#and also made a vow to make sure the clans never know of these kits | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

buckyodinson · 4 years

Text

A Clan of Three (Mandalorian x fem!Reader)

This is dedicated to @tlittlet (hope you don’t mind me tagging you in this) - I saw your post saying:

‘I wish I could read a mando x reader where the reader is all shy but passionate and mando craving for touch. But like, I know I can write it but I don’t want to write it, I want to read it, do you know what I mean? 😫’ and I kinda ran away with it?

A/N: This is the first thing I’ve written in about a year and a half so it may be a little rusty, and it’s based vaguely on the post mentioned above. I just love Mando a lot right now, and this is the first time in a long time I’ve actually felt compelled to write something, so I hope some people out there can enjoy this, as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Feedback is appreciated!!

Word count: 2.6k

There was a lot left unspoken on the Razor Crest as of late. You’d been travelling with Din and the Child for just over a year now, and barriers had slowly broken down in that time. A lot had been shared between the two of you, but a lot had been kept under wraps on both sides, through fear of rejection. You loved both Din and the Child with every fibre of your being, and it tore you apart trying not to just lay all your cards on the table, but you were terrified the gamble was too risky.

You would often be left on the Crest while Din fetched his latest bounty, staying to watch over the Child and keep him out of harms way. You felt a true maternal instinct, and while watching over the Child while he slept or played with whatever he could get his hands on in the cockpit, your thoughts would drift to the signet on Din’s pauldron - a clan of two - and how desperately you wished to be a clan of three.

You loved Din. You knew as much. You knew from very early on, after a few weeks of settling into life with the pair of them on the Crest, you knew this was a life you could get used to. And you thanked the Maker that you could spend at least part of your life travelling the galaxy with two who you truly and genuinely loved. You wanted to let him know how you felt, but you knew The Way. And you knew you couldn’t put Din in a situation like that - partly because you didn’t want to disrespect the life he swore to uphold when he swore The Creed, and partly because you were terrified he didn’t feel the same, and he’d drop you off at the next system to avoid the awkwardness that would likely ensue.

So you kept quiet. You would often lie awake at night, thinking of endless scenarios of what life would be like if he knew. If he felt the same. If he took his helmet off, abandoning his bounty hunting life to settle down on a planet somewhere in the outer rim, just the three of you. A clan of three. There goes that thought again, and just as quickly as it enters your mind, it’s snatched away when you scold yourself for getting carried away. You’re setting yourself up for heartbreak, and you know it, but you’re too far gone to care.

Unbeknownst to you, Din would also often lie awake in the safe confines of his quarters, with his helmet removed, wondering how the soft touch of your hands would feel on his face. How your lips would fit against his. How perfect your body would slot into his as you laid together, your head tucked into the crook of his neck. These ephemeral thoughts calmed him after a long day, but they also brought pangs of sadness, knowing that they were only his imagination. She’d never feel the same. After all, how could she? All she’s ever known is the cold, unforgiving glare of Beskar. She’s never seen the longing on his face when she’s idly hanging up a small decoration she bought at a market, his mind racing at the thought of a domestic life with her. Nor had she seen the soft smile he can’t seem to shake when he catches her playing or chatting away with the Child.

He craved her touch. He’s only felt it in fleeting moments. Usually when one of them is badly injured after a particularly nasty run-in with a bounty. On many occasions, he’s been badly hit with a blaster in places he can’t patch up himself, and she silently reaches for the med-kit and beckons for him to sit with her. She removes his Beskar so softly, as if it isn’t one of the toughest materials around, and it makes his heart ache. She works mostly in silence, other than to ask him if it’s okay to lift his undershirt. She always asks. She doesn’t have to, and she knows, he’s told her so many times. But still she does. And that longing creeps into his entire body every time, knowing she truly respects his way of life.

When she works, her delicate hands clean the injury with feather-light touches, using a bacta spray to help with further healing, before applying a bandage. Even these light touches cause shivers to run up Din’s spine, and he knows it’s a ridiculous reaction to have, given the circumstances, but nobody has ever been so gentle with him. Nobody has ever taken the time to make sure he is okay. Once, he was so exhausted from a fight with a bounty that ended badly, that after he’d taken all his armour off, dropped it to the floor, and let you tend to his wounds, he’d fallen asleep where he’d been sat, in the hull of the ship. When he woke, he found a blanket draped over him, and all his armour was neatly arranged on the nearby shelves, seemingly having been polished. He was speechless. It was such a sweet gesture on your behalf, he didn’t know how to react. He wished he knew how to thank you for all you did for him. But he just didn’t know how.

When you helped with his injuries, you never failed to notice the almost imperceptible hitches in his breath, and small sighs he let out as you worked. You never questioned them, but they made you wonder when the last time he was ever touched by another person. If he had been touched by another person since he swore the Creed, and vowed to live his life shielded from the world.

The day came when things left unspoken finally bubbled to the surface. Din had been out looking for a bounty, and had been gone for several days. You grew worried very quickly, as even the toughest of jobs brought him back to the Crest within a day or two. But it was four days since you’d last seen or heard from him. The Child was beginning to grow restless, being cooped up in the ship. You spent most of your time pacing the cockpit, trying to contact him, to no avail. You knew it was dangerous to leave the ship, and leave the Child unattended, so you had to settle for staying in the Crest and praying to the Maker that you’d see him emerge from the tree-line any minute.

You slept very lightly while Din was away, any and every noise rousing you, hoping it was the ramp lowering, and Din coming back. After five days of nothing, you finally heard that familiar hiss of the ramp to the Crest opening, and you all but sprinted from your cot to the ramp. You were ecstatic that he had returned, but also terrified at what state he may be in. You were right to feel this way, because once the ramp lowered and you caught a glimpse at him, you knew he was in trouble. He was leaning heavily on his left leg, and you ran down the ramp before he all but collapsed into your arms. You made quick work of dragging him into the ship and closing the ramp door.

You set him on the floor and made quick work of removing his armour, disregarding your usual tentative movements. The more armour you removed, the more blood and grime you noticed on his underclothes, and the sight made you gasp.

You spoke softly but with a sense of urgency, “Din… I’m going to take your underclothes off. Is that okay?”

You received no reply.

“Din? Can you hear me?” You tried again, but to no avail. You reached one hand under his neck to support it while you reached your other under his jaw, and could still feel a strong pulse, which calmed your nerves ever so slightly. But upon pulling your hand other hand back to rest his head on the ground, you noticed your hand was covered in blood. You began to really panic now, not knowing how to proceed with the situation. He needed serious medical attention, but you didn’t want to overstep the clear boundaries he lived by.

You knew his safety came first, but you also didn’t want to jeopardise his religion and risk him never being able to put the helmet back on again. So you removed his underclothes and got to work on all the injuries on his body first. His chest rising and falling as you worked comforted you by a fraction, but the lack of sighs and grunts made you acutely aware that his head injury needed treating soon.

You quickly disappeared to your room and ripped a strip of fabric from the bottom of your blanket before coming back and dropping onto your knees by Din’s side yet again. You gathered all the materials you needed before securing the fabric around your eyes and tying it in the back of your head. You took a deep breath before reaching for Din’s helmet. You pressed a switch, and heard the hiss as you slowly lifted it from his head and placed it softly on the ground next to you.

You lifted him slightly and stuck a leg out underneath his shoulders, so you could feel the back of his head and assess the injury. You located to wound fairly easily, and while it wasn’t large, it was bleeding a lot, so you applied a bacta spray to it after wiping his hair first. You tried to ignore the butterflies in your stomach as you ran your hands through his hair. You slowly felt his face using the hand not covered in blood, checking for any smaller injuries that may be there. You found nothing, and rested your hand on his cheek while you sighed, hoping you’d done enough for the meantime. You were shocked when you felt Din’s hand cover yours, and you immediately went to pull your hand away but his grip tightened.

He cleared his throat and croaked out a small “Thank you”. You smiled at his unfiltered voice, the first time you’d ever heard it. And while it was barely there, and scratchy, after all he’d been through, it was still him, and you couldn’t help but feel lucky to have heard it in all it’s beauty.

“It’s okay… I could probably do a better job of it, but with the blindfold, there’s only so much I can-“

“Take it off..” he whispered, and you flinched back in shock, not knowing if you heard him correctly.

After a beat of silence, his hand came up to rest on your cheek, mirroring your actions, and he slowly lifted the material covering your eyes. He chuckled and coughed a little when he noticed your eyes screwed shut. He came to rest his hand on your cheek again, the unfamiliar feel of his skin warm against yours, as his thumb moved slowly across your cheekbone. “You can open your eyes, cyar’ika… it’s okay.”

You slowly obliged, and you were completely taken aback by his features. His soft brown eyes looked up at you, and despite the pain that must be coursing through his body, he was smiling at you. You took notice of his curly brown locks, some of which were stuck to his forehead. You brushed them away, before running your fingers down his hooked nose, to rest on his lips, where he lightly kissed your fingertips. Before you knew it, tears were falling from your eyes, and his face contorted into one of concern.

“I’m sorry, Din.” You breathed out as he swiped his thumb under your eye.

