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wills-woodland-warriors · 1 year ago

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WolfsFootClan moon 1-200

- CloudLake died from falling into a catacomb of skeletons!

- CloverStar has been lured towards a trap and is caught by humans!

- The injured loners Sheep and Fly join the clan

- BeetleTeeth is made leader.

- RatSpeckle joins the clan!

- Fly died from a claw wound

- SnowMoss was found dead near the Snipclan border

- GrassLake is impaled by a porcupine

- Sheep is made deputy

- BeetleStar is complaining about Sheep

- A loner named Minty wonders where FlaxBlotch went..

- RatSpeckle is taken by twolegs

- FlaxBlotch heard an ugly rumour about BeetleStar

- FlaxBlotch had a disagreement with bettlestar

- Fawn and StreamKit join the clan

- the Kittypet French joins the clan

- StreamKit has greencough

- FlaxBlotch is developing a crush on EchoStreak

- GreenKit died of greencough

- Sheep’s broken back has healed against all odds

- PuddleClaw died from a mangled tail

- RatSpeckle has died

- Teacup, the Kittypet, almost joins the clan

- the Kittypet teacup has died

- Sheep is developing a crush on AlmondBlink!

- AlmondBlink likes them back

- Sheep is caught in a lie to the clan

- BeetleStar is expecting kits!

- FlaxBlotch and EchoStreak become mates

- EchoStreak is expecting kits!

- The loner curlywhisker joins the clan

- BeetleStar and Sheep welcome three kits, PantherKit, DaisyKit, JuniperKit

- nothing major happens

- EchoStreak has three kits, SiltKit, SweetKit, FreckleKit

- Sheep adopts a little of kits, BuzzardKit and MumbleKit

- ?

- BuzzardPaw, MumblePaw, Juniperpaw, DaisyPaw and panther paw start their apprenticeship

- ?

- SiltPaw, FrecklePaq, and SweetPaw become apprentices

- WhorlPeak and SapFreckle join the clan

- AlmondBlink and Sheep have become mates?

- JuniperPaw was found dead at the mossyclan border!

- Kittypet Mr Kitty Whiskers died recently

- DaisyFur, BuzzardWhisker, MumbleLily, PantherIvy earn their warrior names!

- SneezeKit joins the clan

- AlmondBlink is very against starclan visiting her

- weedfur has joined the clan

- AlmondBlink is expecting kits!

- SiltHorse, SweetHawk, FreckleFur earn their names

- FlaxBlotch dies from a bite wound

- Sheep retires from deputy

- FreckleFur feels like they’re being haunted

- EchoStreak is made deputy

- AlmondBlink has one kitten, FlintKit

- Dark joins the clan

- AppleCider and WolfKit join the clan

- Apple Cider and DaisyFur become mates

- SneezePaw has been made an apprentice

- MiteStream, HillKit, PloverKit join the clan

- Dark is taken by twolegs

- ?

- apple cider has realized that she cat doesn’t describe them anymore

- AppleCider is expecting kits

- FlintPaw starts their apprenticeship

- AppleCider thinks they will have four kits

- WolfKit has been chosen as a medicine apprentice by AlmondBlink

- AlmondBlink announces she’s expecting kits

- SneezeDusk has become a warrior

- AppleCider had 3 kits, CrouchKit, PuddleKit, OspreyKit.

- MeowyMan joins the clan

- MeowyMan is expecting kits

- PloverPaw and HillPaw are made apprentices

- AlmondBlink has two kits, BlueKit, CarpKit.

- CurlyWhisker is expecting kits

- MeowyMan thinks they will have 5 kits

- MeowyMan has 4 kits, HoneyKit, GrouseKit, AmberKit, SharpKit

- CloverStar has returned to the clan! She respects BeetleStar and goes back to her warrior name, CloverPlume

- CurlyWhisker has two kits, OrangeKit, BumbleKit

- FlintDawn is made a warrior

- CloverPlume has retired

- WolfTail is made a medicine cat

- Sheep, Snailswoop, WhorlPeak, CarpKit, SapFreckle, EchoStreak, PuddleKit, FlintDawn, PloverPaw, HoneyKit, Apple Cider, AmberKit, MumbleLily, CurlyWhisker, Fawn die from greencough!

- O and OspreyPaw is made an apprentice

- HillBloom is made a warrior

- Bluepaw is made an apprentice

- Grousepaw and sharppaw are made apprentices

- BumblePaw, having been interested in hers since they were a kit, is made an med apprentice

- ?

- grief is beginning to lessen

- CowJump joins the clan

- CrouchMouse is made a warrior

- OspreyBlaze is made a warrior

- DaisyFur adopts a kit named WetKit

- BlueFur is given their warrior name

- AlmondBlink, BuzzardWhisker, and WetKit die from greencough

- SharpLeg and GrouseWhisker are made warriors

- BeetleStar lost their last life to greencough

- BumbleThistle and OrangeHorse wane their warrior names

- CrouchMouse and OrangeHorse are both expecting kits

- CrouchMouse has three kits, PopKit, BeaverKit, DancingKit

- OrangeHorse has one kit, StormKit

- BlueFur, SharpLeg, PopKit, SweetHawk, DaisyFur, and CloverPlume die from a fire

- BeaverPaw, StormPaw, DancingPaw are made apprentices

- Dark returns home!

- ospreyblaze is made deputy

- the Kittypet thumbelina

- OspreyBlaze is expecting kits

- BeaverSplash, DancingFlood, StormRun are made warriors

- OspreyBlaze have four kits, PigeonKit, TawnyKit, FallenKit

- BeaverSplash adopts a kit named BasilKit

- Sol joins the clan

- PigeonKit dies

- BasilPaw is made an apprentice

- OspreyBlaze is expecting kits,

- BasilPaw, WeedFur, and CrouchMouse are killed by an ambush

- RoachKit joins the clan

- OspreyBlaze has two kits, HalfKit and CurlyKit

- Dark has two kits, WishKit and BirchKit

- TawnyLake, FallenSpeckle earn their warrior names

- UlyssaBush the Kittypet joins the clan

- MeowyMan dies of whitecough

- RoachDaisy is made a warrior

- BeaverSplash adopts a litter, WillowKit, NutKit, BerryKit,

- HalfPaw, CurlyPaw are made apprentices

- Wishpaw and BirchPaw are made apprentices

- MiteStream and MeowyMan adopt a kit named ElmKit

- MeadowMinnow and Tall join the clan

102

- HalfPeak and CurlyBranch are made a warrior

- WillowPaw, BerryPaw, NutPaw become apprentices

- Tall has received a prophecy!

103

- TawnyLake believes she’s apart of a prophecy

- WishWhisker and BirchLeaf are made warriors

- NutPaw was killed by a snake!

106

- UlyssaBush dies of old age

- HalfPeak is expecting kits!

107

- PantherIvy is also expecting kits

- BerryStorm and WillowIce earns their warrior names

109

- ElmSpots is made a warrior m

- HalfPeak has four kits, FrogKit, FidgetKit, BoulderKit, PinkKit

110

- PantherIvy and SiltStar have three kits, SorrelKit, WaspKit, NutKit

114

- Dark was found dead

115

- FrogPaw, FidgetPaw, BoulderPaw, PinkPaw are made apprentices

116

- SorrelPaw, NutPaw, WaspPaw are made apprentices

117

- PantherIvy is expecting kits!

- BeaverSplash is expecting kits!

119

- PantherIvy has ChestNutKit, RubbleKit

- BeaverSplash has HillKit, HickoryKit, FirKit, SnakeKit

120

- PodSeed joins the clan

- HalfPeak is expecting kits!

121

- FrogNeedle, FidgetSnow, PinkShadow are made warriors

122

- HalfPeak and BirchLeaf have three kits, PansyKit, RainKit, CreekKit

- SorrelBounce, WaspStem, NutBurr warn their warrior names

125

- Blinky Stubbins joins the clan

- HillPaw, HickoryPaw, SnakePaw start apprenticeship

- CreekKit and PansyKit die

- CaveKit joins the clan

- BugKit joins the clan

126

- RoachDaisy brings a kit home, PaleKit

- LuigiPelt joins the clan

- CavePaw is made an apprentice and instantly wants to gather moss

- OspreyBlaze is killed by rogues

127

- BeaverSplash and TawnyLake are both expecting kits

- TawnyLake and PodSeed are killed by rogues

- HillPaw dies of heatstroke

- HeavyShade joins the clan

- WaspStem is killed by a dog

- ChestNutPaw is killed bu rogues wax

128

- CurlyBranch has five kits, GorseKit, OneKit, FlipKit, BearKit, ThymeKit,

- BeaverSplash has one kit, PartridgeKit

- RubbleGaze is made warrior

130

- BirchLeaf is expecting kits,

131

- FirHeart, HickoryClaw, SnakeStreak is made a warrior

- NutBurr dies

- BugPaw is apprenticed

132

- BirchLeaf dies after giving birth to two kits, ShineKit and BrindleKit

- PalePaw is made an apprentice

- CaveLeaf is made a warrior

134

- RainFur is about to be made a warrior when SiltStar decides that they’re too soft for life as a warrior, and makes them switch to a med cat

- SneezeDusk and HalfPeak are killed

- PartridgePaw OnePaw FlipPaw BearPaw GorsePaw are made apprentices

137

- Blinky Stubins is expecting kits

- WillowIce brought home a kit, SpringKit

- HickoryClaw adopts kits, RavenKit

- BugHeart is made a warrior

138

- PaleLight is made a warrior

- ShinePaw and BrindkePaw are made apprentices

- FrogNeedle burns alive in a fire

- BerryStorm is made deputy

- FreckleFur, GrouseWhisker, HillBloom, OrangeHorse, CowJump, DancingFlood, FrogNeedle, BoulderTail, RubbleGaze are killed in a fire

139

- Blinky Stubins has HickoryKit, BraveKit, MarshKit

- RapidKit joins the clan

141

- GorsePetal, PartridgeTuft, OneCall, FlipHail are made warriors

- SpringKit was killed by a snake m

142

- RavenPaw and RapidPaw are made apprentices

143

- BeaverSplash and FidgetSnow are killed by rogues!

144

- ShineTail and BrindleBlaze are made warriors

145

- MeadowMinnow brings home two kits, WaterKit, PranceKit

- HickoryPaw, BravePaw, MarshPaw are made apprentices

146

- LuigiPelt is killed by a dog

147

- HickoryClaw has five kits,

148

- RavenSong and RapidNoise are made warriors

150

- FlipHail is found dead

151

- RubbleStripe joins the clan

- HickorySpots, BraveBush, MarshFall become warriors

- WaterPaw and PrancePaw are apprenticed

153

- SpecklePaw, DayPaw, FishPaw, QuickPaw, BirchPaw are apprenticed

- SnakeStreak is made deputy

- Slight joins the clan (A GINGER!)

155

- FinchPaw and OnePaw are made apprentices

156

- PaleLight is expecting kits!

- MeadowMinnow died of whitecough

- ShineTail is killed by a snake

157

- PosyRain joins the clan

- PaleLight has five kits, StrikeKit, StumpyKit, IvyKit, TinyKit, KestrelKit

159

- SpeckleRump and FishHeart is made a full mediator

- QuickBlink, BirchNeedle,

160

- MiteStream dies of old age

- WaterDust brings home a litter of three kits, RobinKit, FlashKit, FinchKit

161

- Onestem is made a warrior

- PrancePlume and PartridgeTuft are killed by rogues

- WishWhisker is expecting kits

- CaveLeaf is expecting kits

163

- tall dies to a snake wound

164

- WishWhisker has one kit, EchoKit

- CaveLeaf has four kits, LarkKit, DawnKit, BadgerKit, LightKit

- Strikepaw, Tinypaw kestrelpaw, is an apprentice

- IvyPaw is a mediator apprentice

- CaveLeaf dies of a mangled leg

166

- RobinPaw, FlashPaw, FinchPaw are made apprentices

167

- EchoKit dies of kitten cough

168

- WillowIce is expecting kits!

- The Kittypet ren joins and changed their name to orange speck

170

- WillowIce has four kits, BayKit, SnapKit, AdderKit, QuietKit

- StrikeSpeck, TinyLarch, StumpyStork

- LarkPaw BadgerPaw DawnPaw LightPaw are made apprentices

- Monika, VinnieJump, HareKit, PranceKit join the clan

172

- WaterDust dies

- FlashBlotch, RobinStreak, FinchFoot are made warriors

- BirchNeedle has CurlKit, RushKit, BurntKit

174

- Slight is expecting kits!

- KestrelHorse died from their long lasting lung condition

- PaleLight is expecting kits!

176

- onestem brings home three kits, BirdKit, BuzzardKit, QuailKit,

- Slight has three kits, RidgeKit, MyrtleKit, BoneKit

177

- PaleLight had four kits, CragKit, TansyKit, WhistleKit, ShortKit

- TansyKit dies from complications

178

- WishWhisker is expecting lifts

- OneCall dies in a storm!

179

- BirdKit dies of yellowcough

- HareBracken, PranceWhisker are made warriors

- CurlPaw RushPaw BurntPaw

- RoachDaisy is expecting kits

- WishWhisker has two kits, darkKit and MinnowKit

182

- RoachDaisy has two kits, BirchKit, ThornKit

- SnapHorse, AdderDusk, QuietStem are made warriors

- QuailPaw BuzzardPaw RidgePaw MyrtlePaw BonePaw are made apprentices

183

- CragPaw asks for TinyLarch to be heir mentor

- WhistlePaw, ShortPaw are made apprentices

184

- Flutter joins the clan

185

- PosyRain is expecting kits

- FernGaze joins the clan

- CurlDrift, RushLightening, BurntDawn,

187

- PosyRain has two kits, OspreyKit and QuietKit

- PinkShadow sacrifices themself to lead a dog away

- PurryFish joins and brings SwampKit, StrikeKit, SunnyKit

- Broccoli, Warm, joins the clan

- StumpyStork is killed by a dog

- Slight is killed by rogues!

- RidgePaw is killed by a badger

- CurlDrift is murdered

- QuillThroat, PloverKit join the clan

- TinyLarch is killed by a dog

- SiltKit and SharpKit John the clan

- LightMuzzle is murdered!

- WhistlePaw is murdered

- MinnowPaw is killed by a badger

- MartenLotus joins the clan

- BurdockFish joins the clan

- TinyKit joins the clan

189

- WishWhisker is expecting kits

- CragStrike and ShortThistle are made warriors

190

- StrikePaw, SwampPaw, SunnyPaw,

191

- WishWhisker has one kit, MottledKit

[ACCIDENTALLY CUT OUT MOONS]

197

- OrangeSpeck is expecting kits

- Sol dies of venom

199

- OrangeSpeck has one kit, LavenderKit

- StrikeSpeck is expecting kits

- OspreyFur, SiltShine, SharpStone, QuietRunner are made warriors

- SnakeStar worries that QuietRunner is too soft to be a warrior, and names them that for their vulnerability

200!

- StrikeSpeck has three kits, SpruceKit, RoseKit, ThunderKit

- WishWhisker is expecting kits!

- VinnieJump is expecting kits

- KiteFang, ArchBack, PinkBlink are made warriors

- LavenderKit was born blind!

- Gold joins the clan

- Reese, HollowKit, and KiteKit join the clan

- Warm died. @residents-of-the-darkforest @ambitiousauthor @frightnightindustries @elementaldeityoffood @starfalcon555

PART TWO: https://www.tumblr.com/wills-woodland-warriors/727397107419496448/wolfsfootclan-clan-moons-201-400-201?source=share

#wolfsfootclan’s remnants #wolfsfootclan #clangen

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rootclan-alone · 8 months ago

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CW: Death

Moon 21

The kits had finally moved into their own nests in what Duck had finally figured out was the medicine den, they were maturing so much faster than he expected, and soon he knew they'd be itching to go outside, more than they ever did as young kits. Before he leaves, Duck gifts Whispkit a piece of his fur to put in the tom kit's nest, knowing how much he missed him when he went out.

...

Whilst out hunting, Duck decided that it would be a good idea to disguise his scent, to make it easier. He hadn't forgotten about the beasts, perhaps it would disguise him from them as well. He couldn't think of much though, or find anything to accomplish his goal, but the hunt goes well either way.

Moon 22

It comes to him in a dream, that his kits are old enough now to become apprentices. Daisyknoll so-called hopes for one of them to turn down the path of a medicine cat, but Duck knows his children, and knows that they've waited too long to get out and fight, not get stuck treating injuries. He'd done his best to subtly sway either of them, but it didn't work, and he wasn't going to force anything. So, with only him available he took both children under his wing, to mentor them, and prepare them for the world. He hesitated in taking them outside, standing at the camp's exit with the two kits- apprentices, Whisppaw and Brookpaw, bickering behind him.

Eventually, he leads them out anyway. The first time, it doesn't go so well, Whisppaw is too enthusiastic and picks a fight with a rogue that Duck had seen way too often and chased away way too often. He ended up bruised, but the rogue was far worse off once Duck was through with them.

It took several days and begging from both apprentices before he finally took them both out again for some training.

...

And of course, the two apprentices spiral into bickering, this time less playful and more of a proper disagreement. They turn to their father after some time, who simply stares at them with tired eyes. He'd never liked picking sides, so his attempts at smoothing them both down fails, the words catching. It was the nerves too, at least their arguing was a good excuse for him to get them home sooner rather than later.

Moon 23

Duck was well aware that dogs were becoming more and more common in the area, those from the city slowly moving outward toward safer ground. As a result, he'd been more than cautious about going out, especially when it came to training his kids. He'd been right to be cautious, it seemed. It was never a good idea, but he had to scout ahead, to make sure that their training area was safe, he'd done it time and time again and always been quick, nothing had gone wrong. Then he heard screaming, and suddenly his heart was in his mouth and he was moving faster than he ever had in his life.

Duck didn't even need to think or register the blood splattered across the frozen ground before he threw himself at the dog attacking his son, yowling and screeching, claws digging deep into its body. It yelped and barked but Duck never let go, shredding its skin into ribbons, vision turned red with rage. At some point, the dog finally managed to shake him, turning tail and fleeing. Duck got up to give chase when the wails of Brookpaw broke through his anger, where his heart had previously been in his mouth now it was in his paws, time seemed to slow when he turned around to take in the scene.

Whisppaw lay unmoving, leg twisted at an odd angle, covered in spatters of blood. Brookpaw stood over him, sobbing, blood spattering her fur too. Duck couldn't breathe. Then he saw Whisppaw's body rise, it was hard to see and faint, but where Duck couldn't breathe Whisppaw was. Panicked, Duck sprung forward, sparing no words for his daughter as he carefully picked Whisppaw up and started running back toward camp, only being able to hope that Brookpaw would follow. His son had to survive, he had to.

