#tw implied animal abuse

[shrimpwritings]

Figured I should post my Art Fight attacks on here since I’m a little more active.

Anyway, this boy is Mace, owned by mintyrainbow15, and he was the subject for my first attack! He’s had a rough life as a test subject for an onsite lab located on Isla Sorna, but he was still super fun to draw!

[talonslockau]

Forest of Secrets - Chapter 7

Chapter 6 || Index || Chapter 8

WARNING: This chapter contains animal husbandry from the perspective of animals. There will be themes of: dubious consent, pregnancy, abortion, and implied animal abuse.

If you do not want to read any of the above, the chapter summary below describes all the important plot beats going forward. If you do wish to read the chapter, see below the cut. Chapter summary for those who wish to skip: Fireheart visits with Princess and learns that she is carrying kits. Seeking to help her, he brings Yellowfang and Dewpaw to speak with his sister under Tigerclaw's nose. They bring back some catmint to use for any leafbare greencough, and Fireheart learns about the greencough epidemic the leafbare before he joined, in which many older warriors and elders died, including Peppermask's grandmother Swiftbreeze.

The days grew colder and colder as the last of the leaves dropped from their trees onto the forest below. Fireheart shivered as he passed between the barren bushes, his long puffed fur not keeping him warm enough in the cold leafbare morning. He had told Tigerclaw he was off hunting near Tallpines, hoping that the location far from camp would yield more prey. While he would, eventually, the truth was a little different.

“Princess!” He called over the fence, trying to keep his voice light even as his body shook from the cold. It was about this season that he had first been taken from the nursery to his new Twoleg home, and something about it made him long for his sister’s comfort more than ever. He wouldn’t dare tell anyone in the Clan that, of course, as they would surely make fun of him for having such kittypet weakness, but he knew his sister would understand.

Cold silence filled the air around him as he stood there, waiting for her to appear. Perhaps she was in her Twoleg nest, curled up beside her Twoleg for warmth. They had plush beds that kept heat long after the body that had warmed it was gone, and burning fires that they kept in little stone dens to warm their nests. Very few kittypets would be willing to brave the cold when they had all of that at their paws, and he couldn’t say he blamed them.

Still, he thought - he hoped - that his sister would come out, at least for a little while, to talk to him. “Princess?” He called again, unable to keep the apprehension from creeping into his voice. She took longer before, when he had come to the wrong garden, but he was certain he had the right one this time. And yet, as he stood there and shivered patiently, there was still no response.

Maybe she just hadn’t heard him? He hesitated, not sure if he should call for her louder. He didn’t want even the cats in Riverclan camp to hear him crying for a kittypet, though, and part of him worried what might happen if a Twoleg heard his yowl. Maybe he could enter her garden, just this once?

Still, as he bunched up his legs for the jump, part of him held back. He recalled Lionheart’s dire warning when Bluestar had first extended the offer for him to join Thunderclan;  “If you did become a Clan cat, you would never return to your Twolegplace. If you did, then you would be exiled.” Just the mere threat was enough to make him shiver, not from the cold, but from fear.

He shook his head. They had meant that he couldn’t return to being a kittypet. And he wasn’t going to! He would only talk to his sister, nothing more. He wouldn’t even go in the Twoleg’s nest. It would be fine.

His mind made up, he jumped to the top of the fence in one easy bound. He hesitated at the top, looking down into his sister’s garden. It was filled with flowers, much like his own garden had been, although they were dying off now that the frost had come. In the center was a circular stone floor; a ‘patio’, they had called it; with spindly chairs and a table on top of it. His own Twolegs had had a similar setup, though they had rarely used it.

He still didn’t see Princess as he scanned the flowers. Where had she gone? His heart quickened as he imagined her entering the forest searching for him. But surely that would have been news amongst Thunderclan? Unless she-

A flash of motion from the Twoleg nest caught his attention, and he was about to leap back the way he had come when he realized it was Princess emerging from the cat flap. “Princess!” He mewed happily from where he sat on the fence. “Why didn’t you say something? You had me worried!”

“I’m sorry, Fireheart.” Her voice was even softer than he remembered it, and he frowned as he looked down at her. Her tawny pelt, normally silky and smooth, looked as though it hadn’t been groomed in several days. Her tail was low, brushing against the ground, and even her emerald eyes seemed to have lost their spark as she looked up at him. “I… I suppose I must not have heard you the first time.”

“What’s wrong?” He asked with a frown. “Is it because I almost entered your garden? I’m sorry. I can stay outside, if you prefer.”

She hesitated, then slowly shook her head. “No, it’s not you. I’m sorry, Fireheart, I just…” Her voice trailed off as she slowly looked down to her slightly dirty white paws.