“What do you have to be sorry for, mesh’la?” He spoke, his voice a little stronger now.

“The Creed. I’ve seen your face. You can’t go back now. I’m so sorry.” You hung your head, and felt him slowly manoeuvre himself to sit up in front of you.

“What if I don’t want to go back?” He all but whispered, lifting your chin.

You met his gaze again and was frozen in place as he lent towards you and slowly brought your lips to his. You barely had time to react before he pulled away, your lips almost chasing his as he smiled against you.

“I’ve been thinking for a long while now, about you… about us. I get this unfamiliar feeling deep inside me when I think of you. When I see you with the Child. At first I dismissed it, thinking that was just how it felt to finally have a real friend. But then I would get worried sick when I was out looking for bounties... worried about you. Worried that something would happen to you here in the Crest and I’d be none the wiser. Then I realised. It was love.” He fell into silence, and you both sat there for what felt like an eternity, comfortable to just be there with each other, no more words needing to be exchanged.

He finally spoke up again, “I never acted on it, always telling myself ‘This is the way’. Telling myself this is the life I was born to live, it’s not fair to drag you into it. I never thought, for a second, that you could feel the same. But seeing you now, scared that I might be dying, but still blindfolding yourself to respect the Creed… that was all the confirmation I needed. Tell me I’m right?” He pulled away slightly to look in your eyes, and you saw tears brimming in his.

You nodded, not trusting your voice, before leaning in to kiss him back. Your lips touched, and in this kiss, you felt everything that had gone unspoken this past year. You broke apart and whispered against his lips, “I’ve always loved you Din.”

He whispered something back in Mando’a, and while you didn’t understand it, you’re sure you knew what he meant. You leaned back to look at him once more, and as you brushed his hair from his face, he winced slightly. His injuries dawned on you again, and you slowly rose, helping him to his cot. You fetched him a glass of water, something to dull the pain, and something to eat, and out of habit, started to leave, when he grabbed your wrist and silently pleaded with you to stay. He moved to lay on his side and you joined him in his cot, resting your back against his chest. He closed his eyes, and couldn’t quite believe you were here in his cot, laying pressed against him, like he dreamed of not long ago. He remembers a time when he would chastise himself for thinking you would ever feel this way, and yet here you were.

The door to his quarters opened with a hiss and the Child moved slowly over to the bed, looking at the pair of you with his wide eyes. You leaned down to pick him up and place him against your chest, where he promptly fell asleep. Din wrapped his arm around both you and the Child and held you both securely as he drifted off. You stayed awake a little while longer, just laying there smiling to yourself. As sleep finally consumed you, only one thought danced in your mind, you were finally a clan of three.

#the Mandalorian x reader #Mandalorian x reader #din djarin x reader #dyn jarren x reader #Mandalorian imagine #din djarin imagine #dyn jarren imagine #Mandalorian fanfic #din djarin fanfic #dyn jarren fanfic #mandalorian x fem!reader #din djarin x fem!reader #dyn jarren x fem!reader

1K notes · View notes

rusty-shadowclan-au · 3 years

Text

Idk if I'm ever going to actually write this but I thought a ton abt it so I wanted to post my brainstorm here for how this AU plays out!

Background:

Basically in this AU Brokenstar starts stealing kits much sooner bc the ShadowClan kits keep dying. He starts off stealing kits from rogues and kittypet but also steals kits from WindClan once he realizes he has the fighting force to overpower them

The first kit he abducts is Tiny/Scourge, who is younger than in canon but wanders onto ShadowClan territory after his run in with Tigerclaw (who is a warrior acting of his own volition in this incident, making it even worse)

Tiny is named Darkkit

He makes it look like the Clan kits he steals were accidentally killed during camp raids so nobody looks for them

Yellowfang stays in ShadowClan as the sole medicine cat bc Runningnose died of illness earlier here, and even Brokenstar knows better than to leave the Clan with no med cat.

Yellowfang receives a sign from StarClan telling her that "Fire burns brightest in the dark" and that fire will lead ShadowClan out of their long night.

Dustkit and Ravenkit wander out of ThunderClan camp at about a moon old and are abducted by Brokenstar. There is a fox on ThunderClan territory at the time so ThunderClan believes they've been killed.

Brokenstar abducts a number of WindClan kits, including Ashkit (Ashfoot) and Ryekit (Onewhisker)

Brokenstar conditions the kits he abducts to forget their families by withholding food whenever they ask about when they can go home. They eventually forget.

Brokenstar kills Nutmeg and steals her kits (including Rusty) when they are about half a moon old. They are given to Dawncloud to raise. Dawncloud loves her adopted kits and feels bad about their origins but she's also deeply traumatized by Brokenstar bc she was a kit warrior herself (the only kit warrior who made it to adulthood so far)

Firekit (Rusty), and his siblings Leafkit (Princess), Wildkit, and Mistkit grow up believing they are ShadowClan born.

Into The Wild

Book starts when Firekit and siblings are about 3 moons old.

Duskpaw and Ravenpaw are 4 moons old

Ashpaw and Ryepaw are 5 moons old, hoping to earn their warrior names soon

Darkclaw (Scourge), now a warrior (9 moons old), has a soft spot for other stolen kittypet kits so even though he's not allowed to talk about their origins he visits the nursery often and becomes close to Firekit and siblings. Firekit looks up to him a lot and wants to be just like him

One of the first scenes in the book is Flintfang's return to camp with Badgerfang's battered corpse. He delivers the kit warrior to camp and confronts Brokenstar, saying he'll never train another kit warrior again because its wrong.

This is the first time Firekit realizes something might be wrong in ShadowClan, that maybe this isn't how its supposed to be

Brokenstar, being the manipulative shit he is, basically says "Oh you won't train any more underage apprentices? Well since Firekit and his siblings are ready to be apprenticed, I'm sure you won't mind my choices of mentor." Brokenstar decides to mentor Wildkit, and gives Leafkit to Clawface, and Flintfang is sitting there knowing that these warriors are going to tear these kits to SHREDS, so he steps in and offers to mentor Mistkit to spare her some suffering. Brokenstar mockingly agrees, and Darkclaw offers to mentor Firekit.

Firepaw and his siblings go straight into battle training. Their first session is monitored by Brokenstar and is against Dustpaw and Ravenpaw, who are instructed to fight with claws out. All four of the new apprentices are obviously beaten up pretty badly, but Wildpaw and Leafpaw manage to land a few strikes which catches Brokenstar's attention.

Nobody is given adequate time to recover from their injuries, and they're back to battle training the next day. It's another joint session, this time against each other, and none of the kits really want to hurt each other but they also don't want to get hurt themselves so they fight their hardest. Firepaw injures Leafpaw and feels horrible about it. He talks to his mentor about it who tells him "You do what you must to keep yourself safe" and that doesn't sit quite right with Firepaw.

After a few days, Flintfang and Darkclaw finally get a chance to train their apprentices alone. Mistpaw and Firepaw are instructed to train with claws sheathed when they're alone like this and Firepaw privately wonders who he's supposed to trust: his mentor or his Clan leader?

All four of the new apprentices get to go to the gathering a moon later, where they meet Sandpaw, ThunderClan's newest apprentice. She talks to them because she thinks she smells a familiar scent (Dustpaw and Ravenpaw) but decides she must be mistaken. Firepaw notices that his sister Leafpaw is totally crushing on Sandpaw and talks to her about it like a good supportive brother would. This helps them reconnect after he injured her in training.

Firepaw privately wonders why Ashpaw, Ryepaw, Ravenpaw and Dustpaw weren't allowed to come to this gathering, and he realizes that this whole time they've never actually been invited to gatherings. Firepaw thinks its weird but doesn't dwell on it, deciding that they must not have impressed Brokenstar yet.

A couple moons pass, Wildpaw is killed by Brokenstar during training, but Brokenstar blames a cave in for his broken spine and names him "Wildfur" postmortem.

The siblings are heartbroken, Leafpaw most of all, because Wildfur was the sibling she was closest to. She vows to be the strongest warrior in his honor and throws herself into her training.

Mistpaw worries to Firepaw that Wildfur's death is leading Leafpaw down a dark path.

Leafpaw and Firepaw are part of the battle party that goes to drive out WindClan. While they're fighting, Firepaw ends up tussling with an apprentice (Morningpaw) that looks suspiciously similar to his buddy Ryepaw. Their tussle takes them away from most of the fighting (Morningpaw tries to run and Firepaw pursues her)

Morningpaw pins Firepaw and spits something along the lines of "ShadowClan kit killer! This is for my Ashkit and Ryekit! You'll pay for their deaths!" And shes about to kill him but Firepaw is like "Your siblings are alive and I didn't know that they were from here"

Mormingpaw stops attacking in her shock, and before Firepaw can say anything else Tallstar calls for WindClan to retreat, and Morningpaw dashes off.

Firepaw returns to the scene of the main battle, WindClan camp, and finds his sister Leafpaw covered in blood standing over a dead WindClan warrior.

