo!

It's the plumbers' super show

I've been running these levels just to get them all done

Found a warp pipe that goes to World 4-1

Look at me now riding a Yoshi

When I fall down, no sweat, Luigi picks up the slack

You know that he's got my back

GRAB THAT star to become invincible

PLATFORM jump until you hit the flagpole

Mamma mia

It's-a me again

You're Peach

Is in another castle

Mamma mia

Bowser's back again

Chain Chomps

Are really such a hassle

Cat suits for climbing up walls

Piranha Plants; they will maul

Oh no!

Let's avoid that angry sun

Mamma mia

Now we're having fun

Oh yeah!

Mario is number one!

[justalittletomato]

(Awwwww!!! I’m so glad to hear that!😁😁😁😁🥲)

Imagine Jet Puff deciding Maul needs therapy (Like SERIOUSLY) and sets it upon himself to get some spectacles, a book, and a sweater vest as Doctor Delicate Touch PHD! 😆 Next temporarily renovating Maul’s office into his therapy office, so that there’s plenty of posters with positive messages such as a sloth Cat poster saying “Hang in There”, potted plants, a small sandbox garden on a tasteful coffee table, a recliner chair, and a lounge couch for the patient. Woolley is also there as the therapy sheep, sometimes Atticus and Bebe are there as well for support.

FYI, Dr Delicate touch is not above kidnapping Maul and tying him down to the couch for a therapy session🤣

DOCTOR DELICATE TOUCH!!!

My my does Jet Puff wear many a hat! This is a very important Job and it is very much needed by that hot tempered Zabrak! Oh this might be his toughest case yet!!

Woolley waits patiently.

Atticus is growling a tad at Maul but agrees to help. Bebe needs some training still he keeps licking Mauls face.

Maul is yelling bloody murder at the audacity of such schemes!

Jet Puff pays it no mind nothing that some lavender essential oil can’t fix! He got a nice humidifier for it!

[saffronscales]

wc au where instead of squilf following leafpool it’s ashfur (more under cut)

leafpool goes on the journey as normal but ashfur also comes. she’s panicking because he will absolutely tell the clan about the kits when they’re born. her kits are showing more and more but ashfur doesn’t realise because. cmon. it’s ashfur. when her kits finally arrive however ashfur sees this as an opportunity to break squirrelflight’s heart (because they’ve broken up before the journey in this au) so he threatens to kill her and the kits. leafpool is terrified, not sure what to do when ashfur pounces on her. she finds a large stick nearby and brambleclaws him (impales him with a stick) ashfur, however, will not let this happen. he passes on as a ghost, now going to haunt the kits for the rest of their lives. leafpool has to come back to explain that ashfur was mauled by a fox and also she found these kittens nearby (which she says the ‘plant’ was a metaphor for) everyone believes her 100% except for squirrelflight, the queens and the elders, you can’t tell me they wouldn’t know the signs. so leafpool pulls squirrrelflight away for a moment and confesses that yes, these kits are hers. squirrelflight is like ‘okay you’re my sister so I still love you but you know you have dug yourself into a serious situation right’ leafpool is like ‘I know but it’s the best I can do’

meanwhile, ashfur is still haunting the three. jaypaw can feel a presence he cannot explain while lionblaze gets secret training from him instead of the dark forest because what was that. when the fire scene comes ashfur’s visibility is maxed out as he stays on the rock, threatening to kill the kits squirrelflight cared deeply about. either that, or tell them the truth. she can’t bring herself to do either until hollyleaf started to wince at the burns the fire made as it got closer. she decided to tell them the truth knowing leafpool will forgive her if she knew the circumstances. it goes on as normal except hollyleaf doesn’t kill ashfur, she contaminates the moonpool because she believes that ashfur is part of StarClan (which he is not)

ok I might work on this more later

edit: I’ve decided that ashfur manages to kill jaykit before he dies. StarClan is freaking out, this wasn’t meant to happen??? meanwhile jaykit is confused and disoriented and scared about all these strangers yowling, did he do something wrong? leafpool grieves for him and can’t ever say anything to anyone. when the moonpool is contaminated, jaykit finds that he should figure out what is going on and finds his two siblings. since all StarClan cats are spirits roaming because the moonpool expelled them out for their safety, jaykit is able to find his two siblings. he remembers them, but they don’t remember him. hollyleaf snaps at him since he is a product of StarClan, the same apparitions that supposedly ruined her life.