He glanced around, looking for any sign that someone might spot him, but the forest and Twolegplace were both still and quiet. Gathering himself, he leaped down into her garden, fur prickling in worry as he pressed into her side. “What’s wrong? You look-” He cut himself off. Life in the Clan had quickly taught him that making comments on a molly’s appearance was a bad idea. “Are you sick? Did something happen? If any cat attacked you, I’ll-”

“No, Fireheart. I haven’t been attacked.” He blinked gently at her as she interrupted him. She looked briefly up into his eyes, before squeezing them shut and turning away. “Fireheart, I- I think I’m going to have kits.”

“Huh?” He stared at her in confusion. He knew what that meant; after all, Goldenflower had carried Frostfur’s kits, back when he was an apprentice. But they had been mates, and they were both queens, and that was normal for them. There had been talk of Whitestorm and Lionheart having kits come newleaf, thanks to the Clan’s queens. But they too were mates that cared deeply for each other. “You’ve never even told me you had a mate!”

“I don’t.” She was on the verge of tears as she looked back down at her paws. “I don’t- I don’t know if I even want kits, Fireheart!”

He stared at her, his mind racing. None of that made any sense. And yet, he knew that he loved his sister, the only family he had, and that whatever else happened, it was his responsibility to help her. “Tell me what happened.” He mewed at last, padding over to sit beside her and beginning to gently lick at her forehead.

“Oh, Fireheart. I don’t know what to do. I’m all confused inside.” She cried, tears dripping down her cheeks even as her eyes were screwed shut. “I- I trusted them. My housefolk, they’ve always been so good to me, but now… I don’t know. I don’t know!”

He didn’t answer for several moments as he lapped at one of her ears. “Why don’t you start from the beginning?” He finally suggested to her.

She hesitated, then nodded softly, letting out a small hiccup as she did. “It all started about a moon ago. My housefolk, they took me to the vet. It was this big, strange smelling place with all white floors and walls. Another housefolk, they came in and felt me all over and poked me a few times with strange claws. It was weird, but it seemed like it made my housefolk happy, so I just smiled and purred.”

He stopped washing her for a moment as something in what she said tugged at the back of his mind. “We’ve been to the vet before, haven’t we? When we were young kits.” He mewed softly. “Our mother’s housefolk, they put us all in a big hard box with a little door. They poked us with those big claws then, too.”

“They did!” She seemed surprised at the mention of it, then gave him a weak purr. “Do you remember how our littlest brother howled when they first poked him?”

“Do I ever! You would’ve thought they were killing him.” Fireheart shook his head bemusedly at the memory. “That was just before we went to our new housefolk, wasn’t it?”

“It was.” She was suddenly somber again, and he gently lapped at her cheek twice before moving on to groom her neck. “My housefolk took me in one of those boxes to the vet last moon as well. It wasn’t… it wasn’t fun, but they seemed pleased with themselves, so I just let them do it.” She flicked her ear sadly. “But then, a few days ago, they put me in that box again and carried me back out to the Monster.”

“Again?” He mewed in surprise. The box, as he recalled, had been a very rare occurrence when he had lived as a kittypet. “Why would they take you back to the vet?”

“That’s what I thought, at first.” She replied, her voice tinged with regret. “But they took me somewhere else, instead. They put me in a nice room, with furniture and scratching posts and lots of food and water. And… and there was a tom.” She choked up for a moment. “His name was Oliver.”

Fireheart flicked an ear to show he had heard, but said nothing yet. “He asked me if I knew where I was, and I told him I didn’t. He told me that was normal, and he’d tell me everything.” Tears started flowing from her eyes, staining her tawny fur a dark brown. “He told- He said that he was what housefolk called a ‘stud’, and that other housefolk brought him their cats so they could have his kits. I asked him why, and he said he didn’t know, but that the housefolk got very angry at him if he didn’t do his job, so…”

The ginger warrior struggled to understand what she was saying. “So the housefolk make him father all these kits? But why?”

“Yes- no- maybe? I don’t know.” She struggled to find the right words. The young tom pressed closer into his sister’s side and began lapping at her fur faster. “He said that the housefolk would get really excited when the queens had kits, and they’d take good care of them before giving them to other housefolk. Sometimes the same queens would come back, and that’s how he knew, but not all the time. Sometimes, he thinks they would then go to different ‘studs’ instead.” 

Her whole body was shaking now, though her fur still held the warmth of the Twoleg nest. “He was so nice, and my housefolk were so gentle when they came back for me, but I hated it. I hated it!” She howled it out into the cold, still air, icy tendrils curling around her mouth as she did so. “Do you think this is going to be the rest of my life, Fireheart? Having kits to make the housefolk happy?” 

He didn’t know how to answer that. In the Clans, kits always seemed to be a joyous occasion. They were new life, and they would eventually become new warriors that served the Clan. That was a good thing. But the queens did so happily, and they never seemed to harbor doubts about their role in Clan life, not like his sister was. 

“Do you think that the same thing happened to our mother?” Princess asked softly as she stared out at the flowers in her garden. “Do you think she’s had another litter by now?”

“I- I don’t know.” Fireheart meowed at last. “She seemed happy around us. She seemed to love us.”