Leafpaw has a breakdown, saying that she didn't mean to kill her, she was just trying to be a good warrior. She is in shock. Firepaw and Flintfang lead her back to camp and settle her into the medicine den. Caught up in caring for his sister, Firepaw forgets to tell Ashpaw and Ryepaw the truth about who they are.

That's all for now, more soon hopefully

#warriors au #warrior cats #warriors #firestar #shadowclan au #rusty joins shadowclan au #shadowclan #tw kidnapping #tw animal death

51 notes · View notes

yarrowleef · 3 years

Text

Read Darkness Within all in one sitting last night and then passed out so here are my scattered thoughts i wrote down as i read, (afterthoughts in parenthesis)

Darkness Within Spoilers, obv

UGH GOD THE SECOND HAND EMBARRESMENT FROM SQUIRREL FAKE FLIRTING WITH ASHFUR IT HURTS

Just remembered Sandynose died and got a small boost of happiness (will Hawkwing and Plumwillow ever be allowed to talk again now? I mean probly not b/c they aren’t protags and non-protags don’t rly have friends but I can hope. Sorry, Hawkwhing and Plumwillow’s short-lived friendship in Hawkwings Journey was one of the last times I felt something)

Ghost fleas lol

Mothwing: i’m rude now. (but more importantly, Fuck Tigerheartstar for forcing his son to be around the cat that hurt him so badly, like he HAS to know how upset everyone is regarding Shadowsight and his accidentally helping the imposter, and he’s making him be the sole one to tend to him??? There is NO REASON Puddleshine couldn’t have done it. You think Puddleshine is going to try and murder someone?? )

Oh no don't make this a traveling book, and a ROOTBRISTLE traveling book this is going to be insufferable

BACON AND EGGS

Lightleap Is Good (Hey didn’t Shadowsight have another sister? lets be real we all knew Pouncekit was going to end up as the forgettable 3rd one)

Bristlefrost’s crush continues to feel unnatural to me. It’s like she’s grasping at straws romanticizing the most generic things.....wow....I love how ur just so...bare minimum competent....being polite to the loner we came all this way to ask for help like any somewhat reasonable person would....How admirable...I love the way you just *clenches fist* exhibit some basic traits of loyalty and skill that literally every warrior has (I s2g I’m this close to head canon-ing Bristle as a clueless aromantic who doesn't understand what romance is actually suppose to feel like so she just looks at feelings of low-bar admiration and assumes “oh I guess this is that “romantic attraction” everyone’s always talking about? guess I must be in love???” because both her crushes have felt out of nowhere and like. Idk fake/forced sounding like she’s just telling me that that she’s In Love Now while I continue to not actually feel it at all from her end. I know it’s just that I hate the way Erin’s write female characters in love but this head-canon makes me laugh)

Got scared because I thought they were going to villainize Spotfur for not wanting kits for a minute, but also excited at the concept of maybe exploring a female character that doesn’t want to be a mother, but it turns out she was just pulling a Sparkpelt and actually DID want the kits all along and was only hesitant because she’s sad. Shrug oh well. (the only female character in warriors that was distinctly upset about pregnancy and motherhood was Lizardstripe and as we all know she was eeeeeevil and abusive and “overly ambitious” because why else would you not come around to being happy about motherhood?? YES I’M STILL SALTY ABOUT YELLOWFANG’S SECRET, BAD BOOK) Whatever it’s fine so long as Spot doesn’t lose her rebel leader spirit forever and default to “soft mom” personality for the rest of her life, I gotta have hope because I actually like Bristle and Spot’s current relationship. Also I am actually very grateful they never made Bristle resentful at Spot for getting with her crush, as lots of middle grade/YA media has a very bad habit of demonizing female romantic “competition” and its super gross, so I rly do like that Bristlefrost is so protective and caring towards her instead. )

This series is trying to tell me that Rootspring is actually Big but I refuse to accept that. he has dumb scrawny bitch energy and we all know it

Sunrise: “Thunderclan may be better with a new leader” lol go off (i mean........they right tho...It’s unfortunate that the tension in this whole plot is a bit dampened by the fact that i DO in fact want bramble to die v badly. I don’t even have special hatred for him, I’m just bored of him.)

Yes Lionblaze beat the shit out of Ashfur

*HOLY SHIT THAT’S FUCKED!!!! (I wrote this in reference to the ghost summoning scene, this was all I could manage at the time, that scene was WILD and I am VIBING WITH THE HORROR OF IT ALL)

* Brashfur: Oh yeah? Could Ashfur fake THIS? *stands up with slightly better posture* Shadowsight: oh damn you got me there...... (asdfhhfhhgh im sorry that was really funny, how did that prove anything?? ONLY A ~REAL~ WARRIOR COULD STAND UP STRAIGHT WE ALL KNOW ASHFUR IS INCAPABLE OF GOOD POSTURE!)

End of the book: *LAUGHING NERVOUSLY* WHAT THE FUCK??? (I thought he was just gonna kill Squirrelflight right there holy shit can you imagine the RIOTS that would ensue in the wake of all this Squirrel/Bramble discourse I was so scared for a second.

But it’s fine, she just....went to super hell instead......Warriors has come so far lmao WHAT IS HAPPENING

Final Notes:

*On Mothwing, I don’t think her behavior struck me as “CHARACTER BUTCHERING” as much as it did for other people? I mean.....Warriors fans will say that literally any time a character does ANYTHING less then perfectly nice I think her actions just seemed that much harsher because we are reading from Shadowsight’s POV, and Shadowsight is taking everything 10x more personally right now (understandably so, but Mothwing isn’t inside his head) she wasn’t trying to hurt him. Also... like... Shadowsight DID get his name too early. It’s not Mothwing’s job to put his feelings above everything else, she’s not even his mentor, Puddleshine on the other hand, as his main mentor, I don’t understand what his deal is ignoring Shadowsight, that’s not how you help an apprentice but I suppose I chalk many of his mistakes up to also not being the most experienced medicine cat (he barely even had his own mentor.) Maybe he’s distant because he feels guilty and actually blames himself for not guiding Shadowsight better?? the two of them haven’t communicated about it yet so idk

any way I give Mothwing a pass to be a little short tempered right now as a cat who has had her abilities periodically questioned all her life no matter how hard she works or how much experience she has, just because she doesn’t vibe with the spiritual cult side of the clans, I can understand why she’s a bit defensive of being questioned and frustrated watching so much hurt happen Yet Again due to reliance on StarClan visions over common sense, and I for one still stan her for slandering StarClan and refusing to accept Mistystar’s bullshit banishing like everyone else. Sometimes a character is at the end of their rope and can’t manage to be 100% nice 24/7 and that’s maybe not inherently bad writing? idk just my hot take. At a certain point we all gotta reckon with the fact that our perception of most popular supporting characters in heavily colored by fanon and we can’t always get mad at the authors for not adhering to it

*The sisters magic shit is my fav worldbuilding warriors has had in AGES, I love the way it’s described and it actually feels like it adds something to this world. I love this horror imagery with the ghosts, very excited for that.

*still won’t be thrilled if Ashfur is working alone, because his motive doesn’t make sense right now. I mean the trying to get Squilf thing, sure, whatever, but the “I will make everyone pay for what they did to me”???? cause like?? Who??? they didn’t do anything to him?? Ashfur’s grievance was very specifically JUST Squilf. He has no other cause for revenge, he had no other beef or complaints about the clans to my knowledge? The cat that killed him is dead, and she’s like, the only other one that I could see as having “wronged” him?? I guess he also didn’t like Firestar much according to Graystripe’s Vow (and on account of how willing he was to kill him w/ Hawkfrost) but Firestar is ALSO dead. I don’t understand his angle. Will have to see last 2 books to judge i suppose.

*All in all I am interested to see where this is going!! but also the pacing as I feared is becoming a major issue. It’s better then ending the main conflict on book 3 like Vision of Shadows did, but omg. Hardly anything happened in all these pages. I realized I was over half way through and nothing about the situation had actually CHANGED or advanced at all in all that time. Similar to the past 2 books which I believe could have been combined, this plot felt like it should have been the first half of a book. Discussing whether or not to kill the imposter isn’t much of a standalone plot, it’s just the set up to a plot. Finding the sisters didn’t need to be a whole long thing, the debates about the Imposters fate didn’t need to be repeated 10 times, all those chapters illustrating that “Shadowsight is sad” were also drawn out, repetitive, and interchangeable, we probably only needed 2 or so chapters showing his struggles to get the necessary information across. It felt like a lot of padding, it was really slow and I did a lot of skimming. I am still very interested in the overarching plot and mystery behind the ghosts so that kept me reading but man this “will they won’t they kill him” plot did not justify it’s own whole book. Alas this is a persisting issue that will never be resolved while they continue to force 6 books into 1 series that doesn’t need 6 books. I’m sure the writers are doing the best they can with these unfortunate constraints but still, it’s a wonder this slow padding isn’t more of a detriment to their younger readers that the books are supposed to be marketed to.

#warrior cats #the broken code #darkness within #the darkness within #darkness within spoilers #wc tbc #tbc #is that enough tags #yarrow speaks #wc criticism #long post #the broken code spoilers #warrior cats spoilers

55 notes · View notes

jayfrost-designs · 3 years

Photo

This is also from November of last year.