Moon 24

Brookpaw hadn't spoken to him since the incident. It had been a whole moon, and Whisppaw still hadn't recovered. Duck was doing his best with what limited knowledge he had, but nothing seemed to work. He prayed for Daisyknoll to come to him in a dream, to advise him, tell him what to do, but there was nothing but silence. He cursed her out, looking down upon his son's prone form, the wound on his leg festering. Infection was growing in his bones, Duck could smell it, and there was nothing he could do. There was nothing he could do to make Brookpaw feel better either, even if he had the energy, she felt it was her fault.

Duck slumped down next to his son, nose buried into his hot fur. They could survive a moon without hunting, for now, he needed to rest and ensure that his son got better.

Moon 25

Duck still couldn't believe it. He knew it was coming, had sensed it, but when he woke up that morning to see Whisppaw still, entirely still this time, it broke him. He'd laid there for what felt like hours, silent tears rolling down his cheeks. He needed to tell Brookpaw... He couldn't do this. Perhaps it would've been better if he'd died with his twoleg when the beasts attacked. A shiver travelled down his spine, a new presence pressing into his side, it wasn't Brookpaw, it felt different. Closing his eyes, he knew it was him.

"I'm so sorry Whisppaw.."

The presence shifted, and then it was gone, just like that. Duck wiped his tears with a swipe of his paw and got to his feet, sparing Whisppaw's body with one last look before pushing out of the den to find his daughter. When he told her the news, Brookpaw completely broke, wailing into his chest. It broke Duck's heart to have to listen to his daughter's cries, but he did his best to comfort her, that was all he could do.

They would find a nice place to bury Whisppaw later, for now, they just needed each other.

#apocalypse #cats #clangen #clangen challenge #warrior cats #rootclan #warriors

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silverwings-stories · 1 year ago

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🌼DaisyClan: Moon 25🌼

“A mediator?” Woodpelt snorted, her tail twitching. “We don’t need a mediator.”Tulipnight wasn’t ruffled by Woodpelt’s dismissal, but she felt Daisyrunner shift beside her. The medicine cat and the former leader had always rubbed each other the wrong way, but it was even worse now that the Clan was starting to take sides. Woodpelt was an enthusiastic supporter of Minkstar, but many cats believed that Daisyrunner should reclaim their position. Tulipnight wasn’t sure where she stood - she’d never been one to take sides. But she knew a Clan fighting amongst itself could never stand against its enemies. She understood now why StarClan told her to come here.“I think we do need a mediator,” Tulipnight responded in an even tone. “And I think I am the cat to do it. I was happy in HillClan. There, I have a mate and a beautiful kit, who now has kits of her own. I miss them every day. I miss the connections I had in my birth Clan.” Tulipnight paused as her throat clenched. She took a deep breath and went on. “I have no connections here, but I think that’s exactly why StarClan thinks I’ll be a good mediator. I can picture your disagreements from an outsider’s perspective.”

Woodpelt huffed and turned back to the herb stores, picking out a shrivelled leaf. “I find it hard to believe that StarClan would send a message to a warrior rather than a medicine cat.” She meowed tartly.

“If the message is important enough, StarClan will say it to whichever cat needs to hear it,” Daisyrunner responded. Their voice was calm, but Tulipnight could see the flash of exasperation in their eyes. She imagined the pair had many conversations just like this.

“Even if a warrior was contacted by StarClan, only a medicine cat could interpret their true meaning,” Woodpelt said. She shot a glance at Tulipnight. “Did you even discuss this with HillClan’s medicine cat before you ran off?”

Tulipnight bowed her head. “I did not,” she admitted, “But StarClan’s message wasn’t exactly cryptic. I was standing atop a windswept hill, like the ones in my birth Clan’s territory, looking down into a sheltered valley. There was a bed of daisy flowers there, and among them a single, red tulip.” Tulipnight met Woodpelt’s sharp gaze, and tilted her head. “Don’t you think they meant for me to come here?” “Perhaps, but they never said anything about being a mediator, did they?” Woodpelt said with a dismissive tail-flick. “DaisyClan is doing just fine without your ‘outsider’s perspective.’”

The fur on Daisyrunner’s shoulders raised. “But we’re not,” They insisted. “The Clan is choosing sides. We’re supposed to be united! I don’t even want to be leader, but if it is StarClan’s will -”Woodpelt turned on Daisyrunner, her tail lashing. “If it is StarClan’s will, they will tell me!” She spat. Tulipnight sighed as the two cats went on squabbling. Oh StarClan, she thought, I sure have my work cut out for me . . . >>>

Notable Events

The three apprentices are made warriors, now called Brushlight, Hopdusk, and Bubblingbrook.

As Tulipnight watches the Clan begin to take sides, she realises what StarClan sent her here to do. Tulipnight becomes the Clan’s first mediator. Her first task is to talk to Daisyrunner and Woodpelt to help them work out their differences.

#clan generator #clangen #warrior cats #warriors oc #warriors #daisyclan #daisystar #woodpelt #tulipnight #writing

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crusherthedoctor · 2 years ago

Note

6, 12, 22, 23 :P

6. Has fandom ever made you enjoy a pairing you previously hated?

Not really.

…Yep, that was a quick one.

12. Is there an unpopular arc that you like that the fandom doesn't? Why?

If we're talking characters specifically, then I support Sonic and Tails having a disagreement that furthers the plot, as attempted in Lost World. Obviously it wasn't handled as well as it could have been there, but the idea on its own is reasonable to me, particularly if both sides have a point rather than it being purely in Sonic's favor just because he's Sonic, and as long as it's not wildly exaggerated to the point of a House of Cards-style affair where they're both acting like dickheads.

If we're talking story concepts in general, then I really like the idea of Solaris, since whether it was intentional or no, it sets itself up well as a unique parallel to Chaos in more ways than one. Unfortunately, they had to separate it into two less interesting halves with shittier designs, and gave them the lion's share of plot focus.

22. Popular character you hate?

*rolls out the list*

Let's see… Scourge, Surge, Kit, Mephiles, Mimic, Clutch, Rough and Tumble, Belle, Chip, Eggman Nega, Eclipse, most of the Archie cast in general, post-Flynning Starline… is it too early to add Eggette Sage?

For the longest time, I used to heavily dislike Sonic himself, because for all the praise he received for being the most awesome guy ever until Big Bad Pontaff came along and allegedly ruined him, he ALWAYS came off to me as obnoxious a lot more times than intended. While I've warmed up to him since then, in part due to portrayals like IDW, SatAM and Fleetway making me appreciate how better off Game Sonic is by comparison, and in part due to figuratively spending so much time in his head via the fanfic writing process, I'll admit that he still annoys me on occasion, like in Frontiers.

I also used to not care all that much for Shadow, since the dark rival archetype normally fails to interest me, combined with the preferential treatment he received in the mid-00s. Nowadays, while he's still not one of my favourites per say, I like him a lot more after taking note of how he manages to avoid most of the cliches that I associate with said archetype. (For just one example, Shadow is mostly reserved and polite, whereas other such characters tend to be overly hot-blooded and full of unwarranted bluster.) And the memes involving him are always fun too.

Then there's Silver. Hate is too strong a word in this case, but out of all the main recurring cast members, he's the one I'm the most utterly apathetic to, whether it's his Shadow Lite portrayal in most of the games, or his Steven Universe-itis portrayal everywhere else. His gimmick of saving the future from Cataclysmic Event #47 has also gotten old, and we all know how I feel about Blaze being reduced to his sidekick for most of her post-Rush screentime. If they stopped using Silver for whatever reason, I'd feel bad for his fans, but I wouldn't exactly be shedding tears personally.

And finally, while I normally try my best to not have my opinion on a character be influenced too much by fandom perception of them alone, since I realise it's not entirely fair… I must admit that I have grown completely sick of the Freedom Fighters after all the overblown fandom wanking they've received since Archie got bumped. Over the last couple of years, it's proven impossible to go a month without something like #Rally4Sally rearing its head, or another attempt by Flynn to directly or indirectly shoehorn them into everything he touches ("REMARKABLE RESEMBLANCE TO DULCY"). By the time it became clear just how much of IDW was already recycled from Archie, my patience reached its absolute limit.

The Freedom Fighters themselves may not be the worst characters ever (well, most of them), but I will never understand what makes them so special. And half of them were redundant from the very beginning anyway.

23. Unpopular character you love?

Eggman when he's in-character.

Rouge when she's in-character.

Amy when she's… alright, you get the joke, I'll come up with a serious answer.

Do the Hard-Boiled Heavies count? Sure, they got a lot of praise and fanart when Mania was new, but it feels like they've been left in the dust since then, and outside of that one IDW comic that I'd like to forget, they've barely been used for anything… Well, I always appreciate a quirky miniboss squad when the personalities involved are properly endearing instead of annoying, so I'll always love these guys, and despite all of them being roly-poly Egg Robos, their animations in Mania managed to convey a lot of character, without dialogue, that some characters in this franchise have struggled to match with dialogue.

Another one is Marine. It's mostly calmed down now, but back when Rush Adventure came out, everyone seemed to have a rabid hateboner for her, to the point where it felt like her only purpose in Archie was to be treated like shit. And for what? For overestimating her capabilities? She's still young, and she clearly developed some maturity and genuine skills towards the end anyway. Because she supposedly didn't do anything? That's not even true, but whatever. Because of her stereotypical Australian lingo? As someone who grew up listening to Dingodile and the entire cast of TY the Tasmanian Tiger, this had absolutely no effect on me. I already developed an immunity. All I thought when I read her dialogue was "Ha ha, just like one of my favourite Crash characters. B)"

How about Erazor Djinn? He's another one that's less hated and more just ignored period. Even among fans who love Secret Rings, only some of them like @greenyvertekins bother to actually acknowledge him. As someone who is not exactly a Secret Rings connoisseur, I nonetheless declare that Erazor is without question one of the best non-Eggman villains we've ever had… the hairdo's a bit goofy though, but genies do tend to have them like that, so touche.

Black Doom is the Best Bad Villain. Whereas other villains like him have made me nothing but grumpy, Doom's combination of Dr. Claw voice, Chinese bootleg Wizeman design, cartoonish levels of in-game contradictions (how the fuck can I progress if I DON'T kill your troops?), and even some genuinely intriguing quirks here and there (like not knowing what lightning is), has made it simply impossible for me to hate him. It helps that he never gained a disproportionate fandom like Mephiles did, as unlike Mephiles, Doom tends to be rightly acknowledged as the unintentional comedy goldmine that he is.

#Crusher's Asks #Opinion #Sonic the Hedgehog

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away-from-anthills · 4 years ago

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chapter three-

(prologue) (chapter one) (chapter two)

Although WindClan was the closest of all the Clans to it, the road to Fourtrees had never seemed longer.

The thick-barked trees seemed to stare down at Antstar as he led WindClan towards the hollow. On one side of him was Whitetooth, always looking ahead and always alert; on the other side was Russetfoot, who Antstar had decided to make his deputy almost as soon as he had returned from the Moonstone when he had received his nine lives.

A shiver scattered down his spine as he remembered the events that had happened after the last gathering. Rainleap gone, in an instant; a Clan suddenly left midair after being thrown off the cliff. And yet in all the turmoil, he had risen triumphant.

Or at least that was the impression he had gotten. He was supposed to feel triumphant, wasn’t he?

It had been a long ladder for Antstar to climb from Clanless kit to leader of all of WindClan, but he was beginning to realize at the top that he had a fear of heights.

Eventually, Fourtrees began to come into view, and Antstar could identify the four feline figures who sat at the Great Rock. All of them- even Currantstar, although he had only been leader for about twelve moons- seemed so used to it all, not even reacting to the leagues of chatter that surrounded them. It was as if their paws had melded with the granite below them.

“And I thought ShadowClan was bad with being late…” Pigeonstar’s coarse tone rang out above the crowd. The blue-gray tom was sporting a new scar that framed his left cheekbone.

“WindClan will be here soon enough,” said Tulipstar reassuringly. She had a tangy quality to her voice- not hostile, but not exactly warm either, like a mentor about to take their apprentice to a rigorous day of battle training. “I’ve heard rumors that something’s happened to them. Surely Shalestar will tell us.”

Shalestar. That was another thing. How was Antstar going to explain all that? Rainleap and Shalestar, both dead in the span of a month.

Part of him worried the others would think he killed him.

WindClan dispersed into the clearing, blending into the crowds. Spiderpaw was, very clearly, trying her best to not brag about her mentor now being the Clan leader. Toadpool and Webwhisker were striking a pleasant conversation with a dark red tabby tom from RiverClan with tufted ears. Adderthorn, a rather reclusive WindClan cat, kept to herself, although her gaze seemed to be fixed on a small dark brown tom from ShadowClan who had a marbled coat.

“Come, Antstar.” Whitetooth, with Marblepaw by their side, led Antstar through the gathering crowd, weaving in and out of the clouds of conversation. Eventually, they reached the medicine cats, who were having a friendly debate about whether yellow or orange marigold was more effective.

“I leave you here.” They pointed their tail at the top of the rock, where an empty spot sat between Tulipstar and Currantstar. “Best of luck. May StarClan look upon your first gathering with smiling faces.”

With a bit of effort, Antstar leapt onto the rock. He was surprised at how smooth the summit was- as if generations of pawsteps had carved it.

“Greetings, Antstep.” Tulipstar bowed her head.

Currantstar, however, looked a tad more confused. “Have Shalestar and Rainleap taken ill? I wouldn’t expect Shalestar to skip a Gathering. That old workhorse would go even in downpour…”

Antstar stammered. “I…”

He looked to Whitetooth for a second, who gave him an encouraging nod. He then looked to the other leaders. Their eyes felt like hot coals launching towards him.

But he would have to say it now.

“…Shalestar and Rainleap both passed away this prior moon.”

A sudden commotion hit the Gathering. Cats of the other Clans looked to their WindClan acquaintances in shock; WindClan simply nodded their heads and sighed.

“Both of them? How?” Pigeonstar’s eyes narrowed as his face twisted itself from comprehension into a scowl.

“On the way back from the last Gathering, there was an accident involving a monster. Shalestar appointed me as deputy in his stead-“ -he shot a quick glance into the crowd, seeking approval- “-and he passed away of illness not long after. We in WindClan mourn them both greatly, and have spent the past moon grieving for them.”

Pigeonstar, however, looked unconvinced. “How do we know you didn’t kill them?”

Antstar felt ill, unsheathing his claws to keep himself from falling off the Great Rock from dizziness. But the SkyClan leader continued, fashioning himself the great detective. “For all we know, you could have killed Rainleap, made it look like an accident, have Shalestar elect you as deputy, and then kill him, too!” He drew his lips in a snarl. “And it doesn’t help that cats of your kind don’t become WindClan leader so easy.”

But then, Currantstar stepped forward. “Many of us in ShadowClan are not Clan-born, like Antstar here. One of my medicine cats, Rosettepelt, is among them, and she is one of the most gifted healers we know.” He advanced forward towards Pigeonstar, his gaze steady and stern. “So if you want to remain on positive terms with us, I suggest you watch it.”

Pigeonstar seemed as if he were about to say something, but reason got the better of him.

“Furthermore, my friends,” started Whitetooth from the medicine cat crowd, “I can assure you that Antstar speaks truth. I prepared both bodies and aided Shalestar in his final hours. As he lay dying, he was content with his choice in Antstep.”

There was a low murmur throughout the Gathering discussing the death of the old leader. Even though Antstar tried not to, he bent his ears towards the crowd to get a better listen.

“Well,” said Pigeonstar, “we have no proof he didn’t kill Shalestar, now, do we?”

Currantstar and Tulipstar looked unconvinced as they looked over the Burmese tom in front of them. “You realize Antstar was Shalestar’s own apprentice, Pigeonstar,” added Tulipstar dryly. “And Shalestar took quite the liking to him.”

Tatteredstar of ThunderClan, however, was studying him, very very deeply, like she was inspecting the double barrel of a rifle she was about to stuff with gunpowder. Finally, she stepped back. The massive molly sat down, her expression unchanged as always.

“I don’t think the boy killed Shalestar.” She spoke in a thick ThunderClan drawl. “But we shouldn’t underestimate him.” She paused, as if she was taking the moment to rehearse her thoughts to herself. “He’s got killer between his eyes.”

Killer in his eyes. Antstar felt unsettled. Killer? What does she mean? And why-

But the other leaders simply seemed to nod, as if a silent agreement had been reached that they shouldn’t further push Antstar.

Perhaps they all had killers dancing in their eyes.

Pigeonstar seemed to back off, although he didn’t look pleased.

“Is there any other news in WindClan to report?” asked Tulipstar.

“…There is nothing else to report.”

Antstar stepped back, and Tatteredstar began to prepare herself to speak. Tatteredstar’s mere presence alone made Antstar feel weaker. Tatteredstar was an almighty oak; massive, muscular, battle-scarred and a pillar of her Clan, he was a mere dandelion, who bent over and crumpled in the slightest breeze, beside her. Having a good look at her didn’t help. He saw more scars on her now than he ever had before- across her face, across her flank, even down her legs. Her claws were off-white and long, jutting out from the tufts of fur betwixt her toes, and while her fur was generally well-groomed, a mat or two seemed just under the surface in the ruff of fur around her neck. She had two bottom fangs that stuck out; they had yellowed in their years of exposure and her bottom lip seemed to have shaped itself around them. Her tail was short, compared to her body, and it would not surprise Antstar if she had lost part of it in the throes of battle. Her big, yellow eyes, which were surrounded by oily discharge that discolored her fur, seemed to both stare into the horizon and at whatever was in front of her at once.

“ThunderClan has been doing well this past moon. We extend our condolences to WindClan for their loss of Shalestar,” she began. “He was leader alongside me for many years. We had our disagreements, but I held the tom in high regard, as I am sure all of us do.”

Shalestar and Tatteredstar had been the two oldest leaders, Antstar recalled. She had been leader for about twelve seasons by the time Shalestar ascended, and while the two didn’t interact much and had their differences, there was an air of respect between the two.

Antstar recalled how hollow-looking and feeble Shalestar had appeared in death. Tatteredstar, however, had no sign of slowing down. He wondered how she managed to do it.

“We have been lucky to have had two healthy litters of kits born into our Clan. Sleetwhisker has given birth to two mollies, Vinekit and Shrikekit; and Sootspots has given birth to four toms and a molly, Mothkit, Fogkit, Stumpkit, Cedarkit, and Clawkit. In addition, Foxbriar is set to give birth to her kits within the next quarter-moon. We will have our paws very full… and it will also mean we will have more mouths to feed.” She shot a pointed glance at Tulipstar.