“She seemed to, though.” The light brown molly’s body was wracked by another sobbing fit. “What if she didn’t? What if she only did it because she thought she had to?”

Had their mother been happy? He wished he could go fetch her, or one of the queens, to talk about it with her. But if he did, then the whole Clan would surely know that he had been talking to a kittypet. What cat in the Clan could he trust to keep such a secret? As he thought about it, he realized he might have an answer to that question.

“Princess, I won’t leave if you don’t want me to, but I think I know a cat that might be able to help you.” He mewed softly. “She- she takes care of all the queens in our Clan. She’s seen a lot in her long life. Maybe she knows of something that can help you.”

His sister was silent for a long time. Just as he thought she might not have heard him, she shifted away slightly. “Help me how?” She asked distrustfully.

“I- I mean, like I said, she takes care of all the queens in our Clan, and the kits when they get sick. She probably knows a lot more about being a queen than I do.” He thought back through all the interactions he’d had with Yellowfang. “And she treats them with herbs, too, to help them with their kits. Maybe… maybe she knows something about preventing queens from having kits, as well?” He didn’t know if such a thing existed, or if queens would even have use for such a thing. He didn’t know a lot, as he was very quickly realizing.

They sat in tense silence for a long moment. “If you think she’ll help.” Princess finally agreed with a small dip of her head, beginning to lap at her chest fur, though he could tell her heart wasn’t in it.

“I- I hope she will.” He didn’t know for sure, but he had to have hope. “I’ll be right back, regardless of whether she agrees to come or not. Okay?” As his sister flicked her tail farewell, he turned and bounded back out of the garden.

He encountered no cat within the forest: all were busy on other patrols. He raced through the forest, not daring to stop for anything. Luckily, nothing disturbed him.

 At least, not until he dashed through the bramble entrance into camp. “Where are you going?” He flinched as he heard Tigerclaw’s familiar growl from near the leader’s den, and turned to see the dark tabby watching him. “I thought you were out hunting.”

“I was!” He panted, winded from running back so quickly. “But- I saw a flower- still growing- saw Yellowfang- use it once-”

The deputy’s lip curled in a grimace. “And that’s enough for you to come back to camp without any prey?” He snarled down at the young warrior. “The Clan needs food, not herbs.”

“I know, but I-” He noticed Dewpaw slip out from the healer’s den. “Dewpaw!” He called quickly. The small tabby molly perked up at the call, and scanned the clearing to notice him and Tigerclaw. She padded over with a polite smile to the both of them. “Can you convince Tigerclaw for me? I saw a rare flower in the forest, one that I think Yellowfang needs.”

She looked a bit confused at his statement, but her ears perked forward nonetheless. “What did this rare flower look like?” She asked him quickly.

He hesitated. Was she calling his bluff? “It- it was golden. Like the sun. But it had orange flecks too!” He stared at her, pleading with her to understand the hint. It was exactly the same way that he had described Redtail’s eyes to her, as proof that he wasn’t lying about seeing the former deputy’s spirit.

Her eyes widened, and she nodded quickly. “Oh yes! That sounds like the firefern. It only blooms for a few days, after the first frost, but we can use it to cure suncough. Yellowfang will want you to show her where immediately!” She turned to Tigerclaw, a scowl quickly coming to her face. “As for you! Why would you detain a warrior that is only trying to help his Clan thrive? Just because you’re deputy now doesn’t mean you can interfere with healer affairs!” She flicked her tail for Fireheart to leave, clearly prepared to square up to the deputy for him.

He gratefully scuttled away, leaving the two to bicker behind him as he sped into Yellowfang’s den. The grizzled molly was pawing through the herbs, mumbling to herself about stocks and supplies. “Yellowfang!” He whispered urgently. “I need your help, but I also need you to keep it a secret from the Clan. Can I trust you to do that?”

The healer paused, and for a few heartbeats he wondered if she was thinking about yowling for someone to help. Instead, she turned to face him. “I’ve kept Redtail a secret, haven’t I?” She replied in her usual bitter growl. “What is so important that you would need my help, of all things?”

“I-” He hesitated, trying to figure out where to start. “I’ve been meeting with my sister. She’s a kittypet, in the Twolegplace.” Yellowfang’s ear flicked, but she didn’t seem very surprised by the admission. “She thinks she’s going to have kits, but she’s not sure if she wants them, either. It- it’s complicated. I think she can explain better than I can.”

The old molly regarded him with a stern copper gaze. “You want me to use my limited stores to treat a kittypet?” She asked him slowly, a fiery spark in her eye.

“I- maybe? If she needs it. Look, I just- I want you to talk to her, at least. She needs someone that isn’t a mousebrain to help her, and I just can’t do it alone.” He pleaded with her, hoping that she would agree rather than reveal to the Clan what he had been doing the past few moons.

She stared at him a little longer. “I’ll talk to her. But only if Dewpaw can come along.” As Fireheart bristled, opening his mouth to reply, she shushed him with a flick of her tail. “These are rare healer secrets you’re asking me to use, and as my apprentice she should be there to learn them. You know as well as I do that Dewpaw will never reveal your secret to the Clan either.”