This is a character who I love dearly and always meant to make a design for, but never got around to it. Now I've finally gotten off my lazy butt and made this Best Boy a ref sheet. ^^ So here, have a Thrushpelt.

Here is the reverse side of his design.

I used to headcanon that Whitestorm was Graystripe's father, but when Graystripe's Vow referred to the Willow/White kits as his half siblings, I decided to try and think of a different father for him. After poking around ThunderClan's allegiances for a bit for a suitable tom for the job, I finally settled on Thrushpelt. I know he was Willowpelt's sistser's mentor (though only briefly), but there wasn't anyone closer to Willowpelt's age who was really available, and I see them as only getting together much later, when both of them are older warriors.

As far as I imagine it, Willowpelt missed being a mom after Darkstripe was all grown up, and was good friends with Thrushpelt. When he admitted how much he missed being a dad since Bluestar's litter had died (or so he thought), Willowpelt offered to have a litter with him for them to raise together. They weren't in love or anything, only good friends, but Willowpelt had always been a very chill, easy-going sort of cat, and was perfectly happy with the idea of raising a litter with a good friend who she knew would be an excellent dad. After some thought, Thrushpelt accepted, and thus little Graykit was born.

Unfortunately, Thrushpelt died of an illness when his son was only two moons old. Willowpelt was heartbroken that her dear friend wouldn't get to be around to help raise his son, but she and Thrushpelt made sure that he got as much time with Graykit to be a good dad as he could before he finally passed, and Willowpelt made sure to tell Graykit about his dad even after he was gone, so that Thrushpelt was never forgotten. Thrushpelt now watches over Graystripe from StarClan, waiting for his second son to join him as he enjoys his time with his adopted daughter and son in the stars. Willowpelt eventually found love with Whitestorm seasons later, and Graystripe was always happy to help look after his half-siblings once he rejoined the Clan (and was particularly outraged when Darkstripe tried to kill their little half sister).

For his physical description, Thrushpelt doesn't have any description other than his coloration, so I made up my own build and look for him. I always imagined him as on the taller and scrawnier side, with kinda a scruffy pelt. It just seemed to fit him to me - and it doesn't hurt that he's a quarter WindClan, so he's inherited some of that WindClan skinniness. I used some images of javanese cats as refs. He's got a nice, scruffy, medium/long pelt, though it's not quite as long and thick as his son's - that comes more from Willowpelt.

For his pattern, Thrushpelt is described as a sandy-gray tom with a white flash on his chest and bright green eyes. I based his coloration on lavender cat, a nice lighter dusty-gray color, and I gave him a nice shade of bright green eyes. He's only described with a flash of white on his chest, not an entirely white chest, so I just gave him a little smudgy bit of white on there. I did cheat a little bit by giving him a stripe down the back of his tail that he wasn't described with - but I wanted Graystripe to get that stripe from somewhere, and it's only on his tail, not down his entire back.

Overall, I'm really happy with how he turned out.

#Warriors #Warrior Cats #Erin Hunter #WC #Thrushpelt #Thrushkit #ThunderClan #Warrior #Bluestar's Prophecy #Spottedleaf's Heart #Super Editions #Novellas #StarClan

16 notes · View notes

staircasttext · 3 years

Text

Ep 19: Beaver Tales

Episode 19

[intro music]

PAZ: Hi everyone, welcome back to Stairway to StarClan, a Warriors Cat reread pawdcast. I'm Paz.

JULIAN: I'm Julian.

LIZ: And I'm Liz.

PAZ: And we're back again this week with chapters seven to 10 of Forest of Secrets. I almost said Fire and Ice. No, we're done with that. Kind of a lot of in camp activities these chapters, I would say.

JULIAN: Yeah, some tightly focused drama.

PAZ: Yeah. I don't know anything, any pressing pre-summary thoughts, or should we just go into it?

LIZ: Let's just hop right in.

PAZ: Okay. Chapter seven. After Bluestar dismisses Fireheart, he bumps into Cinderpaw on her way to find herbs for Yellowfang and accompanies her. On the way out, they see Cloudkit and the other kits taunting Brokentail. Fireheart is conflicted and angry, and snatches Cloudkit away from Brokentail, telling the other kits to go back to the nursery. Darkstripe calls Fireheart a kittypet again, and Fireheart explains to Cloudkit what that means. He also tells Cloudkit that they were both kittypets, which shocks Cloudkit. Cloudkit vows to become a good warrior anyway, and Fireheart reminds him about being honorable.

Cinderpaw checks on Brokentail and Darkstripe returns into the den. Fireheart and Cinderpaw let Cloudkit come with them to find herbs, and she teaches Cloudkit a bit of what she's learned about foraging. While they talk about Cloudkit's future, Cloudkit eats some-- doesn't eat. That'd be bad if he. Cloudkit almost eats some poisonous berries before Cinderpaw stops him. Cloudkit, dead. He's dead now.

LIZ: Dead in Miami.

PAZ: Dead in chapter seven of Forest of Secrets. No, that didn't happen. He takes her warning seriously. Afterwards, Cinderpaw wonders what her future will be like, feeling uncertain and pained, and Fireheart encourages her to talk to Bluestar. He thinks briefly about Bluestar's reaction to Graypool's story again, and thinks to himself that it's beyond his understanding.

Chapter eight. Fireheart has a disturbing dream about kits suckling from a faceless grey queen, who then disappears. Spottedleaf appears, sheltering the kits, and the dream ends. When he wakes up, he thinks about Graypool's story again, noticing that Graystripe is also missing, seeing Silverstream, of course. He and Sandstorm decide to go hunting, taking poor Brackenpaw with them since Graystripe has forgotten about him again. Brackenpaw catches a bird, but they suddenly hear the sound of a kit in danger. They find a badger menacing Cloudkit and manage to chase it off. They wonder about how strange it was for a badger to be out in daytime. Cloudkit is returned safely to Brindleface, but Tigerclaw punishes him for wasting everyone's time, though isn't Cloudkit's fault. His punishment is to clean up for the elders.

Meanwhile, Yellowfang has taken Brokentail outside to talk about newleaf, while Darkstripe and Longtail act as guards. She's very gentle and motherly, but Brokentail doesn't respond. Fireheart watches sadly, thinking of mothers and kits, and then Mistyfoot and Stonefur again.

Chapter nine. While Cinderpaw tends to Brackenpaw's wounds from attacking the badger, Fireheart checks in on Cloudkit and helps him with tending to the elders. Fireheart tells him about having to tend to Yellowfang's ticks, her ass ticks, when he was younger, which cheers Cloudkit up.

Later, Fireheart sees Tigerclaw sneaking out of camp, so he decides to follow him. He notices Tigerclaw is getting close to Twolegplace, wondering if he's trying to track down Princess to hurt her. Fireheart also happens to catch a mouse on the way, which gives him an alibi for hunting, when he literally bumps into Tigerclaw soon after.

When Tigerclaw returns to camp, Fireheart checks around Twolegplace, where he smells that a lot of strange, unknown cats have been around in addition to Tigerclaw. He also meets with Princess briefly, and he tells her about how well Cloudkit is growing up, promising to bring him to see her in newleaf. On the way back to camp, he sees that newleaf's thaw has started.

Chapter 10. Fireheart tells Bluestar about the strange cat scents, and she says she'll send patrols out, thinking they might be rogues from Twolegplace. Two days later, newleaf has truly arrived, and there's plenty of food to hunt. Fireheart is pleased to see Cloudkit continuing to tend to the elders, even after his punishment has ended. Tigerclaw tells Fireheart to patrol the RiverClan border and renew the scent markings, and Fireheart realizes Tigerclaw is too clever to be hostile to him in public. He takes some other warriors with him, including Sandstorm and Graystripe, who is the most excited in case he sees Silverstream. However, they don't smell any RiverClan cats at all. The river has overflowed from the thaw, flooding Sunningrocks. And that's the end of the readings this week. What? Does anybody want to say anything?

JULIAN: Sorry, I was on the Wikipedia page for badgers again. Just for when we get to it.

PAZ: The Wikipedia page or like the Warriors wiki page?

JULIAN: No, the regular Wikipedia page.

PAZ: Oh, okay.

JULIAN: I was not on the Warriors wiki page, although I'm sure that's a rich vein.

LIZ: Oh, I'll check.

PAZ: No, don't. There's spoilers. Don't check.

LIZ: I'll just read the first sentence, how about that. There's only the first sentence and then the contents, like table of contents. They do have a picture of a real badger on there.

PAZ: That's beautiful.

LIZ: Not an illustrated one. "Badgers are thickset medium-sized animals with huge muscles and beady eyes that are mainly active at night, and are enemies to cats in the Warriors series." There you go.

JULIAN: Hot damn.

PAZ: Huge muscles.

JULIAN: The thing that I was reading on the actual Wikipedia page for badgers is that apparently they're usually pretty chill, unless they're cornered.

PAZ: Yeah, I thought so.

JULIAN: Yeah, it's saying that they often live alongside and will share their burrows with red foxes.