“Also- in addition- there was an attempted uprising by a ThunderClan cat named Rosefire.” The Gathering crowds pricked their ears- Rosefire was a cat who had been known by many for his friendly nature and how he disliked Tatteredstar and her deputy, Eelwhisker. He was a very vocal cat, and would often joke about starting genuine rebellion against them in order to pursue a dream of all five clans being united. Many thought he was a tad extreme, of course, but he was generally well-liked.

But Tatteredstar never minced words. “The so-called uprising was over as soon as it began. I dealt with Rosefire. You will not be seeing him again.”

There was a stunned silence.

It was only then that it really struck Antstar what cat he was dealing with. The matter of Rosefire, to Tatteredstar, was not a personal matter, and there was not a look of cruelty, resentment, or even annoyance in the ThunderClan leader’s yellow eyes. Rosefire had intruded on ThunderClan’s safety, and Tatteredstar had dispatched him. It began and ended there.

And then, Tatteredstar stepped back. “ThunderClan has nothing more to report.”

After what seemed like forever, Currantstar stepped up to speak. “ShadowClan has spent the moon recuperating after the fire we reported at the last Gathering. We are, again, very lucky that it did not affect us too harshly. Besides that, we have no new news to report; we are deeply sorry for WindClan’s loss of Shalestar and Rainleap.”

As soon as he had begun, he had ended. Antstar admired his charisma, his charm, the way he looked like a sculpture; Currantstar was a perfect leader.

And he had become leader so young, too. He and Antstar were about the same age, after all.

If he can do it, and be a perfect leader, I can do it, too…

“We have been experiencing difficulties with rogues on SkyClan territory,” Pigeonstar announced. “I suspect this is the same group that has been bothering RiverClan territory. However, we have fought them off successfully,” he said. He was very pointed with his words. “In addition, two of our apprentices became warriors- Bumbleshade and Silverskip.”

There was a round of cheer for the two freshly-graduated warriors. Pigeonstar then backed away, and Tulipstar, the very small white molly with ginger splotches, at long last took the stage.

“We are continuing to deal with the rogues on our territory. We have started to drive them off, but it’s a tough process. Just this moon alone we have had to deal with the untimely deaths of Yellowstripe and Sleekwater, and our resources are running dry. However, there is hope. Oatwhisker became a warrior this month, and one of our mollies gave birth to two fine young kits, Magpiekit and Frondkit.”

The little white-and-orange molly kept a steady eye on Tatteredstar- giving a clear implication about how much she wanted Sunningrocks. Their agreement would run out by the next Gathering- and, by the looks of it, Tulipstar had every intention to keep the territory.

Slowly, the gathering would down like a spring-powered toy. SkyClan was the first to leave; then ThunderClan, and then ShadowClan, until only WindClan and RiverClan were left. Antstar would have left earlier, but he still felt dizzy and his head felt sore from sheer mental pressure.

“Are you alright?”

He turned and looked down to see Tulipstar. She looked… genuinely concerned, or at least as genuinely as Antstar could convince himself another leader could be.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he said, as reluctance tried to keep his lips locked together.

“…You sounded nervous. I get it. Don’t fear the other leaders; they’re really not as scary as they like to make themselves out to be.” She thought on her words for a moment. “Well, except for Tatteredstar.”

“…What is it to you?” Antstar backed away slowly. Did she want something out of him? Then he doubled back in his mind- what if that sounded too rude, and now she was mad with him?

“Antstar, relax. I was especially close with your mentor and predecessor, Shalestar. We were very good friends, and under our allyship our two Clans were very close. I would like to continue that partnership with you.”

RiverClan had been friendly with WindClan for at least as long as Shalestar and Tulipstar had led them both. Slowly, Antstar let his guard down, correcting his posture so he didn’t look so hunched over.

“I would like to continue it, as well.”

“Great,” she said. She smiled, and Antstar could see how middle age had made her face look bony and her dimples more noticeable. “Besides- I was in a very similar scenario to where you are now, when I became leader.”

Antstar sat up in disbelief. Perhaps he wasn’t alone! Perhaps someone, somewhere out there… someone might just understand! “You… you became leader the same way?”

“Similarly. I mean- there weren’t as many accusations as you had to face from Pigeonstar, that joyless rat, because both my parents were RiverClan and the previous leader’s death wasn’t exactly a private occasion.” She leaned in, her jade eyes wide. “Did you hear about how I came to be leader, Antstar?”

Antstar shook his head.

“I feel you will find it very similar to your situation. The leader before me was a tom named Boarstar.”

Antstar remembered hearing of a Boarstar in nursery tales when he was a kit. Everyone knew him as a leader who had died in a battle he himself had started, but Antstar had not heard much of what he was like beyond that.

“Boarstar was very, very young when he rose to power, younger than you by a few seasons. He was a mean thing. Always picking fights with ThunderClan and WindClan, always on the attack. He was a serial womanizer and deeply narcissistic. Not many of us liked him much. He placed his brother, Oakbelly- who shared every ideal with him- as his deputy, and the two wreaked havoc on RiverClan. Boarstar lost his lives quite quickly because of all the battles he started…”

“So how did he choose you?”

“I honestly don’t think he did. We were in the midst of a battle with ThunderClan in their camp, and Oakbelly was fighting some ThunderClan cat while trying to get to the nursery. As he was taunting them, he made a miscalculation- and the ThunderClan cat shredded his belly open. And now, you know I and ThunderClan do not get along, but…” She smirked.

“And Boarstar?”

“Boarstar was filled with more rage than his namesake as he saw his brother bleed out… So he ran right to Tatteredstar herself and attacked her. She and him went one-on-one. It was a quick battle. I didn’t see much of it, but in the glimpse of his death that I got from the other side of their camp, she was clamping down on his head with her paws, crushing his skull.”

Antstar grimaced.

“The next thing I knew, the medicine cat rushed up to me and asked if I could take the mantle of leadership, telling me it was what Boarstar wanted in his last moments. In hindsight, it was probably the last thing he wanted, and the medicine cat was the one who made the decision. But it was my duty to my Clan, and so, I became leader. I cannot say the road of leadership has been an easy one, or a gentle one. But I want to be the cat for you who I wished was there for me.”

Antstar stepped towards her. “You mean, you’re going to help me?”

“I can’t lead for you, Antstar. Only you know your people. But I will be here as your mentor in leadership. Our Clans will be close. Feel free to ask me if you need help, and I will do my best to be there. It’s what Shalestar would have wanted.”

Antstar’s shoulders felt lighter. Someone out there was on his side!

“Trufflepelt, organize RiverClan so we can leave.” A tall, gaunt cinnamon tabby tom, twice the height of his leader, stood at the end of the hollow as the trademark plump bodies and shimmering pelts of RiverClan surrounded him. Pebblesky, RiverClan’s medicine cat, receded into the crowd, leaving Whitetooth and Marblepaw alone. They disappeared into the forests, southward; towards the faint smell of freshwater that beckoned from their territory.

Antstar stood alone on the rock for a moment. It was smooth, cold; almost calming now that the other Clans had left. He looked above and saw the leaves of the great oaks shiver above him; and a sky full of stars, who all blinked and winked as they stared upon him.

He heard pawsteps behind him, and turned to see the familiar face of Whitetooth, staring him in that inquisitive way they always did. “Are you alright, my leader?”

“…Yeah.” Antstar didn’t break eye contact as he stared at the stars above him.

“...You’ll get used to it,” Whitetooth added.

“I know.”

And then, after a further moment, Antstar left the Great Rock, where Russetfoot was already organizing WindClan to go home. Whitetooth followed, and then Marblepaw, and away they went, into the night.

“He did terribly,” said Sparkthistle dismissively as soon as the Gathering group got back.

“It couldn’t be that bad,” said Houndnose, a tortoiseshell tabby-and-white permaqueen, who emerged from the nursery with two of Cherrycloud’s kits clamping themselves onto her fur like a pair of bread clips.

“Oh, he made the biggest ass of himself- which is saying something because Pigeonstar was there.” The ginger molly rolled her eyes. “You really hate to see it. I’m astonished Rainleap hasn’t unearthed himself with all the spinning he must be doing in that grave!”

“Don’t talk that way about my brother!” growled Stripedwing, who was just outside the nursery. The gray tabby molly, who was visibly pregnant, had been inspecting the nursery while the gathering group was gone.

But Sparkthistle simply groaned and sauntered off, as if she was annoyed at Stripedwing for not liking the joke.

Antstar passed by the nursery, and something bit his foot. He looked down to see Brindlekit, a little tortoiseshell, gnawing at his toes. “Got you now, ThunderClan rat!” she squeaked.

“Brindlekit, that’s our leader!” said a ginger tabby tom-kit, panicked- but with a slight edge of authority. But Brindlekit, pugnacious as ever, simply pounced onto her brother, and the two began to wrestle. Eventually, Cherrycloud- her ginger coat near identical to the one of the little tom-kit- pried them apart. “Brindlekit, be nice to Antstar. Rosekit, it’s my job to parent her, not you.”

“Antstar! Antstar!” cried another ginger kit, who pushed her way out of the nursery between Houndnose and Cherrycloud. “Didja see Tatteredstar?”

“Is she really the size of a dog? That’s’ what Amberkit told me!” added a tiny solid black tom next to her. “…She’s big. Definitely one of the biggest cats I’ve seen. But not that big.”

The black tom-kit looked smugly at Amberkit, who seemed flustered that her descriptions weren’t accurate. But they had more questions to ask.

“Do the RiverClan cats really smell like fish?” “I heard ShadowClan eats frogs!” “Can Tatteredstar really kill a rat just by looking at them?” “Is the RiverClan medicine cat really secretly from ThunderClan?”

Antstar felt bombarded, but he still tried to answer each question. “They kind of do… they do eat frogs, but they seem fine with it… I don’t know, but she is scary… She is, and it’s not much of a secret, both Clans agreed to it…”

Cherrycloud gave a motion to the two kits, and they silenced themselves. “I’m sorry if they’re being a bother to you, Antstar,” she said apologetically.

“Oh, it’s no bother,” Antstar said. “They’re the next generation of warriors, after all.”

“Patchkit, would you like to say hi?” Cherrycloud asked to a little tortoiseshell, similar in shape and appearance to Brindlekit, who clung next to her. Patchkit gave Antstar a small glance and then buried herself further into her mother’s fur.

“She’s very shy and anxious,” Cherrycloud said. “We hope she’ll step out of her shell a little more soon.”

Antstar recalled he had been a similar way, as a kit. He recalled the permaqueen who had nursed him- a kind, pleasant molly who had passed away a few seasons ago from a wound infection- had a conversation with him about how he was then.

“You were a shy little thing. Very quiet, very meek. But when we were alone, you’d do these little tricks- kneading the ground, cuddling up to clumps of moss and cotton. It was cute, but… it was weird. It was like you were putting on a show for approval. And maybe it was coincidence- but sometimes it felt like you knew what you were trying to do.”

Antstar had thought about that a lot, since he had became leader.

“Oh,” Cherrycloud added, “and I’m sorry for how my sister, Sparkthistle, has been acting recently. We don’t talk much anymore. I will never understand why she has such a bug up her tail about everything... She should mellow down soon, I hope.”

She picked up Patchkit and went back into the nursery, with Houndnose alongside her and her other kits soon following. Antstar soon found himself alone again outside the nursery, the pale moon giving everything a glow. He saw Sparkthistle from across the clearing. The ginger tabby, her teeth in a permanent scowl, made brief eye contact with him before turning away into the warriors’ den.

Antstar worried. What if they began to believe her? What if she’s not an outlier- but an early critic? What if she turns the Clan on him? What if-

Something white caught his eye, and he turned to see Whitetooth, watching him from the edge of the medicine cat on the far side of camp.

He couldn’t fully read their face, but they had the glint in their eye of someone with an answer.

#warrior cats #warrior cats ocs #story

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dovewingz · 4 years ago

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moonkitti bramblesquirrel video: summary notes

please keep in mind that because i wanted to keep things shorter and, well, summarized, i included close to no quotes. moon uses a lot of quotes, so if you want evidence from within the text i would suggest skimming through the video. secondly, i didn’t include any of my personal opinions for obvious reasons.

link to video. content warning for discussions of abuse.

BRIEF SUMMARY: to say that bramblesquirrel are both entirely in the wrong is completely ignoring the consistent signs of an abuser that bramblestar exhibits, just as squirrelflight behaves like a victim of abuse. there is a clear power imbalance between them that has been present since the beginning of their relationship.

NOTES: about a 10 minute read

INTRO > the fandom has brought about a belief/take that squirrelflight and bramblestar are equally bad to each other. this is a compromise; a way to excuse bramblestar’s poor behaviour & find reason for him to treat squirrelflight poorly.

> the fandom consistently brings up reasons for him to treat her cruelly (victim blaming), as though someone being annoying is any reason to treat them badly.

> the fandom also jumps between using cat morals (the warrior code) and human morals to back up their opinions. when squirrelflight helped the sisters, she disobeyed her leader (against the code), but it was for a morally good reason. she was doing the right thing.

> there is a clear power imbalance between bramblestar and squirrelflight. more on that later.

THE NEW PROPHECY > squirrelflight doesn’t trust hawkfrost, and neither does leafpool based on previous experience. when she confronts brambleclaw about this, he believes that this is because of who hawkfrost’s father is. squirrelflight insists that that is not why.

> brambleclaw continues to work with hawkfrost, training in the dark forest with tigerstar (the one thing that he is upset with squirrelflight for accusing him of). he believes that hawkfrost is a good person, even when mudclaw reveals that he and hawkfrost were working together.

> brambleclaw doesn’t listen to squirrelflight’s concerns or take her seriously. they do not trust each other.

> throughout their hawkfrost-disagreement, brambleclaw continues to find excuses to punish/scold her. squirrelflight defends herself, acting aggressive/defensive. she’s growing closer with ashfur, trusting him and preferring how he treats her. >>> “that’s what you want, is it? a loyal warrior to follow after you and smooth all the thorns out of your pelt?” brambleclaw mocks her for wanting someone who will treat her kindly.

> brambleclaw continues to get more controlling and aggressive, while ashfur is overprotective and also controlling/babies her. brambleclaw is very cold and passive-aggressive towards squirrelflight & her relationship with ashfur. it is unclear whether ashsquirrel are mates or not, but they are likely in the middle phase (on the path to becoming mates but not officially mates yet).

> squirrelflight eventually realizes she still has feelings for brambleclaw (for some reason) and breaks it off with ashfur. leafpool receives a vision from starclan which confirms that they are bramblesquirrel shippers too! wow thanks starclan.

> to conclude: brambleclaw was projecting his insecurities about tigerstar onto squirrelflight (while also training in the DF with tiger). he pushes her away when she attempts to talk with him, and goes out of his way to boss her around/control her. squirrelflight was not intentionally trying to upset him.

LEAFPOOL’S WISH > brambleclaw isn’t treating squirrelflight like an equal. >>> “brambleclaw wants me to fetch soaked moss for the nursery, even though it’s an apprentice task. he hasn’t stopped giving out orders since firestar made him deputy!” /// “...treating me like i’m still wet behind the ears.”

> squirrelflight is having issues only a month into the (new, romantic) relationship. she feels patronized. there has almost always been a power imbalance in their relationship (apprentice/warrior and now warrior/deputy).

> when it comes to the three, squirrelflight states multiple times that she doesn’t want to lie to brambleclaw. she doesn’t change her mind until she finds out that she is barren and will never have biological children. starclan themselves tell her this, pressuring her into taking the kits.

POWER OF THE THREE and OMEN OF THE STARS > their relationship is solid until hollyleaf reveals the truth about her parents at the gathering. brambleclaw breaks up with squirrelflight on the spot, not understanding why she didn’t trust him enough to tell him.

> the question is, can we trust brambleclaw? he trained in the dark forest and never told her, he held a grudge against squirrelflight for months, etc. of course he had every right to break up with her, but squirrelflight rightfully had worries.

> after their break up, brambleclaw avoids, ignores and acts very passive-aggressively towards her. in forth apprentice, it is mentioned that they hadn’t spoken in months. their only communication was squirrelflight watching him longingly & sadly.

> before the tribe quest, squirrelflight asks brambleclaw if he has a message for the tribe. jayfeather detects something else in her voice, and he realizes that she wants brambleclaw to show her any kind of sign that he still cares about her.

> after finding out about the three’s powers, brambleclaw accuses her of lying, intentionally trying to hurt him, etc. they fight several times. then, suddenly, near the end of the last hope, they are on good terms. this is a pattern in their relationship: brambleclaw only treating squirrelflight fairly during/after a huge crisis has occurred. this time, it’s the last hope battle. after the battle, he trusts her and makes her deputy.

> why does brambleclaw suddenly trust her after treating her so passive-aggressively for a whole year? he manipulated and controlled her, punished her for hurting him, and there was still a power imbalance. he’s not just her mate, he’s now her leader.

> while brambleclaw gave her the cold-shoulder, squirrelflight acted very submissive and sad. she’s typically headstrong, independent and active. brambleclaw makes her act scared.

BRAMBLESTAR’S STORM > bramblesquirrel are not together and their relationship seems to work best this way.

> bramblestar chose squirrelflight as deputy because she has her own ideas and will challenge him. he’s glad she’s deputy and thinks she’s good at her job, believing that he would be “lost without her.”

> scenes with jessy are trying to show us that squirrelflight is jealous. during a couple of scenes, squirrelflight does act unreasonably and snaps at bramblestar, where jessy defends him. >>> “wow, is she always like this?” “yeah, pretty much.” - bramblestar and jessy > later, bramblestar and jessy go out together. when they get back, bramblestar forgets to tell anybody that he saw windclan trespassing for, like, 10 minutes. squirrelflight is frustrated, but even after he gets injured, she doesn’t scold him.

> after they help shadowclan, bramblestar understands why squirrelflight lied to him. she was protecting leafpool, which he gets because he would also do anything for his sister. he says he respects her and her courage. they also acknowledge that lion, jay and holly are their real kids. >>> “squirrelflight and i share a bond that cannot be broken” - inner monologue from bramblestar

A VISION OF SHADOWS > squirrelflight is pregnant, proving that starclan lied to her about being barren. bramblesquirrel have some casual scenes, although squirrelflight is a bit “toned down” / not as independent. this may just be because she’s not a pov character or because she’s getting older.

thats literally it

SQUIRRELFLIGHT’S HOPE this one is like 50% of the video!