He hesitated. He hadn’t told Princess that he would be bringing back two cats. Yet, he couldn’t deny Yellowfang’s request either. “Alright.” He admitted with a sigh. “Just- be gentle with my sister, won’t you? She’s very confused right now, and scared, and I don’t want her to be hurt more.”

Yellowfang chuffed in amusement. “I’ll treat her however I very well please, thank you. Now, then; the Twolegplace, you said?” She asked, beginning to push past him.

“Yes. I’ll show you the way.” As she moved towards the entrance, he remembered Tigerclaw and Dewpaw were still likely arguing in the clearing. “Wait! Before you go out there, I, uhm, lied to Tigerclaw to come see you. I told him I had seen a rare flower while out hunting, and Dewpaw said it was a ‘firefern’, which treats suncough, or something.”

The old healer snorted. “At least she’s better at improvising than you are.” With that, Fireheart followed her out of the den and towards where the deputy and apprentice were still bickering. “Dewpaw! Come on! That firefern isn’t going to last very long in this frost!” 

The two turned to look at Yellowfang storming her way across camp, the ginger warrior on her tail. “Right away, Yellowfang!” She chirped, trotting beside Fireheart as they headed for the bramble entrance. He could hear Tigerclaw yowl something at them as they exited, but he didn’t want to put the energy or thought into puzzling out what the deputy was saying.

His heart raced faster than his paws as he led the two healers to his sister, filling Dewpaw in on the way. He was risking a lot, and he knew that, but he also knew that he would do anything in his power to help her, and this was hopefully one such thing. 

It seemed impossibly long before he saw the treeline, and beyond that the fence of his sister’s garden. He slowed to a halt at the edge of the trees. “Wait here until I call for you. She’s scared, and I don’t think she’ll react well to two strangers appearing in her garden without warning, even if I’m with you.”

Yellowfang nodded and sat down, muttering something to Dewpaw he didn’t catch as he bounded out to the Twoleg fence. He leaped over to find her sitting in the same place he had left her, shivering in the cold but waiting determinedly for him nonetheless.

“I’m back.” He mewed softly, rubbing his cheek against hers in greeting. “I brought back the cat I was telling you about. Her name is Yellowfang. She might look scary, but I promise you, she’s the best healer I’ve ever met.” 

“I- Okay.” Her white-tipped tail twitched nervously at his words, but she didn't voice any worries she might have.

“She also brought her apprentice, Dewpaw. She’s training to be a healer, like how I was training to be a warrior.” His sister stiffened at his words, but he quickly held up his tail to hush her. “It was the only way I could get Yellowfang to agree to help. And I promise that Dewpaw is much nicer than her mentor. She’s about our age, and she’s very understanding.”

Princess stared down at her paws for a moment before finally nodding almost imperceptibly. “Okay. If you believe it’s for the best, I believe you.”

“I do.” He nuzzled her once more and bounded back up to the top of the fence. “You two can come out now.”

The healers came out from the bushes warily before they scrambled over the top of the fence, evidently not quite used to having to make such high leaps. As they all dropped down into the garden, Dewpaw looked around with wonder. “There’s so many herbs here! And- is that catmint?” She gasped as she caught sight of a frosted, bushy plant. “Yellowfang-”

“Hush, child.” Yellowfang murmured. “If his sister allows it, perhaps we can harvest some to take back with us. But we have a job to do first.”

Princess’ green eyes were wide as she stared at the two new wild cats. “You’re Fireheart’s friends?” She asked cautiously, though she didn’t move away as they approached. 

“His Clanmates, yes.” Yellowfang replied, though he could tell she was holding back the barbs she would normally have used in response to being called his ‘friend’. “My name is Yellowfang. I am responsible for healing all manner of ailments in our Clan, both mental and physical.” She drew Dewpaw closer with her tail. “This is my apprentice, Dewpaw. She is learning to do the same from me. She is here solely to observe, and will only speak if you ask her to.”

The little apprentice sat primly beside the grizzled old healer and nodded to affirm her words, though didn’t speak as though she were sitting vigil. “Uh- Thank you, Yellowfang, Dewpaw.” His sister mewed, though he could tell she was still wary of them as she glanced at Fireheart. “Did- did my brother tell you everything?”

“He told us enough.” Yellowfang responded as she also sat down beside her apprentice. “But whatever you feel comfortable sharing with me is up to you. We are here to help you, whatever you think that might entail.” 

The grizzled molly caught Fireheart moving close out of the corner of her eye, and turned to give him a surprisingly dirty glare. “Why don’t you go run off and do whatever it is you warriors do when you’re not bothering us?” She growled at him. “Go chase mice, or whatever. Don’t worry; we’ll take care of your sister.”