LIZ: Ooh.

PAZ: Wow.

JULIAN: "Foxes provide badgers with food scraps, and badgers maintain the shared burrows' cleanliness."

LIZ: Roommates.

PAZ: Wow, love is real.

JULIAN: "Although sometimes this can go wrong, and cases are known of badgers driving vixens from their dens and destroying their litters."

PAZ: [gasp]

LIZ: [gasp] Oh.

JULIAN: "In return, red foxes are known to have killed badger cubs in spring."

LIZ: Roommates to enemies.

PAZ: Roommates to enemies.

JULIAN: Sometimes your roommate situation goes south.

PAZ: Yeah, it can be like that with roommates. Yeah, I'm like, I thought badgers were fairly chill. They're not like wolverines.

LIZ: No.

JULIAN: No, they're pretty chill unless you corner them. And that's not what happened here.

PAZ: Maybe this badger has rabies. That was my first thought when it was like, it's out in the daytime.

JULIAN: Oh, that's possible.

PAZ: I was like, does this badger have rabies? Is Brackenpaw gonna get rabies?

LIZ: No.

JULIAN: He hasn't had his shots.

PAZ: Exactly. He hasn't had his rabies shots.

LIZ: This is why Fireheart is like the chosen one, or whatever.

PAZ: Speaking of Brackenpaw, poor Brackenpaw.

JULIAN: God.

LIZ: Poor little guy.

JULIAN: Fuckin, Graystripe, do your job. Do your job.

LIZ: How often does he have to see his girlfriend?

PAZ: Every hour of every day, apparently.

JULIAN: Like I get it. They don't have Skype. They can't write each other letters or like text or whatever. But like, you gotta deal.

LIZ: Make a schedule.

PAZ: Just go out at night, or something.

JULIAN: Have a weekly date night. And then be normal.

PAZ: I'm glad that the text pointed out that Graystripe sucks and is a bad teacher again because he is.

LIZ: Poor Brackenpaw.

JULIAN: Well, and it's having serious impacts on-- yeah. It's having serious impacts on Brackenpaw's like emotional health. He's really unsure of himself. And like, even when he did a really good job fighting off the badger, he's like, oh no, I'm sure it wasn't that-- like I didn't do that good.

LIZ: Brackenpaw is very cool. He caught a bird out of the air and then was very self-conscious about that.

PAZ: Yeah, he did a double-jump.

LIZ: Yeah. Where'd he learn that? Not Graystripe.

PAZ: Hell no. Graystripe wouldn't fight a badger. Graystripe would just leave.

JULIAN: Graystripe would leave the badger for someone else to deal with.

LIZ: There's that part where like Brackenpaw's like, oh, all the other apprentices are so much younger, but they're gonna be warriors before me.

PAZ: I know.

JULIAN: Also, like, Graystripe, do your job. Also Bluestar do your job.

PAZ: Bluestar... horrible leader.

JULIAN: Or-- not to be like, Tigerclaw should get in here. But like, if he's going to be aggressive and mean, maybe he should be aggressive and mean about the actual problems.

LIZ: He should just ground Graystripe for like a month.

JULIAN: Graystripe can deal with the elders' ticks.

PAZ: Okay, like, not to be like Tigerclaw's right again. But him giving Cloudkit a little like, oh, take care of the elders punishment seemed to work. Cloudkit gained some emotional maturity from that, so.

JULIAN: Yeah, I do have a note that's like his reasoning sucks, but this is good for Cloudkit.

PAZ: Yeah, Cloudkit needed that.

JULIAN: Also like, it integrates him better with the clan. Again, worst person you know made a great point.

LIZ: It's very funny. He just became like a mean teacher for a second. It's like, this is the 90s movie where Cloudkit is like the rowdy new transfer. Tigerclaw's like his mean math teacher or something, and he gives him extra homework. It makes his math better. I don't know. Is that how the movies go? Math, right? Math.

PAZ: Yeah. Uh-huh.

JULIAN: I didn't have a TV, so.

PAZ: Sure.

JULIAN: Yes?

LIZ: Well, I've never seen a movie, so we are equal here.

PAZ: I think we jumped around a little bit though. I guess we can--

JULIAN: We did. We jumped straight to chapter eight.

PAZ: I forgot when that happened. For some reason I thought Brackenpaw being abandoned started in chapter seven, but it is not. It's Cinderpaw.

LIZ: Just start, in my mind, poor guy.

JULIAN: Oh, Cinderpaw.

PAZ: Once again, Cinderpaw seems to be doing just fine. But Fireheart's manpain, like internal narrative is terrible. Be quiet.

JULIAN: There is a line about how he's not in the mood for sharing tongues with his friends, which I know we've covered this before. I will never get used to sharing tongues.

LIZ: Why isn't it just called cleaning?

JULIAN: Grooming.

LIZ: Yeah.

JULIAN: Well...

LIZ: There's a word for it. You got it.

PAZ: Yeah, I don't know. I don't know who decided that would be the term for it.

LIZ: Also, since we did like start out with, you know, seeing how like, we got to see how Brackenpaw felt about his situation, it's kind of like an capital-I Interesting contrast to see that in like Cinderpaw, cause we don't really get to see much of that, just kind of like Fireheart's man pain.

PAZ: I mean, she does like voice her feelings in this part, where she's like, I don't really know what I'm doing because we only have three jobs in our society. And no one's told me now what I should do.

LIZ: I guess it's like the way it cycles back to Fireheart, which...

PAZ: Yeah, that's true.

JULIAN: Yeah, the framing is very like Fireheart-centric, in a way that I wish it were not.

PAZ: Yeah, I agree.

JULIAN: God, it is like, he's so close, because there's one point where-- let me find the portion. Yeah. "Cinderpaw was brave and intelligent, and before her accident, she had shown endless energy and commitment to the clan. Surely that couldn't all be thrown away." Yeah, Fireheart, surely it couldn't. Like he's soooooo close. And yet so far away.

LIZ: My guy.

JULIAN: Like I'm glad she's found something that she can do, but blehhhhh.

LIZ: She was given one option by one person.

JULIAN: Well, and it's also in the like bit with the deathberries, um, like she does move very quickly when required. When the plot requires her to be able to move quickly, she sure can.

PAZ: Yeah, it's almost like she could hunt and stuff fine if anyone would just let her, or do anything else.

JULIAN: It's like right after he sees that that Fireheart is like, damn. Too bad she's helpless.

PAZ: Yeah, speaking of helplessness-- disability framed as helplessness, all this stuff with Brokentail at the start of chapter seven is also like what the hell.

LIZ: Ooh. Yikes.

JULIAN: It's so fucked.

LIZ: It's fucked.

PAZ: It frames him as completely helpless. I'm like, all he is is blind. He didn't like...

LIZ: He's still like an adult cat.

JULIAN: Right, he still has claws and like teeth. I fully expected him to kill one of the kits.

PAZ: He's just barely reacted. It's so weird.

JULIAN: Yeah, it's also just like, you know, I'm glad that Fireheart like takes Cloudkit aside and is like, Hey, don't do that.

LIZ: Yeah, it's fucking shitty. Don't do it.

JULIAN: But yeah, the fact that like-- and you know, it is framed as like a fucked up thing that the kits have done to like be taunting their prisoner, their disabled prisoner, but oooh! Yeesh.

PAZ: Yeah, it's like, it's one thing to like-- there was sort of a part where like Darkstripe like threatened Brokentail when like he almost clawed them, but like it wasn't really being framed as like, he's not doing it because he'll get, like, beat up by the guard. It was like-- he just barely reacted. And it was like, oh he couldn't track where the kits were. I'm like, he still has ears. He still has whiskers.

JULIAN: He has ears and whiskers and like scent.

LIZ: That's mostly what they hunt with anyway. It's not like they use their incredible bird's eye view to hunt the mouse.

JULIAN: Yeah, all the descriptions of hunting are like, oh, they hear the mouse rustling in the grass. Like they can't see the mouse.

PAZ: It's so weird.

LIZ: I mean, like we know why it's like this, and it's because the author didn't put the work into it to like-- just thinks this is the only way you can write your disabled character.

JULIAN: Yeah, I guess it really is sort of one finger curls on the monkey's paw. We were like, oh, I wish there were another disabled character besides Cinderpaw.

PAZ: Mm.

JULIAN: And we got one, and...

PAZ: Somehow worse.

JULIAN: He literally has Broken in the name.

PAZ: Yeah, but that scene-- oh, go ahead.

JULIAN: And then Fireheart gets-- oh sorry, I was gonna say, and then Fireheart gets to explain racism to Cloudkit.

LIZ: Oh my god.

PAZ: He literally says we have to work twice as hard. Oh my God.

JULIAN: Head in my hands.

PAZ: It's a kids book so I'll let it pass, but it is very funny.

LIZ: When's Cloudkit gonna have his lunchbox moment?

JULIAN: Oh God.

PAZ: He has his little catnip mouse. All the warriors are like, ew, what's that?

LIZ: Fuck.

JULIAN: Oh, God.

PAZ: Princess gives him some Temptations to take back to camp.