> squirrelflight likes the idea of having another litter of kits and bramblestar gives her a vague response. it is important to note that she didn’t ask anything, she just mentioned the idea.

> she changes the subject, wanting to feel like they’re young again! bramblestar is serious and talks about the gathering. it is implied that they haven’t had fun in a while and that he isn’t giving her much attention.

> they discuss the skyclan territory dispute at the gathering. bramblestar doesn’t want thunderclan or skyclan to give away territory. squirrelflight gives her own solution, that there is territory above thunder and shadow. she believes that this is an open discussion for different ideas.

> after the gathering, he is furious at her for giving her own idea without discussing it with him first, and that skyclan will have to move again. he also mentions that the territory she’s talking about could have dangerous animals, and that warriors could die because of her idea.

> because this is a discussion over territory, squirrelflight mentions that the clans are getting bigger + that there will be new kits by new-leaf. throughout the entire talk, he had been growling and lashing his tail.

> bramblestar deflects and brings up something that she had already dropped: having more kits. he is scolding her, attempting to trivialize her feelings. he runs away, and squirrelflight follows him, trying to continue the discussion. >>> then he guilt-trips her, “isn’t being deputy enough?” he is accusatory and it is clear that he doesn’t want to have this discussion. > squirrelflight explains that she’s worried because she knows she’s getting older and wants another littler before it’s too late. to herself, she worries that because bramblestar has nine lives, he will live longer than her and eventually replace her. >>> “don’t you love me anymore?” she asks. could be a guilt-trip, could be a genuine question because squirrelflight feels unloved.

> afterwards, bramblestar apologies. he admits that he brought up the kits out of anger because he felt like she wasn’t on his side at the meeting. he says that he would love to have another litter with her, but squirrelflight can Tell that he doesn’t, he’s just saying it because she wants kits. she never brings up the topic of kits again.

> moon super briefly goes over the cycle of abuse: tension between the abuser and the abused (abused feels anxious), abuser lashes out, then afterwards feels bad/apologizes + there’s a brief “peace” period. this happens multiple times in the bramblesquirrel relationship, with hawkfrost, with the three, etc. something else to note is that every time they reconcile, they have a litter of kits, so it wouldn’t be hard to say that squirrelflight associates the “peace” period with motherhood.

> squirrelflight feels very guilty, like she’s replaceable, and blames herself. she goes over the argument in her head again. eventually, she and leafstar go explore the territory beyond thunderclan. squirrelflight feels bad about lying to bramblestar, but doesn’t tell him even when given the opportunity (running into sparkpelt). she believes that she is doing the morally right thing but knows that bramblestar wouldnt agree with her.

> while she’s with the sisters, she only grows more anxious, feels bad for the trouble she’s causing thunderclan, and worries about bramblestar’s anger.

> when thunderclan find her and bring her back to camp, bramblestar puts a restriction on her. if she’s “going to act like an apprentice,” then she must run every decision by him. no more going off on her own, no more “arguing” at the gathering. he is using his power as leader to control her. he threatens to replace her as deputy, causing squirrelflight to panic about how he no longer trusts her.

> later, bramblestar micromanages her. he orders squirrelflight to tell him how she’s organizing the dawn patrol and blatantly insults her methods. bramblestar is using a “trust exercise” to express his anger and lash out. squirrelflight defends herself, saying that she loves him & her clan. >>> “bramblestar was supposed to be her mate. why couldn’t he talk to her instead of trying to make her feel small?”

> after sparkpelt reveals that she’s pregnant and bramblestar mentions having kits to squirrelflight, squirrelflight snaps at him. she feels guilty about it. she also feels bad about not being happier for sparkpelt, feeling selfish, guilty for wanting something that bramblestar doesn’t, and scared that she’s never going to be happy again. she feels as though she’s making all the wrong choices.

> squirrelflight finds sunrise (a sister) injured and brings her to camp, knowing that bramblestar will be angry (as does the rest of the clan), but wanting to do the right thing. bramblestar refuses to help sunrise until he gets starclan’s approval, but it’s clear that he is acting out of anger towards squirrelflight.

> the message from starclan is incredibly vague, and bramblesquirrel disagree over it. squirrelflight insists on helping sunrise no matter bramblestar’s feelings, and bramblestar worries that helping sunrise will cause tension between the clans.

> when leafpool goes to help sunrise, bramblestar stands in front of her as a way to physically threaten her to step back. squirrelflight worries that bramblestar will fight leafpool just to stop her, so she jumps in front of leafpool to protect her. while this is happening, sunrise is dying. >>> “we can’t keep doing this. if you keep undermining my authority, you could destroy the whole clan” despite bramblestar’s words, squirrelflight wants to do what she knows is right. she believes that thunderclan is stronger than any leader/deputy disputes. >>> “why are you doing this to me? you’re my deputy. you’re my mate. you’re supposed to support me” /// “thanks to you, there’s not even unity in thunderclan anymore.” bramblestar guilt-trips her, unable to physically intimidate anyone into stopping. squirrelflight isn’t trying to hurt him, she’s trying to do what’s right.

> later on, bramblestar suddenly forgives her, but implies that he is willing to put the sisters in danger for what was previously squirrelflight’s plan. he wants to drive the sisters out by force. > tension between the clans grow, which sparkpelt blames bramblestar for. squirrelflight jumps to his defense. >>> “why are you sticking up for him? he’s hardly spoken to you in days. he’s been treating you like an apprentice. and you’re defending him! why are you being such a mouseheart?” sparkpelt says, making it clear that other cats are aware of bramblesquirrel’s toxicity. > bramblestar does not see squirrelflight as an equal. when he’s upset with her, he treats her as such, talking down to her, giving her apprentice-jobs, etc.

> bramblesquirrel haven’t properly made-up. squirrelflight is too anxious to talk to him, worried that she’ll make things worse or that he’ll lash out at her. she believes that bramblestar blames her for everything that’s wrong. as bramblestar plans the patrol to attack the sisters, squirrelflight hides away. he questions her about it, and she says that she doesn’t agree with what he’s doing, while bramblestar expects her to back him up no matter what.

> squirrelflight feels like he believes borders/battles are the only thing he cares about + bramblestar feels like the sisters are the only thing she cares about. he believes that he’s following the will of starclan. after that, squirrelflight apologizes to bramblestar and they say that they love each other. she supports him in front of the clan, despite the fact that she does not agree with what he’s doing.

> that night, she has a dream about kits dying in battle, and knows it was a prophetic warning. she talks to leafpool about this and they realize it was moonlight’s kits. they run ahead of the patrol, bramblesquirrel argue, they decide to attack then they don’t... it eventually results in squirrelflight’s death.

> [ moon skipped the starclan trial ]

> much like in other times, such as during the new prophecy and the last hope’s final battle, it takes a huge crisis for bramblestar to realize that he needs to treat squirrelflight fairly & apologize. he apologizes while she’s Dead, and once she wakes up he’s super worried about her. >>> “...don’t be sorry. don’t be sorry for anything. i was so worried. i love you so much. we should never have let things get so bad. i’ll never let it happen again.” even here, bramblestar is being manipulative, not fully taking the blame (”we”) and acting as though they are both equally at fault.

> from here, bramblestar is extra loving and supportive, defending her at the gathering. squirrelflight decides that she no longer wants another litter, she can be content with helping sparkpelt’s + the clan’s kits, plus she has bramblestar’s affection.

OUTRO/CONCLUSION my notes were getting less detailed by the end, but moon just reinstates some point she’s already made (as expected)

> bramblesquirrel follow the same patterns as the cycle of abuse. bramblestar consistently finds reasons to put her down and does things out of anger (even admitting to that). squirrelflight is constantly thinking about his anger and how he’ll lash out at her.

> there is a severe power imbalance in their relationship and there has been since the beginning. bramblestar does not treat her as though she’s on the same level as him.

> particularly in squirrelflight’s hope, the text presents squirrelflight as being in the right. she does what she believes is morally just, and bramblestar is shown as the antagonist. she constantly feels guilty and never even thinks of placing her wants/needs over his.

> it does not matter how many flaws squirrelflight has, it does not matter if she is annoying or entitled (she’s not) or bratty, she does not deserve to be abused. she is a victim of bramblestar’s abuse.

#i thiiink i got everything important?? please please lmk if youve seen the video and think ive skipped/skimmed over any key points #moonkitti #bramblesquirrel #abuse #cotton speaks #mk disc #bramblesquirrel disc

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loveafterthefact · 4 years ago

Text

Love After the Fact Chapter 61: In the Company of Blades

In which Keith has friends, Lance gets to show off, and Shiro wants Adam to step on him

First Previous Next

“Anyway, that’s where we are right now. One thing at a time, and I will come up with a meal plan, just in case,” Thace says. They’re rushing through hallways to get to the training yards.

“Thanks.” Keith twists his hair into a large knot on the back of his head, keeping it in place with a pin. “And thanks for the pin.”

“No problem. I just hope you don’t get impaled through your skull.”

“Hasn’t happened yet. Miraculously. We are very late.” Which means probing questions from one Altean, and a probing stare from another. One, Keith can’t say no to -because he’s soft- and the other, Keith is too scared to lie to.

“Fortunately, it’s easy to blame your health. So long as we can keep Lance’s mouth shut.”

“Right...” Keith is about to explain, but Thace's exasperated groan tells him he doesn't have to.

The training grounds are divided into a series of yards, with walls erected for privacy and so no one takes up too much space. Some are large, some small, some flat, some full of obstacles and ground cover, climbing walls, chasms, even stands of trees. There are even places to practice elk-riding, a means of preserving the ancient history of the mounted warriors of old. The Marmora have more respect for tradition than one might think.

When Thace and Keith arrive, they’re beholden to quite the spectacle. Adam, wielding a polearm, squaring off with one of Kolivan’s two kits, Antok. Regris, his other kit, is standing next to his father. Both are grown, but were raised by the Blades, and remain quite close to their sire.

Regris apparently got the good end of the stick, because Antok is getting his ass kicked by the smaller Altean. Adam’s polearm is indeed double-ended, this one equipped with glaives, which he’s currently using to repel Antok. The Altean is also wearing gauntlets with small blades attached, good for slashing throats if an enemy gets too close. Keith imagines that they also discourage grappling.

It’s strange, but Keith has never once in his life thought of Adam as a warrior. He’s always the behind-the-scenes man, and battle tends to be so upfront and personal. Seems Keith was wrong, because Adam is good. He’s fast, too, keeping up with Antok’s limbs, which includes an incredibly mobile tail.

Shiro seems to be enjoying the view, watching the fierce-eyed Altean swing his polearm like it’s a toothpick. A very long, dangerous toothpick. “That’s literally the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.”

“Gross.” Keith shoves his brother away.

“I want him to impale me,” the larger Galra sighs.

“You’re a pervert.”

“I concur with Keith,” Thace murmurs.

“Yeah? Well neither of you gets an opinion because you were both late.”

“Health thing,” Keith murmurs. “Where’s Lance?”

“Three yards down, showing off his marksmanship skills. Are you okay? Is something wrong?”

��Nothing at all,” Keith murmurs. “I just had a few questions.”

“Ah.” Shiro shifts awkwardly. They’re still a bit uncomfortable, despite putting their disagreement behind them, and being otherwise normal with each other. “Listen.”

The fact that Shiro bothers to turn away from Adam’s totally-not-an-exhibition is a contributing factor as to why Keith actually does choose to listen to his brother’s opinion.

“I’m here for you. No matter what. Know that.”

Keith smiles. That sounds like his brother. “ I know. Thanks. I’ll let you know if I need you. Or Lance will let you know because I refuse to ask you for help.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Adam finally manages to disarm Antok, spinning his polearm and holding it behind his back.

“Well, Remind me never to push Adam over the edge. I’m gonna go see what Lance is up to.”

“You do that,” Shiro murmurs. “I’m gonna go find a deserted hallway and bring your attendant with me.”

“Have fun. Pervert.”

“I will, thanks.”

Rolling his eyes, Keith trots over to the other field, curious to see what Lance has got up to. Thace hurries right behind him, scanning the facility. “Where the fuck is my mate?”

“Who cares about your mate? Where’s- mine…”

As it turns out, Keith’s mate is firing arrows from the back of a galloping elk. And every shot is perfect. He’s also shirtless, which is really great, but kind of gross because he’s doing that weird ‘sweating’ thing that Alteans do, where they get all wet and slippery. Why can’t they just pant to cool off like a normal species?

But whatever. It’s still incredibly impressive. Especially since the targets, little floating spheres, are both moving and firing at him. And it’s nice to see Lance in his element. He’s got a borrowed bow in one hand, a couple arrows between the fingers of the other, another between his grinning teeth.

“Good to know your chosen mate isn’t entirely useless,” a gruff voice murmurs from behind. Kolivan’s followed them from the other field. “Wasn’t sure about him when Shirogane came back with a report on his swordsmanship. He’s actually an incredible shot.”

“Yeah, he’s pretty great.”

The only thing better is the way Lance’s face brightens when they make eye contact. He removes the arrow from his mouth. “Hey, beloved! See something you like?”

“Hm. Not sure. You should go around again so I can decide.” Keith’s smirk morphs into a grin. “I take it you're enjoying yourself?”

“I am kicking ass! This is so much fun! Can’t believe I’ve never tried this before! Also, this is Bruna, and I love her.”

Keith smiles as Lance hangs his bow from the elk’s saddle, stroking the doe’s soft, red fur. “You know she’s carnivorous, right?”

“All close friends have their points of contention, and admittedly her terrifying teeth are… one of those things, but she’s also loyal, and fast, and very sweet.”

Keith eyes the elk skeptically, gaze lingering on her four sharpened antlers crowning her head and the filed horns protruding from her face. “This sharp, vicious creature is your friend?”

“Bruna will be loved and adored by yours truly all the days of her life.”

“Okay. Good luck convincing your father to let you bring her home.”

“Oh, I don’t have to convince either of my parents of anything. I just have to convince you.”

Keith stares down the hopeful look in his ridiculous elk-loving husband’s face. He’s thoroughly unmoved by those large, pleading, blue-and-pink eyes. Completely unswayed… Except… “If you’re getting one, I should get one too. It will give us an excuse to spend time together without being buried in tablets.”

“See, this is why I love you.”

“I love you too. Now shoot some more arrows so I can watch.”

“Okay, should I put my shirt back on, or-”

“No, it’s fine.” A sly smile. “You can keep it off if you like.”

Lance quirks an eyebrow before lifting his bow again -Does he have to show off that he can ride with no hands?- and preparing to continue his practice.

“When you’re done flirting,” Kolivan mutters. “Your mother is waiting to kick your ass.”

“Yeah, okay.” Keith looks around. “Where did Thace go?”

“I dunno. Probably to stick his tongue in Ulaz’ mouth.” Kolivan sighs, leading him to yet another training room. “I’d been counting on you to be the only one of these idiots to keep it in their pants.”

“What about your sons?”

“Pfft. Found mates while you were gone. They’re always… visiting.”

“Gross… Well, I promise never to visit you.”

The Galra chuckle. Kolivan never really has a lot to say, but what he does have to say is either incredibly serious or mildly amusing. He’s an acquired taste. One that Keith has acquired in order to survive. Kolivan’s also his mother’s closest companion, so he insists on their getting along, despite what one might call ‘creative differences’ when it comes to leadership roles.

Essentially, Kolivan’s an unapologetic, amazingly blunt asshole and Keith tries his best to be more… constructive.

“It’s about time you showed up.”

“Hey, Mom. Sorry. I stopped by the med ward.”

“Okay.” She goes easily, drawing her sword. “But don’t expect me to go easy on you.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

That’s what Keith loves about his mother: the understanding. For only having known each other for two years, they share so much: a loss, a condition, a passion for the personal freedoms that their rulers restrict until they can barely breathe.

But Keith and his mother find a way. They dig their roots into unwelcoming ground. They learn to thrive. They draw breath.

And swords. Krolia has Keith panting in minutes, forcing him to the brink of his skills. He really is out of shape, but he’s missed this. He’s missed this challenge, this push, this direct, up-front, physical confrontation where no one is screaming, or complaining, and there’s no stack of work staring at him from behind another stack of work. Just him, trying his damndest to beat the crap out of someone who can actually match with him.

And, surprisingly, he’s doing well. His stamina and strength have taken a hit, but he’s picked up forms and techniques on Altea that give him an edge.

The Galra know how an Altean fights, but Keith knows how they think, why they make the choices they do. Their aim isn’t disarming or killing an enemy. A Galra's aim is to defeat the enemy, to beat them into submission until the ground beneath thier boots is painted red. An Altean’s aim is to make it past the enemy toward a larger goal, and do it as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Krolia isn’t his enemy. She’s just in the way. So, dodging a slash of Krolia’s sword, Keith slips past his mother, elbowing her in the kidney as he darts past. Krolia doesn’t flinch, even as she turns to stare at her son, but nobody can fully brush off a hit to the kidney, and she lowers her sword, panting her way through the pain since she has the option.

“What was that?” she asks.

“I applied a different philosophy. In a mission, you wouldn’t be my target, and I saw no reason to waste my time dispatching you.” Keith shrugs. “Why bother?”

“Because I could have gathered information on you-”

“You didn’t. In this scenario, you, an unnamed, random assailant, are not worth killing, and I have a different mission.”

“And what might that mission be?”

“I…” Keith pauses. “I hadn’t thought that far. I just wanted to show off.”

“Clearly.” Krolia looks her son up and down, amused. “I don’t understand, but you seem to think you’ve achieved something, so-”

“HA!!!”

“AHhhhhh!!!”

“-So what the fuck was that?” Krolia growls, adjusting her grip on her sword.

“I’m not sure, but that was Lance and Adam, so something’s probably being destroyed.” Keith sighs, heading back to Lance’s field. “Welcome to my life.”

Lance is indeed messing around with Adam, wielding a broadsword with an adequate amount of skill -a miracle, honestly, and one courtesy of Keith- while Adam comes at him with his polearm.

From behind the fighting idiots, Shiro grins at him, notching his head at Lance. Keith presses his lips together to hide his smile, ducking his head. He knows he’s doing a good job, but to have someone else say it means a lot.

“I thought you said he didn’t have any skills,” Krolia murmurs, watching the Alteans go back and forth.

“That’s what I thought.” Keith lifts his gaze back to his chosen mate, the glint in his eyes as he experiments with the sword in his hand, figuring out how to make it more effective against Adam’s chosen weapon. “But I was wrong. He just needed some more one-on-one coaching. He’s typically quite capable on his own, but always better when he’s working with others. He’s a people person.”