[waithyuck]

TRICKY

pairing: elf! na jaemin x reader (f) **halloweenie special**

genre: smut, supernatural au

word count: 3k

warnings: {OKAY IM PUTTING A WARNING FOR VERY MILD *DUB-CON* BC TECHNICALLY THE READER IS TRICKED , BUT IN THE END OBVIOUSLY CONSENTS, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED}, sexual content (fingering, dry humping), explicit language, use of several pet names, possessive behavior and vocabulary, reader just wants to find her damn cat but gets a whole lot more than that, bad attempts at explaining folklore, I’m sorry for any inaccuracies 😬 **ALSO UNEDITED**

a/n: **repost bc tumblr sucks** this is definitely more of my own spin on what I think an elf would be like, so sorry to those of you who are into the lore and stuff 🥺

< previous | next >

~10/14/2020~

~~~~

your grandmother was always a very smart woman, and you knew that very well. so when she told you not to do something, you made sure to NEVER do it.

you lived with her on the very outskirts of your town; your own backyard made up of a very dense forest with enough trees in it to block out almost all sunlight. your bedroom window faced the forest, and every night you were forced to stare at it as you sat at your desk, contemplating what went on in there.

your grandmother repeatedly told you to never go in there, no matter what, ever since you were a child. she would talk about all kinds of crazy things, like witches and faeries, and even elves.

the first time she told you about the dark forest, you were only six years old.

“you can’t go in there, y/n.” she said seriously, crouching before you as you stood in the kitchen with her. “no matter how much it may call you, you can never enter it.”

you didn’t understand, so of course, in typical child fashion, you questioned her.

“well why not?” you shot back, crossing your arms and pouting. she stood back up after looking at you for a second, going back to mixing brownie batter in a large bowl.

“the fae are dangerous creatures. the forest is littered with them, my dear.” she stopped for a moment, gazing out the kitchen window and into the thick gathering of trees and plant life. “the elves will claim you once you enter, and you may never be able to escape again.”

after that, she didn’t say much else to you about it.

at first, you thought she was just trying to scare you into not wandering off, but after a while you began to believe her.

there would be strange noises in the night; like whispers calling out to you from the direction of your window. it creeped you out but you tried to convince yourself it was just your imagination playing tricks on you.

your life continued on like that for years, and eventually it didn’t phase you at all. you were used to the nightly whispers now, and even your cat didn’t seem to mind them, if she could hear them at all.

you never told your grandmother about them, however. she was getting old and you didn’t want to be the reason she had a heart attack, as awful as that sounded.

for being as old as she was, she still got around pretty good, and there were days when she left you along for a good few hours to go out on walks with her other old lady friends.

it was really cute.

today was just like any other day like that; your grandmother left around eleven in the morning to go out, leaving you some breakfast on the counter for when you inevitably stumbled out of your room at one o’clock in the afternoon.

everything seemed normal. you ate in silence and scrolled through your phone at the kitchen table, but then noticed something was right.

looking around you, you noticed your cat was nowhere in sight. she would usually be up on the table sitting and staring at you or rubbing against your leg for no reason, but currently she was nowhere to be found.

at first you just assumed she was sleeping somewhere else, but after eating you searched the house and couldn’t find her anywhere. walking back into the kitchen you happened to glance outside and your heart jumped in your chest.

then you started to panic.

looking out into the backyard you saw her stark white fur disappear into the thick brush of the forest, and you almost screamed out loud at the sight.

“fuck,” you exclaimed, your heart racing and your mind thinking of all the ways to try to get her back. you were always advised to not go into the forest...but you couldn’t let your poor cat who you loved very dearly to get mauled out there by some bigger animal.

you had to go after her.

you mustered you all the courage you had inside you, not bothering to change out of your ratty shorts and t-shirt before shoving your feet in your sneakers. you let out a shaky breath as you walked into your backyard, staring down the darkness of the forest with determination.

as you apprehensively made your way to the very entrance of the brush, you spotted a large crooked stick, and didn’t hesitate to grab it to use as a weapon if necessary.

you didn’t want to be completely defenseless against any supernatural creatures you came across. you had a gut feeling that running into one would be inevitable, and the fear rang like a siren in the back of your mind like a sonata.

the ‘do not enter’ and ‘keep out: danger’ signs did nothing to ease your pounding heart and screaming nerves, but you pressed on regardless. you had to do this, for your stupid cat.

with one large step, you passed the boundary of the trees, the wind picking up as soon as you did. a chill ran down your spine but you kept your legs moving, careful not to break your ankles on any protruding roots. it was incredibly dark, even though the sun was high in the sky, but the leaves of the towering trees cut out almost all light.

you stumbled around aimlessly for what felt like hours, but in reality it had only probably been about 45 minutes before you stopped and took a breather. checking your phone for the time, you felt a pang in your chest when you realized that it was off, and wouldn’t turn back on no matter how hard you tried.

“fuck,” you muttered, fear creeping up on your soul once again. you really didn’t want to be in this forest longer than necessary, and you really seriously contemplated just leaving your cat behind, as horrible as that was.