JULIAN: To bring home to them. To all his friends.

LIZ: And when all his friends are like, you know, in college, they're gonna be going to all the overpriced fusion Temptations bars.

PAZ: Oh god.

JULIAN: All the catnip lounges.

LIZ: Terrible.

JULIAN: Also, not only is Fireheart explaining racism to Cloudkit, but he's also telling Cloudkit that he's adopted, which is a lot.

PAZ: Yeah, I mean to be fair, Fireheart thought that he already knew.

JULIAN: Which is also, how did he not know?

PAZ: I don't know. I guess he just never like brought it up with Brindleface.

JULIAN: But they were all teasing him for being a kittypet.

PAZ: Were they?

LIZ: Maybe.

JULIAN: I think so.

PAZ: I don't know if they ever did it to his face.

JULIAN: I guess it was mostly like-- yeah.

PAZ: Well, he said like, so that's why everyone hates me but I don't know if anyone ever called him a kittypet like to his face.

JULIAN: Yeah, no, I think you're right. Damn.

PAZ: I do love that Cloudkit says, "'so that's why the other cats hate me,' he spat. 'They think I'll never be any good because I wasn't born in this dump of a forest.'"

LIZ: Get 'em.

PAZ: So good. Get 'em.

LIZ: I love his like immediate turnaround like fuck this house. None of you are my dad.

PAZ: He's such a funny child.

JULIAN: There's a bit later where when Fireheart meets with Princess, he's like, yeah, your son's doing great. Um, and then mentally he's like, yeah, and he's spoiled and like nosy. But I do love him.

PAZ: He's very fun.

LIZ: Just a little rowdy boy.

PAZ: Yeah, he's a little brat rowdy boy.

LIZ: He's definitely like a season two protagonist.

JULIAN: Mm, mm-hmm.

LIZ: Know what I mean?

PAZ: Yeah? You think, second series?

LIZ: Mm-hmm. It's like, no, it's not about the power of friendship anymore. It's about the power of me winning the sports game, except it is friendship, but I have to get through a couple of my own walls first, because of--

JULIAN: What sport do you think the cats will be inventing?

LIZ: What's a good one for them to play? Soccer. There you go.

PAZ: Yeah, they would love to bat a little ball around.

JULIAN: Or like a sort of--

LIZ: A moss ball.

JULIAN: I was gonna say, sort of a, like, Maya toss ball situation, where you have to get the ball into the hoop.

LIZ: They can have one more job then. It's hoop maker.

JULIAN: Hoop maker and athlete.

PAZ: Wow.

JULIAN: Two more jobs. Three more jobs if they need referees.

PAZ: Wow. They can do like, like inter clan sports competitions, and that'll get all the bloodlust out when they just, you know, they play sports.

JULIAN: What if the cats have football riots though?

LIZ: They would. They will. It's terrible. Who's England in this situation?

JULIAN: ThunderClan, right?

LIZ: Yeah. Boo.

PAZ: Has to be.

JULIAN: Like, thinks they're good, has done many crimes.

PAZ: Exactly.

JULIAN: Although I guess ShadowClan is like the most obviously expansionist, so.

PAZ: They're all England.

LIZ: Ugh.

JULIAN: Maybe ThunderClan is like Germany

LIZ: They'll also probably need more like medics. So that's not a new job, but it is like expanding it.

PAZ: Yeah, more than two doctors.

LIZ: Oh, what a luxury.

JULIAN: More than one and a half doctors.

PAZ: Speaking of the doctors, it's very like stupid that Cinderpaw's like, oh I don't know what I'll do. And it's like, you're acting as the medicine cat. Throughout all these chapters, you were just a second doctor. And Fireheart's also like, I have no idea. Oh, you'll have to talk to Bluestar.

LIZ: Assigned doctor.

PAZ: I bet Yellowfang's gonna be like, um, I thought you were already my apprentice like three weeks ago.

LIZ: Well, did she ask?

PAZ: I guess, I don't know. It's just like--

LIZ: Listen, these cats are pretty dense.

JULIAN: Yellowfang seems like the kind of character who doesn't ask for things but sort of tries to trick people into doing nice things for them. She's like, oh, uh, oh, whoops, I made all this soup. You have to eat it or it'll go to waste.

LIZ: Tricks you into a paying job.

JULIAN: Yeah, Cinderpaw has a little moment where she's like, oh, yeah, I'm gonna have to move out of Yellowfang's den. And it's like, will you? I don't think you will. Has she asked you to?

LIZ: She probably already made you a room.

PAZ: Yeah, I'm pretty sure she has a bed there. I mean not just like her, like recovering bed.

JULIAN: Yellowfang like carefully decorating the walls while Cinderpaw's out.

LIZ: Yellowfang makes her a Welcome Home Temptations cake with a little ribbon.

PAZ: Cinderpaw also says, "ever since I was a tiny kit I wanted to be like Bluestar," and I'm like, no you don't.

LIZ: No. I mean she probably did.

JULIAN: Yeah, that's the lie of being a girlboss.

PAZ: I think you're better off.

JULIAN: Yeah, it seems like Bluestar isn't doing so hot.

LIZ: The part where Fireheart tells her like, oh, Bluestar will know what to do.

PAZ: I know. I was like, I don't think so.

JULIAN: When has Bluestar ever known what to do?

LIZ: For like five chapters in the first book.

PAZ: Yeah, and in like the beginning of book two with WindClan. And then it was kinda over.

LIZ: I don't know what's happening lately. Maybe she got taken over by the ghost of a cat that's not good at being...

JULIAN: Speaking of Yellowfang, the scenes with her and Brokentail are so sad.

PAZ: Like her being like, she's being motherly to him, and him just like, absolutely not responding. Of course he doesn't know that she's his mom.

JULIAN: Right. Woof.

LIZ: [sighs]

PAZ: Drama.

LIZ: There's a part where it says like, she makes like little mom noises at him.

PAZ: Yeah, I was in tears.

JULIAN: Or like, she was like grooming him, and like he does not even move.

LIZ: Aw.

JULIAN: Yellowfang, it's okay. You have so many other children.

PAZ: I know. This kid sucks.

JULIAN: You have so many children who don't suck.

PAZ: I guess we didn't really talk about that prophecy dream Fireheart had, but it wasn't really that interesting.

JULIAN: Yeah, it didn't really tell us anything that we don't already know.

PAZ: Yeah, it was just Spottedleaf being like Fireheart, you idiot. You know who those kits are.

LIZ: Who's that gray cat?

PAZ: I don't know.

LIZ: Well, there are so many gray cats, just.

PAZ: It's true.

LIZ: Like there's definitely more than-- like I knew about them, but it just seems more pointed out now for some reason. Is that just me? Like, it talks about how Cinderpelt is-- sorry, Cinderpaw. I know what happens later, name-wise. How she's gray. We already know Graystripe's gray. There's Graypool, there's Silverstream, there's that other guy. There's Yellowfang?

JULIAN: Stonefur?

PAZ: No, Yellowfang has black fur, I think.

JULIAN: Or like dark brown.

LIZ: Dark brown?

PAZ: Yeah. Persian cat.

JULIAN: Yeah, it does feel like they're like, hey, look, like all these gray cats. Parallels.

LIZ: It's cause there's no black and white.

PAZ: Was Oakheart gray too? How many fucking gray cats were there?

LIZ: Lots.

JULIAN: [typing] Oakheart Warriors wiki. He was... uh, no. He was reddish-brown.

PAZ: Well.

LIZ: That's a lot more uncommon, I think, like a reddish brown cat that isn't like a tabby or something. Like you ever see a brown cat? Like a brown brown cat?

JULIAN: I have, but it's definitely, like--

PAZ: Just pure brown? Yeah, those are a--

JULIAN: A weird-looking color.

PAZ: Those kinds of cats always look really smooth. It's probably a breed, that kind I'm thinking of.

LIZ: They look like just little like wild cats.

JULIAN: Oh, it's a Havana Brown.

LIZ: Hmm.

PAZ: We already talked about Brackenpaw being abandoned. The badger, of course,

LIZ: I don't know, does he become more prominent later?

PAZ: Brackenpaw?

JULIAN: Who?

LIZ: Yeah.

PAZ: I cannot-- I literally cannot remember.

JULIAN: Yeah, I also super do not remember.

LIZ: Is there like, I don't know, like, just like a fanfiction that's like a day in the life of Brackenpaw? What's he do? Poor guy.

PAZ: I feel like maybe I remember this scene.

JULIAN: I don't see anything like super big that he does later, but.

LIZ: Aw. Okay, new Patreon goal. Listen, if we get to $420. I don't know what'll happen.

PAZ: Oh. Sorry, I'm just reading something. I forgot who he mentored.

JULIAN: There is a nice little sentence here, first paragraph. "He was apprenticed early with the name Brackenpaw, mentored by Graystripe. However, Graystripe neglected his duties." Hell yeah he did.

LIZ: Bitch.

PAZ: "And Brackenpaw's training was mostly completed by Fireheart." Uh-huh.

LIZ: Yeah.

JULIAN: Yep.

PAZ: That's right.