“That is one of the many, many reasons I don’t understand why you love that little creature,” Krolia murmurs.

“He’s a good buffer. He does all the talking, and I just stand there and look pretty.”

That’s not entirely true, less so as time goes on, but for some reason, Keith doesn’t want to share all that much about his life on Altea. It almost feels too personal, like he’s not ready to share his experiences with anyone yet.

“Hm, I’d think looking pretty would be his job,” Thace teases, clinging to Ulaz’ waist. Ulaz himself only nods, a more quiet kind of friendly than his mate, but friendly all the same. His fondness for Keith is indicated by a softened eyebrow, rather than a smile.

“No, but he does it exceptionally well.”

The corner of Ulaz’ mouth quirks. “Perhaps you can both come over to our place tomorrow and look pretty around our table. The kits want to see you, Mashan in particular. Besides, the hunting party returns tomorrow. A little lizard told me that they slew a pack of vakalt. Herdsmen are coming up, too. We can celebrate together, maybe put a few of them up at our den for the night. Get in a few good stories. Also, be forewarned, Lotor wants to speak to Lance outside the castle, so he may 'spontaneously decide to visit'.”

Keith nods. He watches Lance and Adam spar, glancing to his littermate across the yard. So far, his companions have been more than agreeable concerning the Galra way of life. Lance, at least, will enjoy the experience, and Adam will enjoy a chance to crawl all over Shiro. Maybe he’ll even be able to drag Pidge out of their closet. It’ll be nice.

“Sure. We’ll come.” Keith smiles. “Thanks for the invite.”

“Nonsense!” Thace claps him on the shoulder. “You’ll always be one of us, Keith, and you’re always welcome in our home. You, and that Altean of yours.”

“Thanks, guys. I really appreciate that.”

He does. He’s glad that he still has a place here, even if it’s no longer his only home.

#LoveAftertheFact #LAtF #klance #galtean au #altean lance #galra keith #adashi #altean adam #galra shiro #voltron legendary defender #vld

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meaninglessblah-writes · 5 years ago

Note

How about 90 + 33? #200528

Thank you for the prompt ♥ Wasn’t sure which pairing you were after, so I’ve gone with some gen DamiJay.

90 “I’m almost there, just hang on.” + 33 “Hey look at me, just breathe, okay?

Jason bites the tail end of the gauze between his teeth and pulls tight, watching the neat, fresh row of stitches disappear beneath the white cloth. He’s agitated, blood thumming from the last dregs of adrenaline and irritation that comes with a family friendly mission.

He’s so sick of being Bruce’s bloodhound. Someone he can send to sniff out the scent, do all the legwork - only to drop in at the last minute and ‘handle it’.

Jason’s completely fucking capable of handling an arms deal himself, thank you very fucking much. He’d been tailing Sionis’ men for months before Bruce had shown up with his ragtag team of vigilantes to ever-so-kindly take it off Jason’s plate. Thanks for the intel, the professionals will take it from here.

And like goddamn amateur hour, it’d ended in a shitfight. They’d drawn knives, so the Bats had drawn knives, and then someone had cut the power. Jason had leapt back into the fray immediately. Taken a switchblade into his brachial artery for his trouble, and lost track of whatever other wounds the colourful band of siblings had weathered before they’d managed to cuff the majority of the small time dealers.

Jason had forgone the afterparty in favour of skulking home to lick his wounds and down some whiskey in a blessedly Bat-free environment. Left the rounding up of the last of the thugs to Robin and Nightwing, who had taken to the rooftops in a way that reminded Jason far too much of pixie boots and an old man’s smile.

Jason rubs a palm into his chest, flexing his bicep to test the constriction of the bandage, and downs another finger of whiskey from the bottle. He’s not usually big on drinking, but something about tonight called for something stronger to smooth down his edges.

He’s barely started preparing to disinfect his needle and pack up his supplies before he hears the godawful crash of something falling through the window of his second bedroom, the unoccupied one where he keeps his training mats and dumbbells. Feels the reverberation through the timber floorboards up into his shins as he rises from his stool with a spiral of fury.

“That better be one huge fucking rat,” Jason’s angry tone filters through from the kitchen, growing in volume as he rounds the corner into the hallway, “or someone’s about to get their ass-”

He freezes when he catches sight of Damian, framed by the door frame, slumped back against the sill. Knees knocking and palm all but sewn to his stomach, holding back the tide of sickly red bubbling over his washed out fingers.

He looks genuinely remorseful beneath Jason ire, which is leaching out of him in a tingling rush to be replaced by horror the longer he stands there. “Just the rat,” he murmurs, and goes down to one knee, uncoordinated.

“Jesus fuck,” Jason gasps, and sprints the length of the hallway to meet the teen.

Damian’s down to one hand by the time Jason reaches him, breaths sharp and shaky, heaving tight and neat around the swell of his ribs. Jason can tell he’s in pain, a lot of it, and maybe hasn’t managed to remove the intrusion, if he’s moving as stilted as he is. His hands flutter for a moment as he catalogs, and then years of training under Alfred’s steady hand kick in, and Jason tests the kid’s hold.

He’s got enough pressure on the wound for now, but from the way he hisses, and how quickly his strength is fading, Jason can tell he needs a patch job and fast. He eases Damian onto his back, settling him on the timber as Robin hisses and bears teeth at the movement, brow washing into pain as soon as he’s still.

“What was it?” Jason demands, categorising as he does a quick sweep of the kid’s body for any more punctures. “Knife? Bullet?”

“Knife,” Damian confirms between gritted teeth, eyes clenched tight on the wash of agony as he’s jostled.

“Hang on for me,” Jason instructs, pressing his palm down against Damian’s knuckles to encourage him to hold tight. “Gonna get you some stitches.”

If Damian acknowledges it in the groan Jason hears as he bolts back down the hallway, he doesn’t discern it. He scrambles for the first aid kit sprawled across the counter top, pawing through until he can find a clean needle and a bottle of disinfectant.

“Todd,” Damian’s voice filters through, distant and waning.

“I’m almost there, just hang on,” Jason shouts back over one shoulder, snagging a length of wire and spinning back for his impromptu patient.

Damian’s shucked his gloves by the time Jason staggers to his knees at the kid’s side. Jason does his best not to glance aside at the stained kevlar, focusing instead on squeezing his fingers into the gaping hole of his suit to tear it wider. It’s a hard task; the reinforced weave is designed to specifically resist this treatment, and Jason’s forearms are aching by the time he manages to make a seam big enough to work within.

Damian looks pale, his lashes blinking slowly open and shut as Jason threads his needles and dips it. He realises belatedly that he should have put on gloves, should have disinfected the wound first. Then Damian groans, soft and fleeting, and Jason discards that in favour of keeping the damn Bat alive.

“Hang in there, kiddo,” he soothes, and pinches the skin, pressing the gash closed to verbal disagreement. “I know it hurts. Gotta sew you up. Hold on just a bit longer for me.”

Damian nods, slow and lethargic, and Jason shoots him glances between looping his thread through the kid’s skin. He’s not even halfway done before Damian’s eyes close and don’t reopen, and panic grips Jason by the throat.

He lifts his free hand - smeared with drying blood now - to tap Damian firmly on the cheek. The little Robin stirs, lashes sweeping slow over his cheekbones and eyes roaming until he finally locates Jason above him.

“Hey look at me, just breathe, okay? Nice and deep. All the way to your toes.”

Damian’s brow pinches like he has something to say about Jason’s cloying tone, but he does it nonetheless, his rib cage swelling with his inhale.

“That’s it,” Jason praises, the words an afterthought as he refocuses on the wound. “Doing great, kid. You hit your beacon yet?”

When no answer comes, Jason glances up to find Damian’s lids have slid closed again.

“Hey!” Jason demands, smacking him hard this time. Damian stirs, but even he can see the lethargy swimming behind those green lens. “Have you called for help yet, Robin?”

Damian blinks at him, uncomprehending. “I…”

Jason grunts and ties off his thread, knotting it tight. The lack of vocal disapproval makes his stomach twist as he reaches up to press two fingers to the comm in Robin’s ear. “Say something for them, kid. They need to hear you’re okay. They won’t listen to me.”

“Robin,” Damian sighs, and his lips tremble around the syllables.

Jason waits, but when no further words are forthcoming, he shifts to press his thumb against the newly stitched wound.

Damian’s snarl hitches into a sharp shout of pain, features awash with agony until Jason hears the murmur of a concerned Bat in his ear. He lifts his thumb, ignoring the sigh of relief Damian gives him for the motion as he gathers his things and climbs to his knees.

The Bats will locate him through any of the thousand trackers probably embedded in the kid's suit, Jason’s sure. They’re much more prompt about coming to their Robins’ aid after the first unfortunate incident, he can attest to that. It’s when he goes to swing up to his feet, supplies in arm, that a hand flashes out to snag his trousers.

Jason glances down at the shaking fingers, pale and washed out with the lack of blood, and flicks his gaze up to Damian’s face. “Thank you,” the boy croaks, and Jason gives him a nod that eases some of the concern from the kid’s brow. That hand slumps back to the timber, grip weak as Jason steps over him.

Seems like he should be expecting more company tonight.

If you want to ask me more questions, check out my list of prompts and quote the 6-digit number in the tags :)

#jason todd #damian wayne #jason todd/damian wayne #franticvampirereads #200528 #meaninglessblah answers

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sunnymoon-sunshine · 6 years ago

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Yellowfang has always been one of my absolute favorite characters. It seems that I’m not in the minority when I say that, either - Yellowfang’s grumpy demeanor and her inner strength make her a likable character. Her bond with Fireheart, in which she takes on the role of a guide and parental figure of sorts is nearly as heartwarming as the friendship she forges with Cinderpelt after the latter’s accident.

So you can imagine my surprise and delight when I learned that Yellowfang was to get her own super edition, Yellowfang’s Secret, which would be a peek into Yellowfang’s life in ShadowClan before her exile. Finally! A book about Yellowfang herself! Surely it would be good... right?

About the moment I flipped to the page where it was revealed Yellowfang had her own secret power, my disappointment was as great and bitter as if I’d bitten into a lemon. It was at this point that OotS was winding down, and we’d been promised no more powers, and yet someone - be it author or editor, decided to bestow upon Yellowfang the most useless and needless power. The ability to feel when someone was hurt. Why.

I feel as if this introduction was made solely in an attempt to capture the attention of the reader in a loud and demanding way, while also easily and lazily patching the plot. Why did Yellowfang become a medicine cat? Why, of course - ! It’s because she has to! She can’t be a warrior if she’s feeling everyone elses’ pain. That would just be silly. It also perpetuates the trend of cats being forced into the role of medicine cat, which is incredibly frustrating.

Additionally, I’ll always dislike how Raggedstar was portrayed in this. For how he was talked about in Into the Wild, he was a decent leader for ShadowClan and at least somewhat well respected. The character butchering they performed on him is disappointing.

So, if I were to rewrite Yellowfang’s Secret, I would begin with a major overhaul of well... nearly everything. I’m not sure if I would start out in her kithood or not - seems redundant. We don’t need to know what her kithood is like.

Yellowfang is a newly made ShadowClan warrior with a lot of promise. Fast, sharp with teeth made for snapping tails, she quickly makes a name for herself in ShadowClan, and outside of it. She takes not an enthusiastic approach to this, but a more solemn - if she didn’t have such a temper, she’d likely be a future candidate for deputyship. Cedarstar is far wiser than to put his clan in her paws, however. Raggedpelt, who is just a slight bit older than Yellowfang herself, seems to have the most potential for the position, not as fierce but calmer, wiser.

And the clan is endlessly amused by him and Yellowfang, their constant back and forth quips and lighthearted snaps. It’s clear to everyone that only Raggedpelt can calm the raging Yellowfang. They make good friends, despite their occasional disagreements.

Yet the faintest whisper, like a breeze in the marsh, ruffles the fur of her ears. “You will carry a secret, Yellowfang,” Comes the whisper of one - or is it many? “A secret that will haunt you for the rest of your life.”

But for all her talent, Yellowfang grows weary of the blood on her paws. Every battle has the cries of cats echoing in her ears as they weep for their loved ones. And it sickens her that she perpetuates the cycle of endless war and death. Her temper is as sharp as her claws, but her empathy is far stronger than any ShadowClan cat could imagine. She feels like a warrior through and through, but looking into the eyes of a terrified WindClan cat as they’re cornered, as they look for escape from what they must see as certain death. His eyes are wide, and the scrappy black-and-white cat looks about as terrified as the prey she corners in the marsh. He looks barely old enough to be a warrior, and she feels not the stab of rage that WindClan dared step foot on her territory, but a sinking feeling in her heart. She almost wants to comfort him. Instead, she steps aside. She allows him to leave, and he shoots off immediately - but he pauses to glance back at her. “Go!” She barks, and he nearly jumps out of his fur, pelting off into the fray.

She nearly gets in trouble for her moment of mercy. ShadowClan is not known for their acts of kindness, a reputation that Cedarstar would like to keep. His voice is stern as he tells her to fight. “He went on to nearly tear the fur off Deerleap. Your duty is to listen to orders, Yellowfang, and that order is to fight until either you, or they, cannot fight any longer.”

Yellowfang feels frustration from the tips of her claws to the tip of her tail. Cedarstar had made a decent point, yet her frustrated and stubborn side would not yield. He did not look at that small, scrappy WindClan warrior and see what she saw - he was an enemy.

She saw nothing but a scared cat.

At the gathering, she sees him again. He’s among the WindClan cats, who generally are avoiding their ShadowClan neighbors during this full moon. It’s why she’s surprised when, during the leaders’ reports, she hears a hiss in her ear. It’s so soft she barely hears it, yet she’ll remember the words for years to come.

“Thank you.”

It’s also at this gathering that she learns of Hawkheart, a warrior turned medicine cat. This piques her interest - she didn’t even know that was an option.

As the days go on and life becomes harder as the snow sets in, Yellowfang is still ever the fierce warrior. Yet she harbors a secret wish - that she didn’t have to be. She goes and helps Sagewhisker during these times, something that Sagewhisker was initially reluctant to do - until she found Yellowfang’s potential as an assistant. Curt as she may be, she begins dabbling at teaching Yellowfang herbs when she can, though it seems Cedarstar is determined to keep her out of the medicine cat den and “Not waste time on herbs when there’s mouths to feed.”

“Grumpy old-” Sagewhisker used a few good curses that would have made Yellowfang cuff her ears. “Thinks that claws and teeth are the only useful things in this clan. No respect for this den!” She snaps a twig between her teeth to vent her frustration. “If his warriors would learn what a leaf would do, maybe I wouldn’t be so busy all the time! Maybe if he didn’t preach fight first, ask questions later, I’d have an apprentice at this point!”

Yellowfang pauses, claws working in the dirt. It feels as if she’s teetering on the edge of something, yet she doesn’t know what. As if this conversation is about to decide something important. “An apprentice?” Sagewhisker is in a mood, this much is clear. “Yes, an apprentice! StarClan knows, there have been a few good candidates, yet he always shoves them along the path of a warrior.” She shoves aside a pile of moss, tail flicking irritably. “Now look at me. Old and no apprentice. StarClan has a sick sense of humor.”

“I could be your apprentice.”

Yellowfang catches flack from her old warrior peers. It is the hardest part of the year, and she’s retreated to the medicine cat den, where she’s guaranteed a meal and no longer forced to hunt or patrol for the clan’s needs. It doesn’t stop her from hunting when she has the time, but Sagewhisker demands her attention at nearly all times of the day, giving her barely a chance to rest. It feels as if her new mentor is trying to bestow seasons of training onto her in a short couple of moons. That, and Raggedpelt seems shocked, hurt, and even heartbroken. It had never really occured to her that he might have taken a fancy to her, and it’s only now that she’s under a strict code that permits no such pleasure that she feels her fur grow warm when she sees him. The clan resents her, her leader is dismayed that one of his most fierce warriors has disappeared into the healer’s den, and cold frogs are the only thing anyone is bringing home. She takes the stringiest of them.

Yet as the season goes on, it quickly becomes apparent that Yellowfang has a natural talent for medicine. She’s got a sharp memory, quick to take action, and has fixed more wounds and illnesses in a moon than Sagewhisker could do in a season (though, no one would say that aloud, for fear of inciting Sagewhisker’s wrath). She proves to be just as useful an asset to ShadowClan as a medicine cat than she was as a warrior - if not more valuable now than she was before. The clan soon respects her talents, as do the other clans. Her and Hawkheart share a friendship based off of their mutual beginnings (and frustration over their “stupid, bloody useless warriors”).

Raggedpelt, now deputy, has taken to escorting her around the territory. “You never know when one of those kittypet rogues will jump out. I have to keep our medicine cat safe.”

“I could rip the fur off your shoulders before you could flinch.”

“Remind me to stop being nice to you.”

The two become close, and Yellowfang is head over paws for him. He’s the ideal warrior, strong and couragous and loyal to a fault. He doesn’t understand Yellowfang’s desire not to fight any longer, but he sees no problem with the two of them sneaking out at night. After all, there’s no harm in a little fun. The rule medicine cats have is ridiculous, anyway. She laps up his words, finding she wanted nothing more to believe him.

And then came the day she realized she was carrying kits.

Sagewhisker covers for her solely because she has no other apprentice she could train on such short notice. They tell no one, because Cedarstar would snatch Yellowfang from her position, ignoring any protest Sagewhisker might have. ShadowClan needs a medicine cat to carry on healing and communicating with StarClan, despite what “that old fool thinks.” Sagewhisker spits. But she’s furious with Yellowfang too. “I told you that you have to drop your warrior habits. I told you that you’re a medicine cat now, and to act like it. StarClan will punish you, Yellowfang. You mark my words.”

It doesn’t really occur to her what that punishment could possibly be, until she’s alone kitting on the outskirts of the marsh. No one could help her. Sagewhisker had to stay in camp - not that it was likely she would help regardless. It’s a long, grueling process, and in the end, it was nearly for naught. Two kits gone, only a small, sad scrap who fought to get at her belly and nurse. She wasn’t sure if he would make the trip back. But he did, hours later, and she felt a sense of unease as she placed the newborn kit by the belly of Lizardstripe, arguably the most unlikeable cat in the clan.