your eyes gazed around, taking in the trees surrounding you. nothing seemed too out of the ordinary...all though you really though you saw a few small dashes of light fly around you through your periphery. you prayed that they weren’t pixies or fairies of whatever else your grandmother told you about.

you didn’t trust anything, no matter how beautiful or non-threatening they seemed to be on the outside.

“hello there.” a voice spoke out suddenly, causing you to jump and spin around, dropping your makeshift weapon in the process.

your eyes met the sight of a young man who looked to be around your age, with a slightly unsettling smile upon his face. he was almost too handsome; the beauty that emanated from him in waves was incredibly addicting, and you felt the pull of him immediately. it was hard to tear your eyes away, and that scared you.

you had no idea where he had come from, nor did you know how he managed to so quietly sneak up behind you like he did. you definitely would have heard him coming, considering the amount of twigs and leaves littering the ground at your feet.

your heart raced at the possibility of who, or what, he was, your mind trying to go through everything your sweet old grandmother ever told you. some inner part of you already knew what you were dealing with.

“don’t hurt yourself, darling,” the man spoke again, referencing to your mind working in overtime. he took a step forward toward you, and in turn you took a large stumbling step back. he watched you move, chuckling. “I’m jaemin, care to tell me your name?”

“n-no,” you managed to say, your hands clutched at your chest as you tried to calm your racing heart. you swore you saw his eyes flicker a bright aquamarine for a moment before returning back to brown as his smile faltered slightly. It came back a split second later.

“you’re a smart girl,” he purred, most likely realizing that you knew he wasn’t human, inching closer once more. you felt frozen, unable to step back like you truly wanted to, and you willed yourself not to panic. “you know what I am, I presume?”

your lips shook as you opened your mouth to speak, your tongue running over your chapped lips and he watched every single movement, causing your body to shiver.

“I have a-an idea,” you softly whispered, not breaking eye contact as he stopped in front of you. he didn’t say a word, only smiling at you as you stayed frozen in your spot. one word screamed in your mind: elf. you didn’t even have to look at his pointed ears to deduct that. the vibe he gave off was abundantly clear, even if you had never encountered another being of his kind before.

it didn’t feel like he was compelling you; it was more or less your reaction to the immense shock and fear you felt, coming in contact with a creature your grandmother always warned you about.

and it’s all because of your dumb cat.

“l-look dude, I’m just trying to find my cat.” you stated strongly now, holding your ground as best you could as he looked at you intensely, that slightly unsettling smile never leaving his face.

“once it entered the forest it became mine.” he simply retorted, leaning against the tree trunk beside him. “anything that passes the trees here belongs to me…” he paused for a moment, his eyes now glowing a full bright aquamarine, startling you as he seared his gaze through your very soul. “so I guess that means you’re mine as well. how lucky.”

the elf spoke softly, but there was an edge to his tone that made you shiver, paired with his choice of words.

“I-I’m not..” you stuttered, your fists clenched by your sides. was he the ruler of the forest? some sort of elf king?

“you’re not?” he asked, chuckling to himself as he pushed his body from the tree, slowly slithering toward you on his bare feet. “did you not hear what I said? everything in this forest is mine. that includes living creatures,” you had no willpower to move away as he crowded your space, his glowing eyes paralyzing you as his body drew closer and closer. “I wonder what I should do with my new possession.” he smirked to himself, reaching a pale hand out to gently cup your chin, laughing lowly as you instinctively flinched. “you are without a doubt the prettiest thing I’ve seen enter my domain in years, princess. I’ve been waiting for you.”

his last sentence threw you off, but for a moment your brain couldn’t remember the whispers you heard all those years, and it didn’t click. you couldn’t deny that this elf man was attractive; and you couldn’t deny the fact that his voice had your legs weakening with every word he spoke. you cursed yourself mentally for being affected by him, because deep down you were aware of the danger of encountering elves.

thinking back to your cat, you wondered why she would have left the house in the first place. she was lazy and never wanted to really move...unless something was calling her…

your heart seemed to stop beating and your blood ran cold.

“you tr-tricked me…” you said in realization, your eyes widening. “you tricked me into coming in here, using m-my cat!” your voice was panicked and you found it hard to breathe. then, your brain finally figured it out. “you’re the one that’s been whispering to me all these years, aren’t y-you?”

he smiled at you with dark aquamarine eyes, and now you weren’t sure how you were going to get yourself out of this mess.

you weren’t entirely sure you wanted to get out of this mess.

wait, what?, your eyes widened at your own thoughts, where did that come from??

suddenly and without warning, your entire body was grasped in his hold. his hands dominantly gripped your waist and flipped you around so that your front was smacked up against a tree, the sharp bark scratching your cheek as your face was scraped against it.

“you’re my kitty now.” his voice whispered directly into your ear, his breath causing your body to visibly shiver in his hold.

you didn’t mean to whine, you really didn’t, but when he his teeth found your ear and nibbled gently on the skin, you couldn’t hold it in. your legs trembled beneath you as your knees weakened, the feeling of his warm body pressed tightly against your back leaving you wanting more and more.