He hesitated, glancing to his sister for her approval, but she gave him a quick nod. He had to trust that Yellowfang would treat her well. “Alright. I’ll be hunting nearby; you can yowl if you need me.” With that, he jumped to the top of the fence separating the Twolegplace and the forest, taking one last look behind him at the three mollies. They were huddled close together, murmuring softly, and as he watched Yellowfang gently cleaned one of his sister’s ears while she leaned into it. The simple act made him smile, and with more confidence he bounded off into the forest, looking to return to camp laden with prey.

He didn’t return to camp until just before sunhigh, carrying a cardinal and a mouse that he had managed to catch on the way back. Though Tigerclaw glared as he walked by, the deputy said nothing as he put his prey where the freshkill pile would be. Most of the prey had been distributed out for sharing tongues; as he looked up, he could see most cats clustered around the fringes of camp, including two familiar mollies sharing a robin.

He bounded over, the anxiety he’d felt leaving Princess alone with the healers suddenly welling up once more. Just as he stopped in front of Yellowfang, mouth open to issue a greeting, she held up a paw to stop him. “I already know what you’re going to ask.” She rasped at him, swiping her tongue around her mouth to collect some stray flecks of prey. “And I can’t answer anything. If you want to know what happened, you’ll have to ask her yourself.”

“Maybe I was just going to say hello.” Fireheart retorted.  “But I understand. I just want to know one thing: Did you help her?”

The old healer regarded him for a long moment. “Yes.” She answered at last. “We did.”

“That’s all I care about.” The warrior mewed with a dip of his head. “Thank you, both of you. For- for everything.”

Yellowfang shrugged in response. “We’re healers. It’s what we do. Besides, I wasn’t going to leave a young molly like her in distress. I know it’s a hard position to be in, even without being a season-cycle or so old.” 

He perked his ears at that, but before he could ask more she chuffed in amusement. “Why, we should be thanking her! She let us take some catmint when we left, and while it’s old it’s still fresher than the stores Spottedleaf left me.”

He tilted his head in confusion. “Dewpaw mentioned it too. Why is catmint so important?” Nearly every kittypet’s garden had had some, and while it was a wonderful smelling plant, he couldn’t imagine that was why the healers seemed to regard it so highly.

“It’s very rare in Clan territory, but it’s also one of the best cures for greencough.” Yellowfang glanced at her apprentice with a wry smirk. “And unlike firefern and suncough, both are most definitely real. Most leafbares will bring a couple of cases of greencough, but I witnessed one leafbare where nearly a dozen cats caught it. Nearly all of them died.” She shook her head mournfully. “The fresher the catmint, the more likely it will treat it. Perhaps this leafbare we’ll get lucky.”

“That’s good to hear.” He looked up to see Peppermask and Graystripe sharing the cardinal he’d caught. “I’ll leave you two to eat in peace, but I- if you need anything from me, just let me know. I appreciate what you did.”

The old healer rolled her eyes. “Yes, for this and everything else, I’m sure.” She flicked her tail dismissively. “Go on, then. Let us enjoy our meal. Surely you can find someone else to share tongues with for sunhigh.”

He gave her one last appreciative nod before turning and bounding over to where his warrior friends were sitting. “I hope you don’t mind sharing.” He mewed as he settled down besides Graystripe, giving the tom a bump with his shoulder.

“Only if you tell us what you were talking with Yellowfang about.” Peppermask mewed, her ears perked curiously. “Did something happen while you were out hunting?”

He hesitated. Part of him wanted to tell them the truth, but he feared how they might react. Besides, what had happened was just one time; never again would the Clan need to know that he was talking to his kittypet sister. “I found some catmint out on patrol.” He mewed, careful not to lie entirely, though certainly not telling the whole truth. “I remembered Dewpaw talking about it one time. I just wanted to know if it was useful, that’s all.”

The side-eye Peppermask gave him told him she certainly didn’t believe him, at least not entirely, but she nodded slowly all the same. “Helpful as always, aren’t you?” She mewed at last as Graystripe nudged the cardinal slightly towards him. “Was it useful, then?”

“It was! Yellowfang told me about how it’s used to treat greencough in leafbare.” He mewed, before taking a carefully timed bite. 

“Greencough.” Peppermask’s face dropped at the mention of the sickness. “You weren’t here for it, but it killed many in the Clan last leafbare. Between that and the Great Hunger, it devastated the Clan. So many cats died.” She shook her head slowly. “Still, if you found a cure for it out on patrol, that’s a good thing. Maybe it means we won’t suffer so much this season-cycle.”

“I did. Yellowfang said it wasn’t as fresh as she wanted, but it was still better than nothing.” Fireheart mewed, hoping she could hear the honesty in his voice. “Did anyone you know die?” He asked softly, touching his nose to her cheek for comfort.

“It never spread to the nursery, thanks to Spottedleaf’s hard work.” The spotted molly replied slowly. “But many elders and senior warriors died. Swiftbreeze, our grandmother, was one of them.” She shook her head briefly. “It doesn’t matter much anymore. I’m just glad to hear that this leafbare might fare better than the last.”