She wanted to walk with Raggedpelt. To receive some sort of comfort after her trial. But their relationship slowly faded, as each grew busier with their jobs. And it wasn’t as if he put much effort into seeing her either way. Yet she almost prefers it this way. It’s freeing, in a sense. She can go back to being a medicine cat first and foremost for the clan, watching from afar as he helps raise their child. And she never quite stopped admiring Raggedpelt for the fantastic warrior, deputy, and eventual leader he became. Calmer, cooler headed than Cedarstar, with just enough of a soft spot for Yellowfang to get away with a lot more than Sagewhisker was ever able to. It also helped that Yellowfang’s nasty temper never swayed - she would hold warriors back from the frontlines without hesitation if she felt they shouldn’t be out there, fool-headed leader or not.

Brokenkit grew into a fine apprentice, then warrior. Not the strongest at first, but he made up for it with his craft and skill. He was a smooth talker, able to weedle his way out of any punishment, and convince anyone of anything he wanted them to believe. She felt nothing but pride - and perhaps a flicker of worry. She had nightmares of a snake, bent at the tail end, hovering above her and waiting for her to strike. She tried her best to guide him. He ignored her - she was just a medicine cat, after all. Lizardstripe’s parenting left a lot to be desired, and Raggedpelt’s habit of spoiling him and ignoring his more worrying traits led Yellowfang to pace the den. It was something Sagewhisker would have yelled at her for, yet the den was empty. Sagewhisker had been buried under her favorite tree - a spiky, gnarled tree that was just as prickly as she was. It was her last request. “Make it a pain for them to bury me there, too.” She rasped to Yellowfang. “I want them to suffer for all the headaches they’ve given me.”

The silence in the den was deafening. For the first time in a long time, she felt alone. It was as if there was a chasim between her and the warriors, her and everyone else. The path of a medicine cat was a lonely, drawn out path, she finds. Even when she walks with Raggedpelt to the moonstone, even when they laugh and joke and prod each other just like old times, it still feels as if there’s a barrier between them.

He’s long grown out of his love for Yellowfang. She still holds a sort of affection for him, warm - yet not quite romantic. A healthy respect, and admiration, yet she feels comfortable where she is without him as her mate. She cheers him on as he gains his nine lives, and they walk out of the Moonstone together with a new hope for the future of ShadowClan.

That lasts until his first deputy passes. Raggedstar, the old fool, overlooks all the other potential leaders - the hardworking Nightpelt, most insultingly of all - for his son, who had barely finished training an apprentice. He claims the timing of it all is a sign from StarClan that his son has earned the position. Yellowfang uses a few choice curses she learned from Sagewhisker when she discusses it with him later.

“Fiddle-headed fool,” She spats, the nicest thing she’s said to him that night. “Flea-bitten idiotic puddle of marsh water. Your son isn’t a leader. He’s barely a warrior, with a fool for a father.”

“He’s earned his position.” Raggedstar argues, though he’s backed against the far end of his den. Yellowfang, though a medicine cat, is still one of the most intimidating felines of the forest. “Foxheart’s passed, and he’s just finished training an apprentice.”

“Giving a warrior an apprentice is supposed to gauge if they’re ready to be deputy, not give them a free pass for the position!” Yellowfang spits. “Just look at what happened. Clawface is just as much of a fool as you. He’s a disaster. Bloodthirsty, battle-hungry. It’s a fight to keep his claws on this side of the border.”

“It’s not Brokentail’s fault how Clawface turned out. He was naturally headed in that direction. He did his best, and I’m sure his next apprentice will do better.” Raggedstar stands up straight, and marches over to her. He shoves his muzzle in her face, and whispers as quiet as a mouse’s breath, “Don’t you trust our son?”

Yellowfang takes a deep breath to steady herself, before shoving her muzzle back in his face. “No more than I trust a rat in the carrion place.”

When she leaves the den, Brokentail is sitting just outside. They make eye contact, and she realizes that he caught most of the conversation. For a horrible moment, she fears he heard Raggedstar’s words. But no, there was no confusion or hurt or any other feelings she would assume a cat finding out his true parentage would feel. Instead, there’s something cold in the pit of those amber eyes. It fills her with a sense of unease.

Yellowfang is sure she’s made an enemy of her son.

Moons go by, and it’s clear Brokentail is hungry for battle and territory. Raggedstar has a difficult time telling him no, however Yellowfang was quick to fill in the gaps. It was, in some strange, twisted way, as if they were a family. Yet Brokentail dragged them into skirmishes, started battles, lost them warriors and lost Raggedstar lives.

“You only have one life,” Raggedstar comments to his son, limping along. He’d sacrificed himself to save the idiot boy. “You ought not to be so foolish.”

Moons later, it was proven that even nine lives does not equal to eternity. Raggedstar was found in pieces, and Yellowfang could do nothing but mourn. He as a fine cat, a great warrior and a good leader for ShadowClan.

Her period of mourning was cut short when Brokentail received his nine lives, and proceeded to drive ShadowClan into the ground. She spoke out, yet it felt like her voice was the only one raised. The rest of the clan, raised on a diet of battles and violence, seemed to agree with him at first. And then, once kits were being sent out to war, unable to find their voices. It was for the greater good, after all. They drove out WindClan, after all, and got all this territory for their children. Their children, who Yellowfang pointed out with bitterness in her voice, who lay scattered and dead in WindClan camp.

She didn’t save Tallstar all those years ago, only to have him driven out of his own camp. She argued, fought, spat at Brokenstar, unwilling to let him continue any longer without fierce opposition.

“You never liked me, did you?” He interrupted her during one of her tirades.

She pauses, her mouth open. Then she shuts it. She closes her eyes, and sinks her claws into the ground, and chews on her words before she speaks them. “I did.”

“Old fool.”

She should have seen it coming. She should have realized he’d make sure she couldn’t oppose him any more.

She didn’t realize he would drive her not only from her position, but from her clan.

They had to have known that she didn’t kill those kits. Yet no one said a word, too afraid of the rogues in camp, too afraid of Brokenstar’s wrath. Too afraid of the ShadowClan they’d allowed to flourish under Brokenstar’s rule. She fled for her life, across the thunderpath where they would not follow her, into territory she’d barely ever stepped foot in. Into ThunderClan territory. Where she would meet a determined young apprentice, foolhardy enough to give her food. Who would grow into the finest warrior she’d ever seen. Even better than Raggedstar himself. A cat she could be proud to know.

StarClan was wrong. However hard her secret tried to follow her, it could not haunt her forever. As Fireheart stood over her, warmer than even the fire around her, she hurt from pride. She would have loved for him to have been her son, but this is how things were. He listened to her secret, and if he cast judgement, it did not reflect on his expression, which never shifted from panic. He would miss her. She would miss him.

But her secret was out, after all this time. And now she truly felt peace.

Judge me as you will, StarClan.

#sunnymoon's rambles #warrior cats #yellowfang #raggedstar #brokenstar #warrior cats au #cat contemplations #first thing yellowfang does upon entering starclan is slapping raggedstar #raggedstar gets a 2 dad mug for his efforts #pre bloodclan is here I'm sure still #but that wasn't the focus #I just wanted to focus on yellowfang #love her #I posted this and realized how long it was oh god #long post

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jjmichie · 5 years ago

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Jack Irons it Out

Disclaimer: the story below is fiction. While inspired by real people, it is not a real account of any actual events, places, dialogues, or situations, just my imagined version of how life might have been for these guys during the Vitalogy era (although there may be some time travel in later chapters). Also, yes, I know that in reality Stone had short hair at this point, but in my fiction world, it will always be long. Just let me have this. :-)

***************

Chapter 1 of "Some Words When Spoken . . . “

“Whoa, guys! Seriously? Can we deal with this like adults?”

Jack slammed his drum sticks down on the snare, causing an abrupt and surprisingly loud silence to fill the studio. He looked at his new bandmates in exasperation. “I can’t work like this. If you two have a beef with each other, can you please just air it out so we can get on with it?” His head turned firmly from Eddie to Stone, and then back to Eddie, leaving no question on who he meant by “you two.”

A smattering of electrified guitar sounds, the clearing of a throat, the folding of arms, and several flips of long brown hair were the only response.

Finally a chuckle from Jeff, who turned to Jack and nodded. “I agree,” he announced, and unstrapped his bass and set it in its stand. He walked over to stand solidly beside Jack’s drums.

When Eddie just continued to stare at the floor with his arms folded and Stone continued to pretend to tune his guitar, Jack stood up. He signaled the sound guy to take five and walked out from behind his kit.

“Can we sit for a second? All of us. Yes Stone, you too.” And he led the reluctant group to the corner of the room where there was a table. “Ok, so I’m going to take advantage of being the new guy here, and call this out. What I’ve been observing is that, Eddie, Stone, whenever you have a –- I won’t even call it a ‘disagreement’–- literally just a difference of OPINION, you both withdraw into your respective corners and sulk. I seriously can’t believe you’ve made it this far if this is how you deal with each other. This isn’t how bands function. This is totally fucked up.”

Still no response.

“Man, you guys are sooooo different from . . . anyway. Ok, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. You can either start talking to each other now and I’ll help mediate, or I’ll lock you in a room until you either work it out or beat each other up. What’s it going to be??”

Jack noted redness creeping into their faces, but still, Eddie and Stone’s eyes remained glued to the table, their hair flowing down over their faces. Not a word. Jack sighed and moved to Plan B.

“Ok, Jeff, then. Is this your observation too? How is this dynamic affecting you?”

Jeff put both hands palms down on the table breathed out slowly. A long breath. “Oh my god. Yes, it’s been sucking like you wouldn’t believe. I mean, obviously a lot has changed and we’re all dealing with a lot But, we used to at least talk to each other! But now, it’s like, too awkward. I feel like if I agree with Eddie on something, then I’m hurting Stone, and if I agree with Stone, I’m going to piss off Eddie.”

Eddie raised his eyes from the table slightly as Jeff continued.

“I’m not trying to be a dick, but Eddie, things feel strange with you now. I mean, on the way here I stop at a convenience store and boom, there’s your face on every magazine, and every interview I give is just ‘what’s it like to work with Eddie’… you know? and I’m sure it’s affecting you as much as anything. And I’m sorry, I know it isn’t your fault, but dude, you’ve become unapproachable.”

Eddie lowered his eyes back to the table and pursed his lips.

“And YOU,” Jeff turned to Stone. “We’ve known each other for so long, I can always tell when you’re in a funk, but this … is different. You’ve become completely withdrawn, even from me. You’ve got a wall around you right now that’s about a mile thick.” He paused, searching for Stone to look up, to acknowledge him, to show some response. But Stone looked away, pressing his fist against his lips.

“Stone?” Jack prompted after an appropriate pause had passed. “What gives, man? What’s up with the wall?”

Stone breathed in sharply. The bluntness of the question caught him by surprise. No one in the band normally confronted him like that . . . at least not lately. Looking up, he saw that everyone at the table was staring at him.

“I . . . “ he began, but his words trailed off. He looked back and forth between the three of them, all staring at him, Jeff, Eddie, Jack. Eddie’s best friend Jack. Their unwavering stares demanding a response, an explanation, an admission, and he felt hotness flooding his cheeks.

He turned away from them all again, looking back towards their idling instruments, as if looking for an escape. But looking over there didn’t help. He only saw the empty space where Mike’s guitar was supposed to be. And the new and unfamiliar drum set . . . where Dave’s was supposed to be.

“Oh my God why is everyone looking at ME?” He finally blurted out, feeling his pulse quicken. “This isn’t my fault! Why don’t you make Eddie talk first?” He added, giving Jack the most innocent smile he could muster.

But Jack wasn’t having it. “Jesus Christ. This isn’t that hard!! Are you mad at Eddie or what?”

“No! I just don’t feel like -- I mean -- I’m not trying to be difficult,” he glared at Jeff. “Really, I’m not.”

“Whuh?! I never said you were!” Jeff threw his hands up and shook his head.

“Guys -- “ Jack cut in. “Just try, Stone. Anything you say is better than nothing.”

Stone continued to stare at the drums.

Realizing they were getting nowhere, Jeff tried to push it forward. “I mean, yeah, let’s do this. Let’s get it out on the table. There HAS been a change, a total shift of command, we all know it, it’s been going on for a while. And that’s been hard to get used to. I think we’re all just trying to figure out how to work within it – ”

Stone straightened his back and began wrapping his hair into a scrunchie that had somehow materialized in his hand. “Of course there’s been a shift,” he said quickly. “I know that. And it’s fine. We should be more democratic, that’s not it. . . “ he caught himself. “I mean . . . yes, it is. Like Jeff said, it’s just taking time to get used to.”

That worked. Stone sat back and breathed a sigh of relief upon noticing that his explanation seemed to be placating the occupants of the table. He kept it rolling.

“So, no, I’m not ‘mad’ at Eddie, okay? And even if I was. Which I’m not. But even if I WAS, you really think I’d be dick enough to bring it up to him? I mean, we all see what Eddie’s going through right now. He’s practically a prisoner. He gets mobbed if he leaves his house. He has guards. He gets threats. He can’t just, like, go for a walk, the way . . . the rest of us can. You really think I’m going to bother him with shit like, ‘Hey Eddie, it hurts my feelings when you re-arrange my riff?’ No, I’m not going to do that! So, sure, I go off and sulk instead,” he grinned.

A long pause.

“So . . . it does hurt your feelings . . . ” Jack pressed.

Stone stared at him in disbelief. He opened his mouth to protest, but then just closed it again.

But Eddie was now leaning even further across the table, his eyes reddening slightly. He looked like he wanted to lunge across the table and hug him.

“Oh my god Stone thank you so much for saying that. I really . . . was starting to feel like you hate me, especially after the thing with Dave. But honestly, there’s nothing I would love more than for you to tell me stuff like that . . . “

The thing with Dave. The thing with Dave? That’s all it was to Eddie? The thing . . .? Stone felt the hotness creeping back into his cheeks.

“. . . and Jeff, it hurts me so much when you say I’m ‘unapproachable.’ I never wanted to be this commodity I’m becoming. The world feels so different now, and the only place where I still feel normal is right here. In this space. With you guys. And if YOU all start treating me weird then . . . .”

Stone abruptly stood up. “Ok, then it’s settled. From now on we won’t treat you weird. Thanks Jack. This whole counseling session has been super super helpful. Group hug?”

“Stone . . . ” Jeff rolled his eyes. “For fuck sake. The whole point of this conversation is to open up and be honest with each other. There’s obviously more going on here. If that’s not it, then what is it? Something is stressing the hell out of you and I wish you would just -- ”

“Shut up!!” Stone suddenly screamed, unable to hold it in any longer. He ripped the freshly-created pony tail out of his hair and closed his eyes. “Just fuck off!” Putting his hands on his head, he violently pushed the occupants of the table away from his mind, trying to conjure back the world he wanted. The world that was familiar. Instead of the ugly void in the rehearsal space he thought about Dave’s soft hair, flailing in time with the rhythm he always pounded out. And a torrent of images immediately flooded his memory, the first time they met, Pike’s Market, their long talks on the bus, his voice, his smile, his laugh, his aftershave. Anything but their last meeting. Anything but the things Dave had said to him that day . .

And he needed Mike! Dammit!

Struggling to conceal how close he was to tears, he took a deep breath and opened his eyes again. The group was still staring at him, but now they looked scared. Stone fixed his eyes directly on Eddie, no longer bothering to hide distress and sadness that welled up behind them.

“Yes, okay. There are things that are upsetting me . . . I just don’t know where to begin. I don’t know how to work through it. I’m trying but I’m obviously not doing very well or we wouldn’t be having this . . . intervention.” He sunk back down into his chair. “It’s hard to explain. It’s like a spiral, I feel like I’m in this really dark place . . . everything feels wrong . . . . I don’t know if I can -- ”

From across the room he suddenly felt the drums mocking him, and stopped himself. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t let them know what it really was. How bad it really was. He had to stop.

“I’m sorry, I can’t do this, Not right now. It’s just too . . . raw to talk about.” He looked up at Jack, seeking his approval. “If I try to, I know it won’t come out right and it will end up . . . going into a place where I don’t want it to go.” The heat in his cheeks was abruptly replaced by a chill, that made his shoulders convulse involuntarily. He swallowed hard. “So . . . yeah. I’ve got a wall up right now. And . . . It’s going to be there for a while.”

The group at the table was quiet.

Jack finally spoke. “Yes . . . yes!” he nodded at Stone and smiled. “There you go. I knew you could do it. That’s totally cool, Stone. Of course you don’t have to talk about it right now. You need space! And we can absolutely back off and give you the room you need to work through it. Thank you for telling us - we just need to know where you’re at. And that goes for everybody.” Jack looked around the table. “Otherwise, someone will misunderstand and think you’re pissed off at them, you see?”

Stone smiled and bit his lip, feeling a swell of emotion inside his chest. He suddenly loved Jack. The anger he felt a minute ago was subsiding. He had his privacy back. And the images that danced through his mind remained his own. He looked sheepishly at Eddie and Jeff, and saw that their accusing glares had softened, and were no longer demanding anything of him. “I’m sorry,” he tried to say to them, but his voice broke.

Eddie’s eyes had gotten even redder, and he now did lunge forward to throw his arms around Stone.

“You don’t have to be sorry. I totally … know. I’ve been in dark spaces before too and it can be … absolute hell.” Eddie pulled away slightly, kneeling next to him and cradling Stone’s hand between both of his. He reduced his voice to a soft whisper. “Is there . . . anything I can do to help?”

Stone watched Eddie’s hands touching his own, amazed by the innocent sincerity that had so abruptly taken over Eddie’s whole being. He felt himself relaxing, letting Eddie soothe him, but also knew there was no way he could truly let him inside. “No,” he finally whispered back.

Jack and Jeff slowly and quietly got up from the table, to let Eddie and Stone remain there alone, their hands in a gentle embrace. They sat at the table together for a long time, as the sound guy returned to his post and the sound of drums and the low hum of bass began to envelop them. When it finally crescendo’d into a steady pulsating groove that neither could resist any longer, they rose to their feet and went back into the rehearsal space to join their band.

#pearl jam #stone gossard #eddie vedder #jack irons #dave abbruzzese #jeff ament #fanfic #vitalogy #mike mccready

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whisker-biscuit · 6 years ago

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Silent as the Grave: Prologue

Fandom: Sly Cooper

Summary: When Connor Cooper and his wife are found dead in their home, the result of a forced break-in and assault, Interpol is called in to find out who did it. The only witness is Cooper's eight-year-old son, found in a closet with a full view of everything. Nobody is really sure what to do with the kid, but that's just fine.Because young Sly Cooper doesn't know what to do with himself either.

Jim McSweeney was used to being out of place in the world. Being a six-foot, muscular wall of a walrus – and an international criminal to boot – tended to make one stand out. He’d learned tricks over the years to make people glance his way and then lose interest. Look, I’m unusual but that’s about it. It hadn’t bothered him on a personal level in a very long time.