LIZ: It's definitely more apparent in these chapters like that the other cats are picking up the slack, too, which is nice, but.

JULIAN: Yeah, Whitestorm and the other guy are like, yeah, we're gonna take all the cats out, all the apprentices out for a hunt.

PAZ: School field trip.

LIZ: But is it like-- does it feel like, oh, I'm like a sixth grader, and these are all first graders?

PAZ: Yeah, that seems to be the vibe because Brackenpaw's like really upset about it.

LIZ: He can't talk about Fortnite with them. They're too young.

JULIAN: Oh shit, new pixel art of Graystripe just dropped.

PAZ: Oh shit.

LIZ: What?

JULIAN: I think this is new. I don't remember seeing this. He's all fluffy in this pixel art. From the Warriors wiki.

LIZ: Whoa.

PAZ: Whoa. Why's he so dark?

JULIAN: I know, right?

LIZ: No, it's because he's wet from being in Riverclan all the time.

PAZ: Of course.

LIZ: [snickers]

PAZ: What? Got that trap neuter return ear?

LIZ: I was just gonna say that. What happened to you, Graystripe?

PAZ: Maybe if his balls got cut off that would solve a lot of problems.

JULIAN: God.

LIZ: I think he'd still be a bitch. He didn't have a girlfriend when he was like, mm, I don't know about this Tigerclaw being a murder thing

PAZ: God, I can't get over that. I mean, there's a badger scene. There's Cloudkit getting his punishment.

LIZ: What is the level of sentience that badgers have here?

PAZ: I don't know.

JULIAN: Well. I mean, there's some stuff later. But I don't know about badgers in general.

PAZ: Yeah, I don't know if all badgers are sentient or not.

LIZ: Okay, well, the way you guys said that made me think there's like a special badger.

PAZ: No comment.

LIZ: Hmm.

JULIAN: I really love how much of this description is clearly copied from Wikipedia or like an encyclopedia article about badgers. I don't think that it's been revealed anywhere in the Warrior books that male and female badgers generally have the same head-body length falling between 56 and 90 centimeters.

LIZ: God bless.

JULIAN: I just don't think the cats are thinking in centimeters.

LIZ: Oh, they use inches?

JULIAN: Oh, there's a source for all this. Oh, it's revealed on animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu. Yep.

PAZ: Of course.

JULIAN: I do love that they continue to use the revealed language for...

PAZ: It's so funny. I was reading about the supposed Warriors film and it was of course, all revealed on variety.com.

LIZ: Variety?

PAZ: Yeah.

LIZ: I see.

JULIAN: Oh, this badger looks so cute. There's a badger art from the badger from Secrets of the Clans, which is one of the Warrior guidebooks, and it has--

PAZ: Oh my gosh.

LIZ: Oh my god.

JULIAN: The roundest, softest face.

PAZ: Oh my god, I'm in tears.

LIZ: Oh my god.

PAZ: This badger looks like the picture of the cat who's been photoshopped to be crying.

LIZ: What has this badger seen?

JULIAN: Also, that's not a Eurasian badger. That's an American badger.

PAZ: Yeah, that is definitely not.

JULIAN: That's the wrong species.

LIZ: What the fuck's a Eurasian badger look like?

JULIAN: It's got the long--

PAZ: It's the classic like black and white striped one, right?

JULIAN: Yeah, so like if you look at the picture at the top of the wiki article, it's a badger with a much longer face with stripes that go all the way down. And that's a Eurasian badger, and the American badger has a much rounder babier looking face.

LIZ: What a sad looking little guy. What have you seen? Do you think the American badger's looking over at like England or whatever with its incredible Hawkeye vision like, oh, that poor little Brackenpaw. If it was me, I wouldn't have attacked a little baby kitten. Oh, those poor cats.

JULIAN: Oh, I'm sorry. I know we got to move off of the Wikipedia page, but I found an amazing picture of an American badger.

PAZ: Please.

LIZ: We'll post these badger pictures on the Twitter. Don't you guys worry.

PAZ: If we remember. Oh my god.

JULIAN: Look at that lad!

LIZ: Oh my God. Oh my god.

PAZ: Holy shit.

LIZ: This looks fake.

PAZ: This looks like they stretched the jpeg.

JULIAN: It's on illinois.gov.

LIZ: What?

JULIAN: It's on the Department of Natural Resources.

PAZ: [wheezing] What is-- what--

LIZ: Chunky.

PAZ: What's wrong with its head?

JULIAN: I mean, they fucking, they all look like this.

LIZ: Nothing. It's perfect.

JULIAN: Here's from the Encyclopedia Britannica.

PAZ: Oh my god.

LIZ: I didn't know they looked like this.

JULIAN: Look at him. There he goes, trot, trot.

LIZ: His powerful stance.

PAZ: They're so wide. I can't. They look like potatoes.

JULIAN: Absolute legend.

LIZ: That's how they make those tunnels. They just like wiggle.

JULIAN: Here's a European badger, just to like for comparison. We can-- I'm putting all these images in the chat so we can tweet them later. Just a long boy. Just a looong slinky boy.

PAZ: Yeah, that's a much less wide, wide lad.

LIZ: Very classic.

PAZ: Still very round nose.

JULIAN: Oh, here's one running.

LIZ: Oh my god.

JULIAN: Thank you Shutterstock. Thank you Shutterstock. Thank you whichever photographer hid out in a wild, in like a lane somewhere in England.

PAZ: Oh my god. Look at it go.

JULIAN: To catch this lad.

LIZ: Oh my god.

PAZ: It looks like--

LIZ: He go.

PAZ: You know the like boom mic on TVs that they--

LIZ: Yes.

PAZ: It looks like one of those.

JULIAN: Oh, I love him.

LIZ: What's that thing you keep telling me to get for my mic?

PAZ: Oh, a pop filter?

LIZ: Yeah. He looks like a pop filter.

JULIAN: I'm also seeing an image that says, it's a infographic about the differences between the European badger and American badger, but [laughing] the European badger is clearly a beaver.

LIZ: Wait.

JULIAN: Like, could not more clearly be a beaver.

PAZ: What?

LIZ: Wait a minute. Is this just a little nature joke? Little humor?

JULIAN: No, this is a whole... everything you need to know.

LIZ: Oh dear.

PAZ: Well, the first thing you need to know is that's not the European badger.

JULIAN: That's not a fucking badger. Oh, I know that this is clearly a content farm and someone just did a bad job. But this is a beaver. This is a beaver.

LIZ: This looks like a meme.

JULIAN: They do have it correct that none of these are good pets.

PAZ: No.

LIZ: True. God, look at that guy go. I can't stop looking at it. It's just running. Where's he going?

JULIAN: He has important business.

LIZ: Gotta go attack a baby. Heard that baby's an atheist.

PAZ: That's why the badger went for it.

JULIAN: The badger's here to enforce, uh. Oh, I'm sorry, I can't get over the beaver.

PAZ: Okay, we gotta move on.

LIZ: It's a badger.

JULIAN: We gotta move on. We gotta move on.

LIZ: A European badger.

PAZ: Cloudkit got attacked by a beaver.

LIZ: Just turns around and like, waps you.

JULIAN: Oh. Alright, what else happened in these chapters?

PAZ: I guess the next thing we didn't talk about, um, I mean we talked a little about... I guess Fireheart and Cloudkit have another little bonding scene getting the moss.

JULIAN: Yeah, that was cute. And then Tigerclaw's up to some shit again.

PAZ: Of course. Yeah, Tigerclaw going to Twolegplace to do nefarious things. There was a point where his pawprints were described as massive, which was extremely funny to me.

JULIAN: I love the image of Tigerclaw's just enormous big ol beans.

PAZ: Huge beans.

LIZ: Big ol beans compared to cats, though. How big could they be?

PAZ: Well, have you ever seen a cat with real, real big paw to body ratio? That's what I'm imagining. Like he's a big cat but his paws are even bigger.

LIZ: Yeah, but he could still fit in like...

PAZ: What if Tigerclaw's like a polydactyl? Is that what they're called?

LIZ: Oh, absolutely.

JULIAN: [gasps] Yes.

PAZ: Multiple toes.

LIZ: He's got thumbs so that's why he can commit all his crimes.

PAZ: It all makes sense.

LIZ: All dexterity. How did Tigerclaw kill all those other cats? He's got a gun.

PAZ: Holy shit.

JULIAN: I mean, he has been hanging out with all these back alley cats that smell like trash.

LIZ: These city cats.

JULIAN: This is how guns enter the rural English countryside.

PAZ: I love that Fireheart just keeps collecting evidence that Tigerclaw's evil, and he just can't do anything about it because Bluestar is useless.

LIZ: I just can't believe that in these chapters, there's that part specifically where he says Bluestar will know what to do.

PAZ: [snorts]

JULIAN: Right, it's like last-- well, I mean, I feel like he still thinks it's his fault, that he like didn't frame it right last time. Which is very sad.

PAZ: Yeah, but like, he tried to tell her twice. And each time she's been like, no,

LIZ: But it's definitely like being set up for that, right? Because this is very like his own perspective and it's gonna be a dramatic irony turn later.