“It will.” The ginger warrior mewed determinedly. As he pushed his worries about his sister to the back of his mind, confident in Yellowfang’s promise that she had helped Princess, he instead turned his thoughts towards the coming moon. Even with Tigerclaw’s plotting, he would do his best to help the Clan survive the frigid grasp of leafbare. He just hoped that Starclan wouldn’t give them too many challenges, and that the deputy’s inevitable betrayal didn’t come before they could stop him.

[iheartnimbassacity]

[A video, it begins with Dave sitting on the ground of what looks to be a hotel room, slightly disheveled and, even with his mask on, dark eyebags can be seen under his grey eyes.

"Its on? Its on. Uhm, hello! I am Dave Amaryllis." The man waves at the camera, "I was talkin about this earlier, but I may as well show how it. The little shiny fellow, how I'm gettin him to eat." He leans behind the camera, grabbing a Pokeball. With a flash, a shiny Joltik pops out of the ball, but with no other movement.

"Still freaks me out, how he don't move. Ok, not the point, here lemmie…" Dave sets down a small battery. A regular smaller joltik comes from off screen to investigate, but it gets pushed away gently, "Not for you, I gave you a treat earlier." He chides the Joltik, before focusing back on the shiny one. It still isn't moving, only squeaking at the battery.

"If I just say," Dave gets closer to the shiny, "Hey buddy, you can eat, its ok." His voice softens, talking to the spider. Yet, it still only hesitantly moves foward, "It barley moves. But if I command it, Joltik, eat this." The Joltik immediately moves, with no hesitation, to the battery, and sparks come from it.

Dave makes an audible sigh, "This poor guy. Quincy, you can turn it off." The video ends.]

video says it all

[cardinal-contest-king]

You know, if your roserade ever warms up to you, maybe it would be able to help take care of that berry, being a grass type and all?

Yeah, that's true! I hope she likes me sooner rather than later.. she's real pretty, and really should be able to just.. relax. I don't think she hated me for no reason. She was always.. tense. And on guard. I can tell she's been hurt before... so maybe gardening will help her out too?

[zooted-jax]

(it’s me, the anon that gave you the 1 winged bat in the first place)

Some person was abusing the poor thing so I saved the little guys, the person tore its wing off, the poor thing is in so much pain I trust you with him, keep him safe, this is why I gave you the bat in the first place

*He looks uncomfortable and worried, both more for Coffee the bat and you yourself.*

[dxrkl1ght]

GIFT ANIMATION

After a year and a half... IT'S DONE!!!

DCA! Serial Killer AU by @ayyy-imma-ninja & @moonlit-dreamers

Hope you two like it!! :3

Just wanted to make something for the AU because I love it with all my heart. Like, I love Sun and Moon in this, the plot, too. It's just amazing, dude. Can't wait to see how the story goes!!

My rambling under the cut-

First of all, I just wanna apologize for how long it took me to finish this qwq

I'm no professional animator and I made a ton of mistakes in the process of making this-

I've always liked crime/detective shows since I was little so I think that kind of explains why I love this AU so much XD

I tried to get as much of the AU into the animation as possible. There are also some unintentional and intentional references to the comic Meg made last year (ex. Sun tugging on his glove, etc.)

When I said I was gonna 'fix' older frames I actually meant "redraw almost the entire animation". Why? My style has changed a lot ever since I started this project. The first half looked so poorly drawn compared to the second half, and there were some scenes that I didn't like or didn't make sense.

I still have the old frames saved and oh boy... you CAN see the big difference and improvement... there are some I posted here some time ago that do not appear in this now. There are some scenes I did leave there, I think it's noticeable which ones because of the style

That's all I have to say I think yee :3

[dvckypond]

oh sweet baby birds...i have q twins too but they are not ready to see the light of day.

[swarmishstrangers]

They tore out my fangs..but they only grew back stronger and sharper.

They will never be torn from me again.

[marcelshorjian]

[aria-greenhoodie]

Abigale Northwest, your wings are clipped and your nest is full. How do you keep your fledgling safe when you cannot fly for yourself?

Click for Quality

Version without face covering + some ramblings below cut ↓

Ok so. I have a very specific interpretation of Abigale Blackwing/Northwest and I’ve constructed a whole narrative so I’m going to vomit some bullet points here because I’m CRAZY.

After the conference that got the Anti-Cipher society disbanded and had Thurburt Mudget Waxstaff III institutionalized, Abigale fled the scene for fear of meeting the same fate.

As an unmarried woman with an eccentric personality (and a checkered past according to my own headcanons) she would have been VERY at risk of being institutionalized as well, and mental hospitals in the early 1900s were uh. Definitely not great places to be if you’re a woman (Obviously it’s not great for men either but they did some real heinous shit to women specifically), and Abigale knows that.

While in hiding, a wealthy man by the surname of Northwest finds and approaches her with an offer; he would offer her safety from authorities and mental institutions in exchange for her hand in marriage.