he pressed deceivingly sweet kisses along your neck, your hands clutching the bark of the tree in response, your nails scratching along the surface. you jolted when you felt his right hand move down your front and nestle between your legs, putting pressure right against your covered center.

“hmm, you want it, don’t you?” he mumbled quietly, his chest rumbling against your back. “your thoughts are so loud, I know you can’t resist me.”

your thighs clenched in anticipation as he ran his long fingers delicately along your core through your shorts, and you let out a breathy whimper in response.

he tsk’d at you, giving your pussy a light slap through the thin fabric before completely drawing it away. “I wanna hear you say yes, kitty.”

his voice was demanding as he spoke, and you couldn’t disobey.

with your eyes glazing over, you gripped the tree trunk tightly and mewled out, “yes!”

you could practically hear him smirk, his chuckling causing you to grow even more wet as he finally slipped his hand down your front and into your shorts. when his long finger reached your bare and sensitive nub, you could help but arch your back, causing your ass to press tightly against his rapidly hardening cock. he groaned right in your ear, his hips bucking and grinding against your behind in time with his strokes against your clit.

“you’re already so wet, darling,” he moaned out, dipping his finger down to circle your entrance. “I could just...slide right in.” with those words, he slipped his index finger into you in one clean movement, his long finger reaching deep inside your pussy.

you cried out when the tip of his finger brushed a sweet spot inside you, and you heard him groan in response, a deep chuckle following.

“good girl,” he muttered, casually slipping his middle finger inside you beside his pointer. the stretch had you throwing you head back, giving him access to your pretty neck. “be as loud as you want, baby. it’s just me, you, and the forest now.”

his hips grinding against your from behind never ceased, and he thrusted his fingers to the same rhythm as his hips. he was literally fingerfucking you; before you knew it he was adding a third finger.

to help with the burn of the stretch, he reached his free hand down and used two fingers to pinch and roll your clit, making you squeeze your eyes shut and clench your teeth at the sudden immense pleasure you were feeling.

it was embarrassing, but you were already so close to reaching your high. you really wanted this feeling to last forever, so you tried to hold it as long as you could.

the noises escaping from you only grew louder the harder he went; the powerful strokes from his hips driving you into the bark of the tree and his fingers plowing deep inside you had you practically screaming.

his lips found your neck and he left wet kisses there, his grains and growls only enhancing your feelings of ecstasy. he sounded like sin, and even though he was an elven boy that you had just stumbled across, you knew you didn’t want him to leave your life. you never wanted to live in a world where you couldn’t hear his moans, and that thought almost terrified you. the effect he was having on you was extremely intense, and you weren’t sure if it was normal, but at this point you were far too gone to care.

“are you gonna cum, kitty?” he strained out, breaking you out of your thought as his hips stuttered against your ass, his fingers still powerfully fucking into you. you could only nod desperately, your throat sore from the guttural sounds you were releasing.

he let out a breathy laugh, causing your walls to flutter around his digits. “then cum. I wanna feel you fucking drench my fingers.”

his words were all it took for you to let go. you screamed as you came, your nails scratching against the tree as your cheek scraped sharply on the bark, most likely drawing blood. your pussy clamped so hard around his fingers that he could barely move them in and out of you, so he drew circles over your clit to help you ride out your orgasm.

his hips pressed tightly against you, and you could feel through your own pants the wet spot on the front of his, indicating that he had cum as well.

after a powerful minute of cumming, you felt your eyes droop in exhaustion almost immediately. jaemin withdrew his fingers from you, wiping your essence on his pants before grouping your waist to keep you from collapsing. you definitely would have fallen if it weren’t for his hold on you.

he gently lowered you to the ground, turning your body so your back was able to rest against the trunk. he wiped at the scratches on your cheek with his thumb, but even though it stung you didn’t have the energy to flinch.

“go to sleep, precious.” he said softly, still stroking your face lovingly. his gentle nature should have set off all of the alarms in your mind and body, but you didn’t have enough energy to care.

in the back of your mind you realized that you probably would never see your cat or your grandmother again, and that you would most likely be trapped in this forest with jaemin for the rest of your days on earth. you didn't want to think about it now, so you took his advice and allowed your eyes to close, dreaming of jaemin and nothing else.

maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.

[bellafragolina]

I am madlad, I did it. I actually did it! My (second, actually) trainersona based on a fan game! I though about introducing them to you(as promised), so here they are ^^

Name: Their name is Wren, it means "bird"! Or "a small bird", I am not quite sure, different sites gave me, of course, different information. Also, I am a sucker for names with the meaning, I absolutely love them

Age: They are only 18, but they'll soon turn 19. Fun fact, they've never drank or smoked, despite their maturity. In that house they respect healthy lifestyle.

Home region: Tandor, of course! A unique region with unique Pokémons, unique Leaders and, most importantly, with three Nuclear Plants (well, actually, two? One of them suffered a literal nuclear meltdown.. Okay, I'll stop-).