But here, in a no-name museum on the Ligurian coast of Italy, surrounded by gullible tourists and second-rate art, he felt that difference in full awkwardness.

Tugging at the itchy turtleneck hiding his body tattoos, Jim discreetly checked the folded paper in his front pocket. It was a note, written in the elegant cursive he knew could only belong to one person.

Jim, please meet me in front of the statue that looks exactly like you. It’s hilarious. – CC

McSweeney stepped heavily down the halls, baffled at the labyrinth the museum was turning out to be. It really hadn’t been this big on the outside. But as he passed another doorway, a happy cry had him turning right around to it.

“Seen-ie!”

It was a raccoon toddler, perched on his father’s shoulders and reaching out to the walrus with pudgy little hands. McSweeney lumbered over and held out one hand, which the child high-fived alongside gleeful giggles.

“Hey kiddo, you’re getting’ big now, aren’t you?”

The kit tugged at his father’s cheek fur. “Look, Daddy! Seen-ie!”

“Good job, you found him,” Connor Cooper said, his tone mellow liquid. He looked at the walrus and there was a quick upturn to his lips. His son’s hands were still around his face. “You’re losing your edge, Jim. Sly found you before you found us.”

“Been a while since I’ve been in the game, you know that.” McSweeney peered past his friend’s shoulder and saw the stone walrus statue. It really did look just like him. “Same for you, if I’m not mistaken. What have you been up to?”

Connor’s mouth evened into neutrality, and he glanced around before pulling the toddler’s hands off and placing them at his ears instead. Sly grabbed a hold of them with an iron grip, but the elder Cooper didn’t even wince.

“There’s a kid’s playpen near the museum’s front, how about we catch up over there, yeah?”

It was phrased as a question, but the raccoon was already walking off in that direction, not looking back to see if his friend was actually coming. McSweeney let out a brief sigh before following at a leisurely pace.

The playpen wasn’t much more than a fenced-in corner of the front room with a toy slide and a little table covered in crayons and coloring books. Connor set Sly down within its bounds and the kit wasted no time in crawling under the table, curling up in a fluffy ball.

“Kid’s pretty flexible,” McSweeney remarked as the raccoon joined him in leaning against the wall. They watched Sly bump a table leg and giggle as crayons rolled off.

“Yeah he is.” There was a distinct note of pride in Connor’s voice. “I started training him last month. Gymnastics and jiu jitsu, he’s a natural.”

“Already? You sure that’s a good idea?” The walrus’ voice lowered somewhat. “He’s a little young, isn’t he? Didn’t he just turn three in –”

“Don’t. Don’t start this. You agreed you wouldn’t get on my case about this.”

“I didn’t mean any disrespect, Connor, you know that.” McSweeney pinched the bridge of his nose. “It just…seems pretty early for a child. Could get himself hurt if he’s not careful.”

“It’s not him I’m worried about,” the raccoon growled, folding his arms. He fell silent as Sly crawled out from under the table and started paying more attention to the coloring books. “I started practicing at six, and my mother at five. He’s fine, I know what I’m doing.”

“Alright, alright, don’t get your tail in a knot.” The walrus tilted his gaze towards his friend. “I haven’t seen either of you in a while, I’m gonna get worried. How’s the missus?”

“She’s just fine. She misses you, wants to see you again.”

“Is she here?”

“No…no, she doesn’t know you’re here. She ah,” Connor shifted in his spot. “She doesn’t know we’re here either.”

A beat.

“Connor!”

“Lower your voice!”

“I won’t!” He did anyway. “What are you doing, pulling something like this? I thought you promised to be more honest, wasn’t that the deal? I stay out of your parenting, you open up to your own wife.”

“She knows Sly and I are here in town,” the raccoon asserted, “she just doesn’t know it’s at this museum. It’s, uh, Cooper business.”

“Then what am I doing here?”

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about, actually.” He shifted again, a little closer, and looked around the room before pulling out an old, crusty document from his jacket. He handed it to McSweeney, who opened the top and peeked at the title. He stiffened.

“Connor.”

“I know it’s short notice, and I’m sorry to dump it on you like this, but I need you to take it.”

“Connor, I can’t do that.”

“You don’t even have to keep it with you, just – just hide it somewhere and don’t tell me where and everything will be fine. Please.”

The walrus opened his mouth to argue, then took a closer look at his friend. Connor was getting twitchy. Connor was never twitchy. He closed his mouth and sighed again, brushed two fingers against the title as if to make sure it was real, then stowed it nimbly away under his turtleneck.

The raccoon’s face visibly relaxed. “Thank you, Jim. Thank you so much.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he waved a hand gruffly. “I don’t understand why you asked me to do it though, I’m not the Brainiac. Wouldn’t he be better for –”

“He and I haven’t, been speaking much lately,” Connor interrupted. His words were careful. “We had a disagreement about…whether my inheritance applied to both of you as well, or just the Cooper family. I said. Mmm. We both said some things in the heat of the moment that damaged some pride. So I, thought it would be easier if…for all of us, if you kept the map safe.”

McSweeney waited, but his friend refused to say anymore on the subject. Instead, the raccoon turned towards the playpen just in time to catch Sly already halfway over the child fence.

“Hey, no no no! No you don’t!” He rushed over and plucked the toddler up easily, holding him under his armpits. “What did I say about climbing without asking first?”

“Not to.”

“Then what were you just doing.”

Sly’s response was a wide grin that had the walrus chuckling hard.

“Better watch yourself Connor, he’s got your smile! Haha, we’re gonna see the smirk soon too, I can’t wait.”

To McSweeney’s concern, his friend’s brow furrowed and he hugged his son to his chest, deftly handling the wriggling child without problem. Connor looked over at him with something definite and sober.

“That’s the other thing I needed to talk to you about, Jim.” His voice was calm again. Neutral. “We’re going to be travelling from now on. Often.”

“Oh well. That’s not so strange, you’ve always been a nomad. Just tell me the next time you’ll be in Europe, we can get together then.”

“No, that’s just it,” Connor stroked his toddler’s fur. “We aren’t telling anyone. About where we’re going. I’m dropping off the map.”

“You’re serious?”

“Yes I am. I’m going to devote my full time to raising Sly, help him grow into his heritage. We’ve agreed that it’ll be easier to do so if nobody can find us.”

A shadow was forming behind Connor’s eyes, heavy and full of grief. McSweeney looked at him.

“You’re not talking about Interpol, are you?” There was a subtle tightening to the raccoon’s mouth. His friend plowed on. “You know I can help protect you. Protect your family. He won’t be able to hurt you while I’m there.”

Connor shook his head with a rueful smile. “I appreciate you offering again, Jim, but the answer’s still no. I don’t…” He wavered only briefly. “I’ve already asked so much of you, I won’t make you do any more. Please just keep the map safe for me. I promise I’ll come out of hiding when Sly’s old enough to fend for himself. My mother did it for me and we managed just fine.”

The grief was heavier now, both of them thinking about the raccoon, suddenly alone in the world at age twenty-three. McSweeney let out a huff and came up to his long-time companion.

“Guess this is a real goodbye then?” They clasped hands and bumped shoulders, mindful of the little kit between them. “You better keep that promise, Connor Cooper. I expect to see you in the flesh the minute this kid turns eighteen.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way.” The Master Thief laughed, hoisting Sly onto his hip as he walked towards the exit. “Don’t get fat!”

“Don’t get caught!” The Muscle Man called back. He chuckled as Connor’s son twisted to look at the walrus over his father’s shoulder.

“Bye-bye Seen-ie!” Those pudgy hands waved enthusiastically.

“So long, kiddo!” He waved back a little less enthusiastically.

Later that night, in a stroke of inspiration, McSweeney broke back into that little museum on the Ligurian Coast, to hide the Cooper Family Vault map in the walrus statue that looked exactly like him. Three days later, he had the image of the museum tattooed into his palm so he wouldn’t ever forget where it was.

Five years later, he would stare at that same palm while watching international news coverage of a “truly horrific event” that “demonstrates the lawlessness of the criminal underworld.”

As jaded Interpol agents would hold press conferences remarking callously that Cooper’s life had finally caught up with him, Jim McSweeney would stare at that palm and weep.

A/N: What have I gotten myself into.

So I was replaying these games recently and got reminded how messed up they were sometimes, especially considering Sly's origin story like holy crap, how do you get that under the censors?? Anyway, this will mostly take place before the events of the 1st game; Sly's time at Happy Camper Orphanage, how he met Bentley and Murray, and how he went from a traumatized child to the smooth-talking raccoon thief we all know and love.

It's gonna be a bumpy ride, and I'll give content warnings before each chapter (although it shouldn't be too bad, hence the T rating).Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy the story!

#sly cooper

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oldwarriors-fireandwater · 7 years ago

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Chapter Twenty-Three

Firepaw was miserable on the return trip home. His tail dragged along through the grass as they went. Dawnwhisker walked beside him, casting worried glances his way every so often. As they crossed the bridge, his mentor touched her tail to his shoulder.

“Listen,” she meowed. “I’ll talk to Leopardfur. She’s just angry.”

Just? Firepaw thought. She wants me gone! He had no idea what he would do if Crookedstar actually exiled him. Would he return to his house? Would his humans even take him back? Did he want to go back there?

No. That much he knew. He couldn’t be a kittypet again.

“Everything’s spinning out of control,” Dawnwhisker murmured. “And she feels it. You won’t be banished. You’re not the first apprentice to disobey someone.” She smiled at him before she picked up her pace to walk beside Leopardfur, who was walking a pace ahead of the rest of the patrol. The deputy was clearly still furious - her tail whipped about, and her pelt remained slightly bristled.

Firepaw angled his ears forward and tried to listen as best he could. Can Dawnwhisker really talk her down? He wondered, feeling hardly any optimism.

“Leopardfur,” Dawnwhisker quietly meowed. “Please reconsider.”

“No,” Leopardfur growled. “RiverClan doesn’t need more warriors who ignore orders and act out of turn.”

Dawnwhisker sighed softly. “I know you’re still upset about being forced into attacking ThunderClan like that,” she said. “But Firepaw isn’t like Beetleclaw. He didn’t want to fight for revenge… he just wanted to help.”

Leopardfur lashed her tail. “He has no respect for leadership,” she insisted, but her voice was faltering, as though she was already losing her conviction for Firepaw’s punishment. “He should have followed my orders.”

“Maybe so,” Dawnwhisker meowed. “But Firepaw did the right thing. You know that, Leopardfur.”

The deputy was silent for a few long moments. Firepaw lifted his tail, feeling a bit more hopeful. Grasspaw glanced back at him, an uncertain look in her eye.

“Fine,” Leopardfur grunted. “But he can’t go unpunished.”

Dawnwhisker nodded. “No exile, though?” There was a slightly teasing tone to her voice.

Leopardfur let out a sigh. “No exile.”

Firepaw nearly felt like sighing himself, but he didn’t want to make it overwhelmingly obvious he had been straining himself to overhear. Thank goodness!

“You need to rest,” Dawnwhisker told Leopardfur. “When was the last time you had a proper meal? Or a full night of sleep?”

Leopardfur snorted. “I’ll rest when we no longer have enemies pressing in on us from all sides.”

Dawnwhisker shook her head. “I’m not holed up in Mudfur’s den anymore,” she meowed. “I’m forcing you into your nest tonight!”

Leopardfur laughed. “Good luck.”

Leopardfur’s actually laughing? Firepaw thought, wide-eyed. Minutes ago she wanted to throw me out of RiverClan! He shook his head a little. I don’t think I’ll ever understand her.

They returned to a relatively quiet camp. Beechflower, who seemed to have begun his vigil early, nodded at them as they padded back in through the reeds. Those not out on patrol were lounging about, eating or sharing tongues. Crookedstar was laying outside his den with Silverstream, sharing a fish with her. He paused in his eating and glanced up at the returning patrol. “How did it go?” he asked.

Leopardfur glanced back at Firepaw and jerked her chin for him to follow. He gulped and padded along behind her as she approached Crookedstar. The deputy turned back towards him. “Not well,” she said. “We ran into Twistedfoot. He was… in the middle of a disagreement with some rogues, and Firepaw here—” She glared at him for emphasis— “Took it upon himself to attack.”

Crookedstar looked appalled. “Firepaw,” he asked, jaw hanging open. “You attacked Twistedfoot?”

“What?” Firepaw blinked. “No!”

Leopardfur shook her head with a hiss of frustration. “No—he attacked the rogues, against my direct order to stand down. We were all forced to fight then.”

Crookedstar frowned. He looked between the two cats, still appearing confused. Silverstream, who had been quiet until now, cleared her throat quietly. “Leopardfur,” she asked, softly. “Was Twistedfoot being attacked by the rogues?”

Leopardfur blinked, as though surprised that Silverstream was questioning her. “No,” Leopardfur replied. “He and the apprentice he was with were outnumbered, though.”

Silverstream’s whiskers twitched. “So they were in danger?”

Leopardfur’s eyes narrowed. “Potentially…” she growled.

“And Firepaw…” Silverstream glanced at him thoughtfully. “Decided to defend them?”

“Yes.” Leopardfur lashed her tail. She clearly didn’t like where Silverstream was going.

Silverstream’s eyes had a certain gleam to them. “So what you’re saying is… an apprentice was the first one to think that cats we need as allies would… need our help against intruders?”

Silverstream’s defending me? Firepaw thought. I haven’t talked to her much, but… I didn’t think she really would.

Leopardfur curled her lip. “It was an uncertain situation,” she growled. “I ordered him to wait.”

Crookedstar slowly pushed himself up until he was sitting. “Let’s talk in my den,” he suggested. “Just Leopardfur, please. Firepaw, I’ll speak to you after.” He stood up, turned towards his den, and beckoned with his tail for Leopardfur to follow as he padded inside.

Firepaw glanced uncertainly at Silverstream. “Should I just wait here?” he blurted.

Silverstream purred. The molly seemed amused by the whole ordeal. “You’ll be fine,” she promised. “Crookedstar has a hard time dishing out punishments, even when they’re deserved.” She inclined her chin towards the trout she had been sharing with Crookedstar. “Want a bite?”

Firepaw blinked. “But that’s Crookedstar’s meal.”

Silverstream laughed. “Oh, that old glutton will just eat another with Graypool later. Come on, have a bite. Food always tastes better when eaten with someone else.”

Firepaw didn’t need another invitation. He leaned in and pulled a small chunk of meat from the fish and chewed it slowly. He felt more at ease as he sat before Silverstream.

“How’s your training going?” Silverstream asked, as she rolled the fish over with a paw to expose the uneaten side. “I feel like I haven’t gotten much of a chance to talk to you.”

Firepaw swallowed his mouthful of fish. “It’s alright,” he replied. “I was kind of a mess at first… but I’m getting better, I guess. I think I’m better at hunting than fighting… but I’m not amazing at either.”

Silverstream nodded understandingly. “That’s fine,” she meowed. “Not everyone can be the best warrior at everything. Some cats are valuable to their Clan in other ways.”

Firepaw tilted his head to the side. “Like how?”

“Well,” Silverstream said. “Some are good storytellers, and they pass on our legends and history. Others are good companions, and will lend an ear to your problems. Some cats prefer to help out around the nursery instead of hunting and fighting.” She flipped her tail before smiling teasingly. “Some exist just to stir up trouble and keep the rest of us entertained.”

Firepaw knew she was joking, but he shrank back a bit anyway. “Do I get in too much trouble?” he asked. “I know I shouldn’t have disobeyed Leopardfur, but it didn’t seem right to just let the rogues attack them.”

Silverstream smiled. “You’ll be fine, Firepaw,” she repeated. “Everyone wants to get apprentices in some sort of trouble. You’ll be a warrior soon enough and all this will be forgotten.” She sighed softly. “I think you’re right, though,” she said. “It’s wrong to ignore cats suffering like that, and I think my father would agree, too. He’ll work things out with Leopardfur and probably just take a little walk with you or something.” She chuckled. “He puts on a big show of being strict, but he’s a softie. He likes when I sleep in his den so he can cuddle up to me.”

Firepaw couldn’t help but laugh a little at the mental image of the big tom snuggling up with his daughter in his nest. “He seems nice,” he meowed. “But other times he’s pretty scary! Like when he yelled at Beetleclaw or chased out Brokenstar.”

Silverstream nodded. “Oh, he’s a terror when he’s angry,” she agreed. “But he calms down pretty easily.”

They continued to eat for a little while. It wasn’t long before Crookedstar emerged, Leopardfur trailing behind him. She looked irritated, but less furious than before. She glanced at Firepaw once before she sniffed and headed for the warriors’ den. Firepaw watched her disappear inside. I wonder how that went.

Crookedstar stopped beside his daughter and glanced down at the remnants of his meal. It had become little more than fishbones and some scraps. He cast a horrified look at his daughter. “You gave away my food!” he gasped, feigning offense. “How can I trust a scoundrel like you?”

Silverstream rolled her eyes and shouldered her father. “Oh, you’re so dramatic! How much have you eaten today already?”

Crookedstar shifted his gaze away. “Unimportant,” he grunted. He glanced back to Firepaw and coughed slightly. “Now, Firepaw…” he meowed. “I understand that you didn’t follow Leopardfur’s given orders. Is that true?”

Firepaw’s ears flattened. “Well… yes.”

“Hmm.” Crookedstar flicked his tail. “Considering the circumstances, I don’t think it was all that wrong to act as you did… had I been there myself, I would have done the same.” He sighed. “However… you’re an apprentice, and I can’t just let everyone think they can disobey leadership whenever they feel like it.”

Firepaw winced, shutting his eyes. Here it comes…

“So you’ll be on kit-duty tomorrow,” Crookedstar finished.

Firepaw opened an eye. “I’ll what?”

“Oh,” Crookedstar said, before he paused to yawn. “That’s right, you don’t know what that is… it’s not too hard. You’ll just watch Mallowtail’s kits tomorrow. Give her a chance to stretch her legs and spend some time outside the nursery.”

Firepaw lifted his head. Relief washed over him. That’s it?

“Now,” Crookedstar went on, adopting a stern tone. “It’s very serious business. You’ll have to make sure they don’t wander out of camp or get into anything dangerous. But you’ll probably have to spend the day entertaining and playing with them… it’s hard work, Firepaw!”

Silverstream’s lips were twitching. She was clearly trying to keep herself from laughing.

Firepaw nodded eagerly. “Th-thank you, Crookedstar!” he meowed. “I’m sorry for causing trouble.”

Crookedstar looked solemn, but there was an amused glimmer in his eye. “Very good,” he said. “Now, go get some rest. You’ll need it.”