Not seeing another way out, and her paranoia flaring due to still being taunted in her dreams by that damned triangle, she agrees.

She HATES her husband. Fucking DESPISES him. She hates their house, she hates how he refuses to let her tinker and invent in peace, she hates his rules and mannerisms. She is MISERABLE.

The only good thing to come from that man is their son. She ADORES her boy, and desperately wants to keep him safe and well.

Unfortunately Mr. Northwest is a huge piece of shit to both his wife and child so that doesn’t go very well.

Abigale feels trapped. She thought this marriage would cement her freedom from the asylum, but now she just lives in a different type of cage. She’s not sure how much longer she can take this before doing something drastic.

I have a different artpiece about that drastic thing she may or may not have done…. Teehee…. I’ll post it later 😇

Anyway long live Abigale Blackwing I am her biggest and only fan and proud to be

[aftgficrec]

Hii ! Any fics where Neil reacts to Wymack subconsciously like he did the first time (flinching/afraid)? Preferably post canon but can also be AUs. Thank you!!

General asks like this can be difficult to search for, but here’s what we found for you. -A

canon divergent longer fics:

‘Hope Was A Dangerous, Disquieting Thing’ here

‘Up On The Roof’ here (soulmates, updated)

‘Pebble Brain’ here

‘Yes, Coach’ here 

‘Neil Josten's No Good Terrible Luck’ here (updated)

‘Take my Kidney. Take my Life.’ here

‘Deals With Devils’ and ‘Not Yours To Bleed’ here (both updated)

short au:

‘The Rabbit Becomes the Fox’ here 

kid fics with dadmack:

‘ten children, one acquarium’ and ‘For little monsters with fragile hearts’ here ‘slow down (you crazy child)’ and ‘Make a Home’ (updated) here ‘Raised on Little Light’ here (completed)

you may also like:

Mary & Nathan's impact on Neil here

Neil goes to therapy here 

post canon:

I Wish I Were Fine, I Thought I Was by pawnofkings [Not Rated, 2509 Words, Complete, 2020]

“Ow, shit!” Wymack exclaims, retracting his arm. There's a slight burn on his skin. Neil stands, frozen, feeling like time itself has stopped. But if it had, then Wymack wouldn’t be moving in his direction and - The pan clatters to the floor, and Neil is several feet away before he realizes he’s moved at all. But suddenly, he’s half-lying on the floor. He stares at his arms, thrown up in front of him as if to protect him, and on the other side of them is Wymack, looking down at him as if he’s just seen somebody die. --- Or: a Fox family dinner goes awry, and Neil struggles to come to terms with his own instincts.

tw: violent flashbacks, tw: child abuse, tw: implied/referenced torture, tw: ptsd

How to Disappear Completely by miauhito [Rated M, 4850 Words, Complete, 2024]

“I nearly cut myself,” He cries, looking down at the floor, “I’m scared, please. I’ve been hurting myself, with cigarettes and getting bruises and fuck I don't know what to do.” He croaks out. He tries to stop himself, but he can't, not anymore. 5 times Neil Josten hurts himself + 1 time he asks for help.

tw: self harm, tw: blood, tw: implied/referenced torture, tw: ptsd, tw: hallucinations

canon divergent:

The Wonder of You by KatherineF [Rated G, (we say T), 3872 Words, Complete, 2020]

Previously recced here

Neil is in complete denial that he is struggling with panic attacks. Andrew thinks it would be a good idea to get a support animal. They figure it out together.

tw: ptsd, tw: panic attacks

You Try Until You Can't by AliceTabitha [Rated T, 3129 Words, Complete, 2018]

Previously recced here

Neil knew before he opened his eyes that this wasn’t going to be a good day. Neil Josten has survived everything thrown at him, and he has countless scars to prove it. After all that, it's not unusual for his days to turn sour, but at least he's got Andrew and his team to help pull him back together in the end. With extra support and advice from Wymack, maybe things might somehow end up alright. For today, he just needs to keep surviving.

tw: panic attacks, tw: implied/referenced abuse, tw: implied/referenced violence

piece by piece, he restored my faith (that a man can be kind and a father could stay) by kal25 [Rated T, 2337 Words, Incomplete, Updated June 2024]

Previously recced here

David Wymack did not raise kids, but he did raise his Foxes. Each one of them, whether they were past, present, or even future, will always have a place in his heart. He understood what it meant to be beaten by a man you called your father, to feel fear and hatred and another dozen emotions all at once. He understood what it felt like for guilt to eat you alive about things that never should have been wrong, and he understood what it meant to not have a place to call home. And he swore, when he became a coach, that he would create a home. He would build one from the ground up with his own two hands, and he would invite every single child who chased Exy like a beacon of hope and had no other place to call home—because that’s what he wished someone would have done for him.

tw: implied/referenced abuse, tw: implied/referenced self harm, tw: implied/referenced rape/noncon

and more than a few bleed into you by brekker [Rated T, 4475 Words, Complete, 2018]