Personality: They are not a very social person, so getting used to new people for them is quite difficult. Being not used to hustle and bustle also is not a pleasant bonus - time to time headaches caused by either noise, either crowds make their head slowly descend into madness, even though they are not that painful, just extremely annoying. And then, when they got used to everything (and new people), they become the "I am currently running on 6 hours of sleep, suicidal thoughts and an oreo, and I am ready to fight god or become him!!" vine. However, you can predict their actions, they are not that chaotic and won't try to figure out how much berries or golf balls could fit in their mouth or could they drink a gallon of chocolate milk without taking any breath. Simply, at first, they are shy, reserved, closed like a clam, and when they warm up, they become very active and quite chaotic.

Pokémon:

Nuclear Gyarados named Leviathan. The most protective (and feral, despite cleansing) Pokémon of Wren. Despite his definitely not welcoming appearance, he acts like a loyal Stoutland to his trainer, ready to fight at her side. Although, he can act a little bit more stubborn when he is in particularly evil, sad or bored mood. Often used for traveling on water.

Gellin named Amor. The goofy happy buzzing thing that often follows them around, mainly at home. It happily troats over to them, nuzzling their cheeks, making bubbly noises, despite not having any sights of mouth (and despite being not that intelligent or empathetic). This Amoeba Pokémon clings to their back like a backpack, and that's partly the reason of their straight spine - this squishy guy weights almost 38.3 kg/84.4 Ibs.

Dramsama named Majesty. Verrry spoiled Pokémon, she was surrounded with affection and toys since Wren caught her and since she was a Masking. That made her personality a little bit bratty, mischievous (a bit malevolent, I might even say) with one soft spot for her human. She is also capable of being quite violent and jealous, when someone is trying to do something with her fluff/feathers, or her Trainer. To sum up - Bratty Pokémon with a soft spot that won't hesitate before flinging her opponents into the ground with a lot of vigor. When Majesty feels especially good, she tries to decorate Wren's hair with her feathers that had fallen out of her tail.

Duplicat named Omelpha (Omega + Alpha). Like a Ditto, but more cat-like. Copycat Pokémon can be often seen scuttling around the house, trying to kick things off the tables, screaming like they are being mauled, only to get pats on the head and a lot of berries in their bowl. This mon is one of the two on Wren's team that can disguise themselves as other Pokémon - Although, Omelpha does that more willingly than Majesty. And eagerly. Their favourite disguise is an Eevee or any eeveelution. But mostly they'll disguise themselves as a little cute Eevee that likes to playfully pounce on people and that purrs like a diesel engine.

Astronite named Drop. Overly curious Pokémon that tries to touch everything it wants and anyone who awoke interest in them. They once almost broke out of their Pokéball when they sensed some "strange aroma", which turned out to be Vespiquen's honey. After that Wren were running towards the streets faster than a Zebstrika that was struck by lightning. Astronite also can get fairy distracted from the battle when they see something exciting: most of the time those "exciting" things are Pokémons, gimmicks (Mega Evolutions, Z-Moves or Dyna/Gigantamax), rarely people. And if it is a human person, then they'll have a 1.7 meters tall Pokémon making cooing noises over them.

Chainite named Substitute. Wren received them through trading, that one trainer, gifted them this Pokémon with the stating that he is simply unable to take care of them because of personal problems. Substitute, at first, refused to come out of their Pokéball since they were not that trusting to any trainers. And Wren, of course. When they came out of their Pokéball, it took quite a lot of time for them to warm up to the new owner and stop biting them. And stop trying to tear every given toy. Substitute, however, still has those remnants of that behaviour, but they are slowly fading away as Chainite practically melts under Wren's touch.

Story/Bio: Wren were born in Vinovile town, always been surrounded by love and any kinds of affection. And then, Vinovile was covered in radiation that took a form of a thick green cloud with metal tasting. They, among other people, were evacuated by TRU, and now they were waiting in Legen town, alone. It was not hard, it was harder. They got separated from their parents in evacuation and they weren't able to find them for some days, or even week, they don't actually remember. But! They've found them! Yes, the family has reunited, but it wasn't clear when they'll be able to return to their home. And then, they asked their parents for a permission to travel to other regions, since they, despite loving their home, wanted to see other places. Aaaand, basically, that's how they ended up in Unova for now!

Facts: -They have a lot of tattoos of Legendary Pokémon of their region on the body. Aotius on the right leg, Mutios on the left one, Baitatao on the neck, Leviathao on the back, Krakanao on the lower back and, their personal favourite, Lanthan and Actan fighting on the chest. They are definitely not afraid of needles. -Piercings! Septum one and tongue one. That's all. Were on edge to do a nipple one, but the common sense took action and stopped them from doing that. -Once tried to evolve Corsola into Corsoreef while they were in Alola. Someone caught it on camera and now there are several meme videos where Wren violently shakes a toy in the Corsola's face. They ended up taking Pokémon with them, though. -They once were so nervous, that they punched someone in the gut at some point. That someone was Grimsley.. Still in Alola. However, they couldn't see his face since they ran off as fast as they can. -Not used to people seeing their tattoos, hence why they wear closed clothes. Like, they even can wear a mantle. In fact, they almost always wear a black mantle decorated with a radiation symbol on its back. -Can't properly pronounce "f", it comes out as "ph". Imagine their rage at any word with an "f" in it. -They often write random poems inspired by random things they've saw. However, they are way to shy to show them to anyone.