#warrior cats #warriors rewrite #warriors au #wc #warriors: fire and water #chapter twenty three #crookedstar is just everyone's dad and thats how it is

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beautybutafxnnygirl · 7 years ago

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Halloween had never really been a 'holiday' that Belle had held in a particularly high regard. It wasn't that she disliked it, not at all, but she'd never really understood it, so to speak. Back home in Villeneuve she'd seen children in abundances taking to the streets in their costumes every year, eagerly knocking on doors in the hopes of receiving treats to fill their goody bags. One year, during her teenage years, perhaps when she'd been a little more naïve, and far more optimistic, Belle had taken a bus out of their tiny village into the nearest town, and had eagerly raided the candy aisle of the grocery store there. She'd been so excited at the prospect of filling up the buckets of small, expectant children on what was to be considered the spookiest holiday, only to find that no children came at all. Not a single knock. Over the years, she'd slowly started to realise that she and her father were considered pariahs. People avoided them at all cost, and that extended to Halloween; the parents of Villeneuve didn't seem to object to their children going from door-to-door begging for goodies from total strangers, but they did object to even the slightest interaction with Crazy Maurice and his weird daughter.

And so, Belle hadn't ever celebrated Halloween, instead deciding to stay indoors with her father, reading a book, as she always did. She hadn't ever minded, for spending time with the man so wildly acclaimed to be Crazy Maurice was her favourite thing in the world. She loved her father dearly, and she couldn't think of any better use for her time. That didn't change the loneliness that she often felt in her heart, or the sadness that she was so often overcome with; it was a terrible burden to spend your childhood and teenage years knowing that you were despised by the whole entire town. It was neither her, nor her father's, fault though, and so she cherished every memory she had with him on those days in particular. Where most children painted their faces and dressed as witches, Belle had fond memories of helping her father with his inventions, baking cookies and immersing herself in a book in front of their fireplace. She wouldn't trade those days for the world.

So, after all their banter, and all their talk, when Artie had insisted that Belle needed to learn how to defend herself, she finally took him up on the offer. The idea of kicking or punching anybody at all wasn't a particularly cheerful concept for her, but she supposed she didn't have to put anything that she learned into practice; not unless under dire conditions. So, what harm would it be to let Artie to show her the ropes? Besides, much as she blushed and blundered when she thought of the other boy of late, she really did enjoy his company, so perhaps it could be a little fun?

Though Belle scarcely invited people around to her home in Cherry Grove – with the exception of her closest girls, Kit, and Jay – the two had come to something of a disagreement on just where they could train. She wasn't accustomed to going to the gym, and she didn't know a whole lot about Artie's own living conditions, and so she'd come to conclude that her own home would have to suffice. After clearing out her living room entirely, shifting the television out of the way and moving the couch into her bedroom to give them some floor space, bar a few photos hanging on the wall, the room was entirely empty and ready for use. She felt a little strange about inviting Artie around, having, for reasons she couldn't even quite comprehend herself, kept her tiny bungalow to herself, her own private space that very few had been given the privilege of seeing the inside of. Still, it was only Artie.

When she heard the knock on the door, she scurried over to let him in, ushering him into her now bare living room, and gestured to the wide, open space that she'd created for the two of them. Frou Frou, who was sitting in the corner of the room, watched them curiously, his fat little head tilted to the side, his tail wagging as he observed them. Belle wondered if the poor pup was wondering where the sofa had gotten to, and she stifled a giggle at his confusion.

“So... I suppose now is when I make a total fool of myself and let you wrestle me to the ground?” she mused, crinkling her nose at the mere thought. She was sure Artie wouldn't really do that, but she'd never thrown a punch in her life so the humiliation aspect of it all was surely inevitable.

#moments: artie2 #artie

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amawarriors · 8 years ago

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CanadaClan

I was bored, so I decided to have a little fun. Introducing CanadaClan, a clan made entirely of Canadian stereotypes and wildlife. I might do other countries, if I get enough ideas.

Leader : Moosestar - long legged chocolate molly with yellow eyes

Deputy : Mapleleaf - longhaired dark ginger tabby tom with a white underbely

Apprentice - Wheatpaw - pale mackerel tabby tom with dark stripes

Medicine Cat : Silverbirch - black smoke molly with faint stripes on her tail and tufted ears

Warriors : Gooseswipe - brown molly with a black head and white paws

Doedapple - brown molly flecked with cream and ginger

Redbird - brown tom with a white chest and paws and a tail with a reddish tint

Polartooth - smokey black tom with wisps of white fur on his chest

Plummetclaw - smokey black molly with a fluffy silver chest

Beavertail - big brown-and-cream mackerel striped molly with green eyes and a small tail

Apprentice - Chickadeepaw - tortoiseshell molly with a white chin and a black forehead

Troutleap - brown tabby tom with a cream underbelly and powerful hind legs

Rockypath - brown tabby to missing one eye

Queens : Sunthroat - torbie molly with splashes of white on her face (mother to Morningkit, a torbie molly with white splashes, and Milkkit, a chocolate torbie molly)

Amberdawn - dark ginger tabby molly with large white splotches and amber eyes

Springstep - dark ginger tabby molly with white ears (mother to Coldkit, a black tom, Sugarkit, a tortoiseshell molly, Poppykit, a red smoke tom with white, and Maplekit, a dark red tabby molly with a lighter underbelly)

Elders : Beartrack - brown tom with fluffy forelegs

Coyoteclaw - black molly with a dark red undercoat

Sprucenose - gray-and-white molly

Sapwhisker - dark gray tabby tom

CanadaClan lives in the dense forests up north, where greencough can evolve into blackcough and deer are a normal sighting. It’s normally a peaceful clan, but when provoked are some of the fiercest fighters in the forest. They are all trained to fight off foxes, wolves, and coyotes from a young age, and pride themselves in their colourful catches.

Some fun little backstories I’ve made up - - Moosestar’s warrior name was Moosetrack, and she was named after her father, Beartrack. - Silverbirch, Plummetclaw, Polartooth were the result of a forbidden love between Sapwhisker and a Sprucenose, a molly from an opposing clan. They were stolen from their birth clan in a custody battle and grew up with their father. Eventually their mother, Sprucenose, followed suite. It is ultimately the reason why they have such unusual fur colour, as silver and pale-like colours are uncommon in the clan. - Sunthroat used to be mates with Redbird and birthed Chickadeepaw and Wheatpaw before the two got into a fierce disagreement over training half-clan kits. When he refused to stop mentoring Polartooth (at the time Polarpaw) she abandoned him and took up a relationship with Troutleap. - Amberdawn retired to the nursery when her daughter Springstep started expecting kits. Her son Mapleleaf always visits the both of them to give them the freshest catch he can muster. Springstep’s mate, Polartooth, is also very supportive of the family and is best friends with Amberdawn. - Springstep and Sunthroat did not initially get along because of Springsteps’ choice of mate, but after their kits gradually found ways to become friends the two bonded. Sunthroat shows less prejudice to half-clan cats because of it, and has even apologized to Sprucenose and her kits for her treatment of them. - Moosestar and Beavertail are best friends. Beavertail used to be deputy until she came down with asthma, and dropped to the rank of warrior. - Plummetclaw and Gooseswipe are nursing a budding relationship. - The apprentice and kit names will be as follows, Wheatstripe (because his darker brown stripes look like wheat stalks), Chickadeechirp (because she has a soft voice), Morningbird (named after her mentor, Redbird), Milkthroat (named after her mother, Sunthroat), Coldpaw dies from greencough, Poppypurr (because he was one of the nicest apprentices the clan had ever seen), and Sugarsnap (because she is a fierce warrior)

Family Tree (so far, only including this generation) : Bolded cats are deceased.

Coyoteclaw (black molly with a dark red undercoat) and Snowswipe (black-and-white tom) : Gooseswipe and Redbird

Snowswipe (black-and-white tom) and Pineneedle (gray molly) : Sapwhisker and Spiderflower

Brownfur (cinnamon molly) and Beartrack (cinnamon tom with fluffy forelegs) : Moosestar, Cedarsap, Owlwing, Sootpaw

Sprucenose (gray-and-white molly) and Sapwhisker (dark gray tabby tom) : Silverbirch, Polartooth, Plummetclaw

Redwood (dark ginger tabby) and Amberdawn (dark ginger tabby molly with large white splotches) : Mapleleaf, Springstep

Aspenfeather (reddish brown molly with a pale underbelly) and Owlwing (cinnamon tom) : Doedapple and Squirrelpaw

Doedapple (brown molly flecked with cream and ginger) and Spiderflower (black and white tom) : Sunthroat

Owlwing (cinnamon tom) and Summer (longhaired cream molly) : Beavertail, Troutleap, and Monarch

Redbird (brown tom with a white chest, paws, and a tail with a reddish tint) and Sunthroat (torbie molly with splashes of white on her face) : Chickadeechirp and Wheatpaw

Sunthroat (torbie molly with splashes of white on her face) and Troutleap (dark brown tabby with a cream underbelly) : Morningbird, Milkthroat, Moonkit

Springstep (dark ginger molly with white splotches and white ears) and Polartooth (black smoke tom with white wisps on his chest fur) : Coldpaw, Sugarsnap, Poppypurr, Maplesyrup

#warrior cats #warriorcats #cats #canadaclan

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mothfluttter · 6 years ago

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As much as this is completely wholesome and adorable, lets not rob Fireheart of his character flaws or character development.

It's pretty clear when big things affect Fireheart PERSONALLY he struggles to let them go.

Spottedleaf treated him with kindness when he joined the clan and he developed feelings for her, even after she died and he took a mate in Sandstorm he still pined for her.

Cloudtail was raised as a clan cat but was personally made Fireheart's responsibility, when Cloudkit/paw/tail caused problems and was eating kittypet food Fireheart felt like he was letting the clan down and was frustrated that he had to fight to make Cloudkit understand that he had to be loyal to Thunderclan.

Tallstar was friendly and appreciative of Fireheart when him and Greystripe rescued windclan and when the time came, Fireheart wouldn't let Bluestar attack Tallstar's Clan if he could help it.

Tigerstar personally "made an enemy out of him" and that resulted in him doing everything he could to ensure Tigerstar's downfall which he felt unnerved when he wasn't the one to kill him.

With Bramblekit resembling his father so much, and Tawnykit leaving thunderclan to be with her father he not only felt unnerved by the kit but also wondered if he was untrustworthy. He could not LET IT GO even though this was a KIT.

Fireheart obviously has some situations where he unquestionably struggles letting things go, reasonable or not - but these have to be PERSONAL, things like clan squabbles and disagreements aren't noteworthy enough to burn.

Firestar's distrust of a KIT and then HIS APPRENTICE that CHOSE to stay in Thunderclan just because his Father is Fireheart's greatest rival fits Fireheart's mentality well.

I think it's better character development to morph him into what will soon become Firestar and much more narratively compelling that Bramblepaw has to "justify" himself to Fireheart, and THAT is when he realises, that he has been judging Bramblepaw for exactly what he struggled with ever since joining the clan. THAT is when he finally accepted Bramblekit for who HE was and not for the circumstances of his birth.

BUT HEY that's just me!

AU where Fireheart treats Bramblekit like a son because he understands what it feels like to be judged for the circumstances of your birth

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ittsbb · 8 years ago

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A Lunar Confrontation

"Let the gathering begin!" Puffinpaw's ear twitched as he heard the familiar call. His amber gaze trailed to the great tree where the leaders stood. He saw his leader, Cricketstar, give a nod to Ryestar, leader of BirchClan. The regal dusty she-cat stood up, green eyes glowing under the full moon. "Our prey runs well and our nursery is full of kits." She began. Puffinpaw noticed the way her ears were pinned to the sides of her head, as if she were trying to block out a loud noise. Ryestar turned to Harestar, glaring. "We also fought off an attempted invasion by OakClan. Our border remains secure and stronger than ever." She kept her eyes on Harestar as she spoke. The dark brown tom said nothing, tail-tip twitching. The she-cat sat down, flicking her tail to invite Wrenstar, leader of WillowClan, to speak. The long-legged she-cat looked like a shadow silhouetted in moonlight, the only thing visible was her icy blue optics. Puffinpaw had heard from some other apprentices that she ruled over her clan with coldness more harsh than the bitterest leaf-bare frost, and showed little emotion. But she was smart, and no clan could dream of touching WillowClan's borders. "This new's about OakClan's failure doesn't come as a shock to me. BirchClan has always had strong borders." She mewed, her voice carrying over the clearing. Harestar continued to say nothing. Puffinpaw noticed Hawkswoop, the OakClan deputy, driving his claws into the ground, glaring at the she-cat as she spoke. Wrenstar ignored the gaze and continued. "We have three new warriors. Sunpaw, Dewpaw, and Ceaderpaw have all earned their warrior names. They are now known as Sunfrost, Dewblaze, and Ceaderbranch." She nodded towards the new warriors, who puffed out their chests with pride. Puffinpaw noticed that Dewblaze looked especially smug. She let the chanting die down before dipping her head and sitting down, her icy gaze sweeping towards the other leaders. With a cough, Petalstar, leader of MapleClan, stood up. "Our fresh-kill pile is well stocked. Our apprentices are making wonderful progress on their training, and will be ready to fight of any threat." The tortoiseshell she-cat emphasized her last words, her light green eyes fixed on Harestar, who curled his lip in contempt. Her gaze turned friendly again as she looked to Puffinpaw's leader, Cricketstar. The two had been friends for a long time, and the two clans rarely even had a border skirmish. "I feel as if enough has been said about OakClan tonight, so I will not press the issue further." He flicked his ear towards the OakClan leader. "Prey is plentiful as well as kits. We have two new apprentices with us tonight, Puffinpaw and Frecklepaw!" His leader flicked his tail towards him. Puffinpaw shrank down a bit, licking his chest fur in embarrassment, while his sister basked in their short-lived glory. Finally, the time arrived for Harestar to speak. The whole gathering became quiet, holding their breaths to see what the leader would do. The dark brown tom lashed his white-tipped tail as he stepped forward. "Our invasion as you four are referring to it as, was simply taking back our rightful land. You forget, Ryestar, I gave your pitiful little clan that piece of territory because it looked like you needed it, your apprentices were so thin I thought I was looking at bones." He snarled, glaring at the dusty she-cat, who gritted her teeth. "And your warriors couldn't even pin down a mouse!" Hawkswoop added from below. Puffinpaw's ears went back as the BirchClan deputy, Quailspots, thrusted her muzzle into Hawkswoop's. "Say that again." She growled. Please don't fight! Puffinpaw willed them silently. "You.Can't.Even.Pin.A.Mouse." Hawkswoop growled at her. Quailspots let out a hiss and slid out her claws. Grassleap, the MapleClan deputy, thrusted his large shoulders in between the quarreling cats. Acornfur, the WillowClan deputy, looked to his leader, who's eyes gave away nothing. The muscular tom looked away from the quarreling cats, taking it as a sign to not intervene. Fernwhisker, PineClan's and Puffinpaw's own deputy, looked on in dismay, getting to his paws. Hawkswoop grinned at Quailspots, clearly enjoying that he got a rise out of her. Grassleap remained sturdy, watching the two with concern. Quailspots closed her eyes, took in a deep breath, and flattened her fur. She went to go sit back down, but was stopped by Hawkswoop leaping onto her, spitting. The black she-cat yowled in surprise before sinking her teeth into the tom's shoulder. Hawkswoop let out a yowl that slowly turned into a laugh. "That all you got?" He taunted. Suddenly, Acornfur leaped to his paws and forcefully pulled the smaller tom off the she-cat. Hawkswoop turned on him, spitting. He clawed at the large tom's ear, catching it in his claws. Acornfur didn't budge, even with the blood trickling down his ear. "ENOUGH!" Wrenstar's strong voice boomed over the gathering. The deputies scrambled apart, looking at the she-cat. "Harestar, Ryestar, control your deputies please." She mewed, voice returning to its hardened state. "Me? Control my deputy? Quailspots got in his face first, and Acornfur attacked him too!" Harestar spat. "I believe that my deputy was wrong to attack yours, Harestar." Ryestar lashed her tail, glaring down at Quailspots. "But Hawkswoop also instigated the attack. He needs to learn to control his tongue." Her green gaze suddenly found the brown and white tom, who was glaring at the ground, blood trickling from his shoulder. "My deputy was not in the wrong here. He was simply trying to end the disagreement." Wrenstar countered back. Acornfur gazed up at his leader, who gave him a firm nod of approval. Puffinpaw winced as Harestar jumped down from the tree. "it seems to me like this whole gathering is a disagreement." He growled. With a sweeping motion of his tail, he summoned his clan. "OakClan, we are leaving!" He curled his lip at the other leaders before pounding away into the night, clan following. Cricketstar looked to the other leaders before yowling, "The gathering is over!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I hoped you enjoyed the precious bean that is Puffinpaw. I know this short thing wasn't too much focused on him, but I had this idea in my head ever since I wrote the battle, so here it is! Here's some info on the leader's and deputies: OakClan: Harestar: A dark brown tom with a white tipped tail and amber eyes. He very much thinks that the other clans are weak, and that they are something to pity Hawkswoop- A brown tom with white paws and a white tail tip and yellow eyes. Very hot headed, and will speak whatever comes to mind. Shares Harestar's ideals. BirchClan (I keep writing them as BitchClan whoops) Ryestar- A pale, dusty she cat with blazing green eyes. Holds a regal air about herself, and is always choice with her words. Quailspots- A black she cat with flecks of white on her chest and purple eyes. Is normally very level headed but easily lets Hawkswoop get under her skin. MapleClan: Petalstar- A plump tortoiseshell she-cat with light green eyes. Has a long standing friendship with Cricketstar. She leads her clan with kind words, and would rather talk her way out of a battle rather than use claws. Seen to some as weak because of her body shape. Grassleap- A light brown tom with large shoulders and forest green eyes. Takes to heart the "words not claws" ideology of his leader, and avoids conflict whenever he can. WillowClan: Wrenstar- An all black she-cat with glowing blue eyes. Emotionless and has a very tough outer shell. Whenever she speaks, she commands the attention of every cat. Acornfur- A dark brown tom with amber eyes. Large and silent, he rarely talks, and follows Wrenstar's orders without question. PineClan: Cricketstar- A sandy tom with light blue eyes. Also prefers to reason, but is not afraid to lead his clan into battle. He also is one of the more friendly leaders, along with Petalstar. Fernwhisker- A gray tom with dark grey flecks and green eyes. He's very new to being deputy, and is kinda very unsure as to what to do. He tries his best tho <3

#Warriors #warrior cats #oc

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