Previously recced here

Neil doesn’t know if this is considered protection or insight because Andrew has always been the quicker of the two to know that these moments are transient and Neil will wake up half a country away and want to come back home when this fear and ache to flee settles back down; either before or after he gets himself hurt. It might be one in the same if Neil thinks about it. It reminds Neil of that thing Renee had said once: This, too, shall pass.

tw: nightmares, tw: depression, tw: implied/referenced torture

Hold Each Other by exactly13percent_OLD (hymbeaux) [Rated E, Collection, Complete, 2018]

Chapter 15: I for an Eye [Rated T, 2544 Words] Previously recced here

Neil has his bad memories. He's managed to keep most of them down, but some start slipping out. It's a good thing he's learning how to make new ones.

tw: ptsd, tw: blood, tw: panic attacks, tw: implied/referenced nonconsensual kiss

spirits of martyrdom by sagely_enchanted [Rated T, 6416 Words, Complete, AFTG Fall Exchange 2024]

Neil is pretty sure that he’s drowning, a phantom feeling of a washcloth and water rushing over his head as he stares into the never ending hazel. The blonde of his hair is so bright that it nearly blinds him when compared to the dark of the dorm. He squeezes his eyes shut tightly, willing the image to disappear when he opens his eyes next, but Andrew is still there. - Andrew gets released early from Easthaven and finds Neil at Evermore.

tw: implied/referenced abuse, tw: anxiety, tw: major character injury

till my breathing stops. by plugastwo [Rated E, 94304 Words, Incomplete, Updated Jan 2025]

Neil Josten was a psycho. Foxes knew it. Wymack knew it. Everyone knew it. He and his manic grin were the definition of psychotic. Andrew liked to think, that it was pretty amusing.  ___ where it’s Neil, who takes drugs.

tw: nonconsensual medication, tw: drug addiction, tw: vomit, tw: implied/referenced child abuse, tw: implied/referenced torture, tw: nonconsensual drug use, tw: nonconsensual kissing, tw: medical abuse, tw: implied/referenced rape/noncon, tw: violence 

canon divergent a/b/o:

just tonight (i won't leave) by pyruismagician [Rated E, 116319 Words, Incomplete, Updated Oct 2024]

"I told you I don't belong to anyone." "And I told you to quit lying to me, or did you come here to explain why you're pretending to be a beta?" Or Neil just wants to play Exy before he dies but the world has other ideas.

tw: implied/referenced rape/noncon, tw: implied/referenced torture, tw: child abuse, tw: animal abuse, tw: nonconsensual drug use, tw: implied/referenced drug addiction, tw: recreational drug use, tw: homophobia, tw: medication addiction, tw: vomit, tw: violence

raven!neil au:

hoping, until the day it dies by infernalstars [Rated M, 27481 Words, Incomplete, Updated Jan 2025]

Nathaniel Wesninski ends up in the hospital with two broken legs. Cast out of the Nest, Kevin Day brings him to the Foxes to recover - emotionally and physically.

tw: self harm, tw: blood, tw: dissociation, tw: flashbacks, tw: implied/referenced rape/noncon, tw: implied/referenced abuse, tw: ptsd, tw: nightmares, tw: panic attacks, tw: vomit, tw: psychotic episode, tw: homophobia, tw: suicidal ideation

one where Andrew flinches from coach:

What Is It To Truly Lose Control? by BisexualChaosDemon [Rated M, 21281 Words, Complete, 2024]

Most of the Foxes still think Andrew is a monster, or a sociopath, but Neil knows better. He knows that Andrew cares deeply about a handful of people but struggles more than he will ever admit with that fact. The thing is, despite Andrew’s commitment to apathy and to denying that he cares about anything, he is often self-sacrificing in his efforts to protect the people he cares about. As Aaron’s trial approaches, Neil gets the sick feeling that Andrew’s self-sacrificing streak is going too far.

tw: implied/referenced rape/noncon, tw: implied/referenced csa, tw: implied/referenced murder, tw: implied/referenced self harm, tw: psychiatric abuse, tw: implied/referenced trauma reenactment, tw: ptsd

Art

THE RUNAWAY art by @coppakee

Poor boy with his precious bag art by @/tryashaa on instagram 

Neil Josten art by @estrophysics

Second Chances, vol. II: Runaways eye shadow palette edit by @mistyyed

[paperbagedhead]

Alt blog | YouTube | Bluesky

[chocobosdungeon2]

this is hands down the worst thing ive ever made but their similarities (and differences) have been rattling around in my head

[mikiib]

TADC Freakshow AU POISON

Its coming out swimmingly! Sorry it's been a bit, work life balance is difficult to manage right now- but if you'd like to support me and my other projects to get this out sooner feel free to check out my Ko-fi! https://ko-fi.com/mikiib

Freakshow AU OG creator: @hootbon Marriage Plot inspired by: @sm-baby

[cartoonishvendor]

demolition lovers

based heavily on this

[c0ckedgun]

guardian angel