That's.. Probably all, at least for now. Their art is not ready yet, but I'll show it to you when it'll be ready! For now, I'll go. Have a nice day/evening!

-Dearly your reader, Victusordovitreus.

Yeah okay

Your oc is one of the coolest people ive ever seen

Ye like tattoos of legendaries? Hella

And their aura? So good

Their pokemon? Top tier I love each and every one of them I adore them I do

I don’t know much about the region their from, but it sounds super interesting!!! You have to tell me more when you can!! Please?

Ahh Wren and Ren sound the same yeah? Instant besties, to Ren at least, lolol

~Renee

[lesamis]

Please tell us about the books you've been reading!

😭​ that's what i'd love to be doing 24/7 actually, thank you for giving me an excuse to, anon!

i recently finished dead collections by isaac fellman, a short-ish novel about an undead archivist, the widow he falls in love with, a very haunted bequest, navigating work life as a vampire, and Adventures In Gender. it took me a while to make friends with this narrative voice, but i ended up feeling very fond of it; when it's not being acerbic and self-deprecating, it's sweet and hysterically funny. 9/10, recommend.

my current full-time read is mayhem & death by helen mcclory, a short story collection (? there's a framing narrative in there somewhere) about gloom and folklore and grief and horror and maybe the sea. i've rarely read anything like it. the stories are disjointed but largely share the same tone, the prose is familiar but unsettling - if i had to find a point of reference, i'd probably say some of them remind me a little bit of the way statements are written on tma. i've been finding it difficult to finish precisely because it is so atmospheric, and i feel like i should be in a cabin on the seashore during a storm reading it.

and then the post from earlier is actually already outdated because i'm an impatient fool & started reading the bone people the moment i got my hands on it today, and i love every word so far. its style is surprising and keeps you on your toes, sort of like poetry would, and i love books that are so rooted in specific places that they allow you to really feel the writer's affection for them. that's why i wanted to read this novel in the first place: a while ago, a friend of my mum's who spent a lot of time in new zealand as a girl gave us her book collection to rifle through, and i picked up two of hulme's poetry books. i devoured strands. here's one of my favourite passages:

"You would not know just by looking but under that corner of my lawn is the corpse of a shining cuckoo which, in ecstatic prospect of the Bismarck archipelago, failed to notice my window - and there lies nextdoor's cat after mauling once too long once too often/my home fantails one May morning, and under here I buried the remains of my heart - o, the potatoes? Like the sunchokes they are self-sown - well, at least I never planted them - yes it is a green well-nourished lawn."

and then, finally, i'm slowly making my way through another poetry collection, the new testament by jericho brown. this one i received for my birthday, and it's the type of book to take your time with, even though the poems are quite short; it would feel like an injustice to them not to try your best to pick apart the intertextuality in each one. i think i was given this book because of how much i enjoyed something that may shock and discredit you. both are very moving explorations of religion, selfhood, and gender.

[mylordshesacactus]

Feeling emotional about my cat again so I thought, why not actually like....explain...what I mean when I say her name has like a billion different layers of symbolism (to contrast Hazard, whose name is A Hazard To Society because within fifteen minutes of being adopted he tried to crash the car because he was just so happy he HAD to climb into my lap and lick my face while I was doing 70 on the highway.)

(To be clear, we take great care while transporting our animals. Since Julis didn’t know before meeting him who we were going home with, though, we couldn’t buy a crate or harness in advance. He didn’t get anywhere near causing an actual danger or distraction; he was on a leash and Julis was right next to him to hold him back. It was funny, not a near-tragedy, because nobody was ever in danger.)

Anyway. My girl.

First and foremost, “nepenthe” is a reference to a mythical draught in the Odyssey; a potion that erases bad memories. Colloquially it carries a connotation of something that doesn’t cause memory loss, just....healing. Washing away pain and trauma, blunting the edges; turning an open wound into a scar so that you can live your life. Nepenthe was marked “at risk” and days from moving into the “extreme risk” category in an open-intake shelter*, a former outdoor cat seized by court order who was so stressed and so emotionally messed-up that she couldn’t be taken out of her cage despite rubbing against my hand through the bars and purring; because her mood could change without warning, and the shelter staff had been mauled before trying to get her back in. I wanted to give her a hopeful name.

It was a change from her shelter name, and, well. I was raised by a sailor. It’s very, very bad luck to change a ship’s name, because changing her name strips her of her identity and of everything that her crew has given her over the years--luck, prayers, care, hopes and dreams. However, if a ship has suffered bad luck, been mishandled or poorly treated, it CAN be good luck to rename her for those same reasons--giving her a fresh start, a new soul. “Dot” was the name of a scared neglect-case cat in the shelter; Nepenthe doesn’t have to be defined by those experiences. 

More than a direct Odyssey reference, her name was a reference to a reference. What I had in mind was actually a line from The Raven:  “Wretch!” I cried. “Thy God hath lent thee--by his angels he hath sent thee-- Respite, respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore--” So, you know. The “draught of healing” symbolism goes both ways--for Penny herself, and because like any rescue cat she brought something wonderful to my life and I can’t imagine not having her.

It’s not a coincidence that she has the same name as the sailboat my dad was working to restore from terrible neglect and mishandling (and a really stupid, meaningless name) while my mom was going through cancer treatments. The name and everything it meant got seared into me. So did this--boats, like pets, become what we put into them and that starts with a name. A meaningless name is bad, but imagine what you’re courting by giving an emotionally-unstable cat a name like “shadow” or “demon” or something. It affects how we see them and that affects what they grow into. She needed a name that was...gentle. Kind. To give her something to become.

It can be shortened to “Penny,” which is a nice little reference to the copper undertones in her fur when sunlight hits her at the right angle.

“Penny” also plays into the lovely irony of a black cat being named after a good-luck charm. Find a Penny, pick it up...

By sheer random luck, “nepenthe” is also the genus name of a group of pitcher plants...which are sun-powered, beautiful, and eat small animals. Just like a cat.

AND THEN THERE’S HAZARD--

* A responsible and conscientious one, with extremely dedicated staff who do their absolute best; there is a huge stray-cat problem in that area, and part of ensuring that no cat in need is ever turned away means having to make impossible calls when space runs out. They do excellent work and care deeply about their animals, and were beyond thrilled when she finally found a home.

[mowulf]

You Gotta be Kitten Me

CH 2: It's only a flesh wound

A note on cat breeds, because I don’t feel like spending an absurd amount of time describing them. (Also only Spy would have any idea what the different breeds are because he’s fancy like that.) From largest to smallest:

Heavy - Blue maine coon. He’s the largest by weight and length and has the cat equivalent of resting bitch face.

Sniper - Savannah cat. He’s the tallest, but he’s lanky and not nearly as long as Heavy.

Demoman - You know those cats that are so black they’re basically walking black holes? Yeah, that’s him.

Spy - Tuxedo cat. Primarily black with white fingers, white chin, and a white triangle on this neck and chest. When he sits up straight he does, indeed, look like he’s wearing a tiny, furry suit.

Soldier - Siamese. He’s loud. He’s obnoxious. And he makes sure you know he’s there.

Scout - Egyptian Mau/DSH mix. Egyptian Maus are the fastest domestic cat breed, reaching up to 30 mph, and can leap absurdly high. While he’s got the build of a Mau, the DSH shows in his calico coat.

Pyro - Ruddy Abyssinian. They look vaguely burnt and, like Scout, are quite small. Yes, they wear a sock on their head. No, you won't be able to convince them to take it off.

-----

“Gentlemen, we have a situation,” Spy said as he looked around the room. The other cats stopped what they were doing and approached. No point delaying the conversation.

“Yeah, tell me about it,” Scout said as he trotted over to shove Spy. “How come y’all get ta be so much bigger ‘n’ me? ‘S not fair.”

“That is beside the point, Scout.”

“That is exactly the point!”

”Scout.” Spy planted a paw on Scout’s head and pushed him away. Sniper got the hint and gently but firmly shooed Scout to the opposite side of the forming circle.

Demoman took a seat next to the awkward pair while Sniper attempted to figure out a way to gently pin Scout without accidentally crushing him and casually curled his tail around his paws. “It’s not all that bad,” he said casually. “We’re smaller, so we’ll be harder to hit. Pro’ly faster, too.”

Spy folded his ears and sighed deeply. “Really? Really? That’s what we’re going with? ‘It’s not so bad.’ Are you listening to yourself?”

Sniper flicked his tail and snapped, “Yeah, mate, we heard him just fine. What’s your problem?”

“My problem is a distinct lack of thumbs. Or did you forget?” The group fell silent as everyone examined their hands. Once he was satisfied that enough time had passed, Spy continued, “We didn’t just lose a few inches. Sniper is, at best, as long as his rifle, I can’t even hold a knife let alone stab anyone, and I’m reasonably certain the intelligence is twice Scout’s size.” He straightened up and settled a glare around the group. “We’re useless at best. Hell, Medic and Engineer would likely have an easier time in the next mission if we all just stayed at base. Especially if they have Heavy.”

A heavy silence descended on the circle. After a few moments Soldier stood up and yelled, “That’s still no excuse to not fight! We have claws! We have teeth! We’ll just have to fight them the old fashioned way!” His tail lashed as he spoke and at the end he reared back and swiped at the air.

Sniper was quick to shut that down by yelling, “That’s assuming we can even get close to anyone!” He puffed up and growled, high and deep. “We’re too small. We might catch someone off guard the first time, but then everyone will know to look out for us. Alone we stand no chance. As a group, we’re too obvious!”

“‘Sides, we need to get their intelligence back to base. Mission doesn’t end until someone has someone else’s briefcase,” Scout snapped, ready to jump up only to be pressed back into the floor when Sniper stepped on him.

“Those are the words of a coward! There are no cowards here! Or do I need to remind you maggots of that?” Soldier took a step forward, legs stiff and tail lashing in anger.

Sniper lowered his head and curled his lips in a snarl. “If you think I’m going to just throw myself into enemy fire with no hope of walking away, you’re a fool.” Scout squeaked as Sniper stepped on him to approach Soldier. Scout wanted nothing to do with the fight that was about to break out. While Sniper had the upper hand in terms of size, Soldier more than made up for that in crazy.

On the sidelines, the other mercs chimed in trying to break up the fight before it began, but no one was willing to actually get close. Even human, Soldier was not a force to be reckoned with. Once Sniper was no longer standing on him, Scout joined the rest in the safe zone.

Sniper and Soldier approached each other stiffly until there was only a few inches between them. Soldier’s tail continued to lash dramatically while Sniper’s only twitched at the end. For a long minute the pair simply glared and growled.

Soldier made the first move. Sniper flinched back when Soldier lunged forward, allowing the smaller cat to latch onto his neck and shoulder, back legs tearing at whatever they could reach. Sniper shrieked, swatted a couple times at Soldier, before running toward the nearest wall and throwing himself Soldier-first into it. Yelling broke out from everywhere, a combination of cat howls and human shock.

The impact didn’t knock Soldier loose and only seemed to make him more aggressive. The cat twisted and sank his claws deeper into Sniper’s shoulder while pulling with his teeth until he felt something give. Sniper responded by slamming into the wall three more times in quick succession, finally stunning Soldier enough to make him start to lose grip. That was all Sniper needed to finally stick his foot under Soldier and rip the other cat off.

He stumbled back a couple steps before lunging forward with a yell, only to be slammed into the ground by Medic. One hand grabbed the scruff of his neck and the other a fistful of loose skin near his rump and hauled him back, spitting and screaming. Engineer scooped Soldier before he could launch back at Sniper.

The two spit curses and profanities at each other until Demoman leapt between them and bellowed “SHUT UP!” Silence. “Soldier,” he turned to face, “this is not cowardice or abandonment. Think of it as a tactical retreat until we can figure out how to get the upper hand back.”

“That’s true,” Spy said. “We’re at a disadvantage. We need to figure something out.”

“But-” Soldier flinched when Demoman trotted up and bopped him on the nose. “We can’t-” Another bop. “Would you-” Bopbopbop Demoman stopped and hopped away when Engineer waved him off.

Once he was sure that Soldier had shut up, he turned his attention to Sniper. “And you!” Sniper bristled but remained silent. “If yer gonna fight, take it outside. You know th’ rules.”

More silence. Everyone waited tensely until Sniper finally sighed and Soldier relaxed. A collective sigh was released and the tension finally drained from the room.

“I’m going to need the medigun,” Medic announced. “I’ll be right back.” With that he released Sniper and left the room.

Soldier wriggled out of Engineer’s grip and the man made another grab for him but stopped when he saw the cats regather into the circle. Scout made a couple laps of the malformed circle, chirping in distress until Sniper finally dragged himself into their original spot, at which point he tucked himself firmly into the larger cat’s side. He made a few more distressed chirps as he eyed the mauled fur and flesh but was silenced when Sniper lay a paw across his back.

“Establishing communication should be our top priority,” Spy said once the circle had been properly reformed. “We can’t do much if Medic and Engineer can’t understand us.”

The other cats nodded and made various sounds of agreement only to fall silent when a deep voice rumbled, “Da.” Everyone turned to see an absolutely massive maine coon staring down at them. Even Pyro did a double take before scooting to the side to make space. There was a moment of reshuffling before Heavy finally took a spot and lay down, careful to tuck his lugs beneath him. “Doktor is dangerous. Keep distance and avoid his room.” He paused for a second, then added, “Avoid medbay, too. Anywhere he keeps birds.”

The circle gave another chorus of agreement. If Heavy was giving the warning, then extra caution needed to be used. Right as Spy was about to resume the conversation, Medic reentered, paused, and said, “Heavy?” Heavy looked up, flicked his tail, and then pointedly looked away. Sniper looked between the two before deciding they needed space. “I’ll be back,” he muttered before pushing himself to his feet and limping over to Medic.

Spy coughed to draw everyone’s attention. “As I said before, we’ll need to establish some form of communication. Does anyone have any suggestions?”

“What about morse code?” Soldier asked.

Spy hummed. “Not a bad idea, assuming either of them know any. I know a little, but not nearly enough.”

“Do you know enough to get food?” Scout whined, stretching and rolling onto his back dramatically. “I’m dyin’ over here!”

“Scout-”

“No! Shut up!” He hopped onto his feet and puffed. “I didn’t eat supper on account of I wasn’t feelin’ good, and we ain’t had breakfast. I can smell bacon an’ I’m starving!”

“Mmph! Mr hnng trr,” Pyro chirped, also jumping up and circling in place. Spy smacked his face and groaned, knowing that there was no hope of getting the impromptu meeting back on track. Not with Scout and Pryo now feeding each other’s energy. Best to get them both fed before they worked each other into a frenzy.

“What’d I miss?” Sniper asked as he returned to the circle.

“Somethin’ somethin’ marsh code an’ Spy’s gonna get us food,” Scout announced before anyone else could speak. Pyro hopped over, muffled chattering displaying their excitement over the prospect of finally getting to eat something. The rest of the mercs were eagerly discussing breakfast as Demoman took the lead toward the cafeteria.

Medic and Engineer watched as the cats all began filing out of the room. As Heavy passed, Medic leaned down to try and grab Heavy, only to jerk back when the cat whipped around and snapped at him. Heavy gave an angry huffed before ambling after the rest.

“Well,” Engineer said slowly, “That was… interesting.” He stood up from his spot on the floor and stretched. “What do you recon they’re up to now?”

Medic ran a hand through his hair, sighed, and hefted the end of the medigun off the floor where he’d set it after treating Sniper. “Don’t know. Don’t care. Keep an eye on them. I’m going to call Miss Pauling.”

“Good luck with that.”

Engineer trailed after the small army of cats while Medic heaved another sigh and made his way back to the medical bay. The medigun was easily put away and he took a moment to pet Archimedes before he left in search of the base phone. If he was lucky, Pauling would be free enough to swing by the base. She could wrangle everyone under control and figure out what to do next. Or at least give him some pointers on how to take care of cats. Then he’d have to run to town and get cat food.

Fun.