JULIAN: Mm.

LIZ: Is that too hopeful?

PAZ: We'll see.

LIZ: [darkly] Mm.

PAZ: He does literally run into Tigerclaw.

JULIAN: He does. It's very funny.

LIZ: Right, he's like--

JULIAN: Bounces right off him anime-style.

LIZ: No, he's tailing him, right, and then he's like, oh fuck, but there's this mouse. Ooh, but I gotta--

PAZ: It's so funny. His little cat attention span.

LIZ: It's very video game, too. It's like, okay, main quest. Wait, fuck. Ooh. Mm. Give me a second.

PAZ: I'll be real quick. I just gotta. Yeah, there's a nasty cat smell. Princess shows back up. She's like, you're so thin.

JULIAN: She's like, hey, you're feeding my son, right?

LIZ: Princess having some second thoughts. It's like, maybe I should have gotten my fucking kid vaccinated before he went.

JULIAN: Maybe I should have let him reach like an adult size. Then his growth wouldn't be stunted.

PAZ: She's like, are you getting enough to eat, and Fireheart's just like, no. Doesn't even try to lie.

JULIAN: Imagine being Princess, though. It's like, your shithead brother comes back, is clearly malnourished, and you're like, oh my god, like, I have food at home. Come get some food. And he's like, I can't. The clan. It's like, buddy.

PAZ: He's just in a cult.

JULIAN: He's in a cult. She's trying her best to help him. Well, not really. She's not.

LIZ: Well, she--

PAZ: No, she gave her son to the cult.

JULIAN: She gave him her son.

LIZ: He could have just rolled in some garlic or whatever.

PAZ: Right? Didn't he roll in fox dung before? That was fine.

LIZ: Eat the Temptations.

JULIAN: Eat the Temptations. And then eat some like, I don't know, chives or something so no one can smell the Temptations, the sweet, sweet smell of Temptations on your breath.

LIZ: Just eat some catnip, damn.

PAZ: A single Temptation would kill a Warrior cat dead. Be overwhelming.

JULIAN: God, they really are just like medieval peasants out there in the woods, eating their bowls of gruel. If they got a single bite of tender ocean fish dinner, they would just keel over.

LIZ: Don't they make like beggin strips or whatever for cats now?

JULIAN: Mm-hmm.

PAZ: Probably.

LIZ: You think like the Warriors have a little, little pot of catgrass? I don't think so.

PAZ: No.

LIZ: Everything out there's poisonous.

JULIAN: Well, at the fancy boutique pet bakery in my neighborhood, because of course there is one of those, they do have whole dried fish treats.

LIZ: Wow.

JULIAN: That you can give your cat, if you I guess don't care about having to sweep up after them.

LIZ: Wow.

JULIAN: We have never given one of those to Chickpea because I think she would-- it would be too much for her.

PAZ: No offense to Chickpea, but she doesn't seem to have very discerning taste.

JULIAN: No, no, she really wants Cheez-its.

LIZ: Aw.

JULIAN: She wants Cheez-its so bad.

PAZ: I can relate. I could go for some Cheez-its.

LIZ: She does look like someone who loves to crunch.

JULIAN: Today she knocked-- she loves to crunch. She loves to crunch, and I love to hear her crunch, so it's a win-win. Today she climbed on top of the fridge, again, to try to get the food that is no longer there because we moved it. And she knocked over like the 12 pack of Coke that was up there.

PAZ: Oh my gosh.

LIZ: Oh my god. Does she even weigh 12 packs of coke?

JULIAN: No. Well, there were probably like five or six in there. Um, but she tried to jump on it and then obviously her momentum-- she didn't have great purchase on top of the fridge, so it fell off. I just heard a clatter and came out, and she was looking very, um, you know cats do when it's like, oh I didn't do that. I'm the most distinguished.

PAZ: Kip goes up on the top of our fridge and knocks things over on purpose. He'll like look at me, and knock it off the top of the fridge.

JULIAN: Real Cloudkit. Real Cloudkit energies on that one.

LIZ: Kip's an atheist.

PAZ: Absolutely. Wow. Chapter 10.

JULIAN: Chapter 10.

LIZ: Wait, wait.

PAZ: Oh, yeah?

LIZ: No, just, what if we got one of those like, you know those YouTubes that are always like me making a gourmet cat-friendly meal for my cats?

PAZ: Yeah?

LIZ: We just gotta do that. And I don't know. I think that that has more pull than Temptations, maybe. It's like I made you cat sushi, or I made you like a cat cake.

PAZ: Are you saying that's what'll get Fireheart inside?

LIZ: I think so.

JULIAN: He's got discerning tastes is what you're saying.

LIZ: Mm-hmm.

JULIAN: He needs that raw meat.

PAZ: He does.

JULIAN: What even happened in chapter 10? I just have a note, Whitestorm is a good guy.

PAZ: That's true. Was he even mentioned?

JULIAN: Which is accurate.

PAZ: Was that him taking out the apprentices or something?

LIZ: I think so, yeah.

JULIAN: I think that's where I've, yeah.

PAZ: I've seen a lot of, I think Whitestorm X Tigerclaw stuff on YouTube. I think that's right.

LIZ: That is very funny.

PAZ: I love Tigerclaw's many exes. First Redtail. Now Whitestorm.

JULIAN: Well, I guess the reason we don't remember anything from chapter 10 is it's literally eight pages long.

PAZ: Yeah, it's real short. Fireheart tells Bluestar that there's nasty cats over at Twolegplace, but can't tell her that Tigerclaw is there, because he's like she just won't believe me.

JULIAN: Then they go on a little patrol and they go to RiverClan, and the river's flooded. Uh-oh.

PAZ: It sure is flooded.

JULIAN: I guess that's the downside to having your camp in the middle of the river.

PAZ: Yeah, I wonder if their camp's doing okay.

JULIAN: Yeah. Uh-oh.

LIZ: Oh boy.

PAZ: Uh-oh. I didn't even think about that.

LIZ: Whuh-oh.

JULIAN: I'm sure it's fine that Graystripe is on this patrol.

PAZ: Listen, one time he decides to do work is when he's like maybe I'll see my gf on the way.

JULIAN: God.

PAZ: Please, what are you gonna fucking do if you do see her?

LIZ: He's so annoying.

JULIAN: Well, he's gonna have a double date with Sandstorm and Fireheart and him and his gf and also--

PAZ: Running whoever. What's that guy's name? Runningwind.

JULIAN: Also Runningwind is there.

PAZ: Wow. Fifth wheel Runningwind.

LIZ: Well, maybe Runningwind will find his own starcrossed like cat romance. Triple date. Yes.

JULIAN: There you go.

PAZ: Perfect.

JULIAN: Runningwind slash, who's in... Stonefur.

PAZ: Oh.

LIZ: What do we call that?

PAZ: Runningstone. I'm Googling Runningwind. Don't Google Runningwind, Liz.

LIZ: I'm never going to get into that fucking spoiler channel. What's going on in there? I don't know.

PAZ: Runningwind stories Wattpad. "This is my spin on Warriors: The Prophecies Begin, just with a reader insert. I do not own Warriors. I only own the plot points I use." Oh, here we go. Redtail x Runningwind. Ooh.

LIZ: What?

PAZ: Tell me more.

JULIAN: Ohh.

PAZ: I'm intrigued.

JULIAN: I think this is literally the first time we've seen Runningwind say anything onscreen.

PAZ: Okay, this is someone posting on the forums, "I am utterly baffled by this ship."

LIZ: Well, them saying that makes me want to be like--

PAZ: Oh, fuck this person. They say, "I understand the trans Redtail thing, but I don't really like it. But I don't really care too much." Still, die.

JULIAN: Well, I don't care about you. I don't care about your opinion.

LIZ: Well, yeah.

PAZ: Your opinion is horrible.

JULIAN: And I think Redtail is trans. This is the first I've heard of this headcanon and I would now die for it.

LIZ: Redtail is trans and gay.

PAZ: We've heard of trans Redtail before. Yeah.

JULIAN: Have we?

PAZ: Apparently Redtail-- yeah, that was that one Youtuber's name.

JULIAN: Oh my god, right. It's the YouTuber. I'm sorry.

PAZ: Apparently Redtail was a male calico so yeah, trans Redtail.

JULIAN: Oh!

LIZ: Hell yeah.

PAZ: Just like Hadesclipse.

JULIAN: Just like Hadesclipse.

PAZ: Redtail likes Hadesclipse. This is my self insert.

LIZ: You're gonna have to fight Runningwind.

JULIAN: I guess Runningwind has been here before on screen. I just forgot about him. He helped train Brackenpaw back in Fire and Ice when Graystripe was once again not doing his job.

LIZ: He's just like a nice fellow.

JULIAN: Yeah, he's just a guy.

PAZ: I do not respect the person who made this forum thread at all.

LIZ: Yeah, get outta here, OP.

JULIAN: Uh-oh.

PAZ: Yeah?

JULIAN: I've read some stories or some spoilers for, uh.

PAZ: Yeah?

JULIAN: For later.

PAZ: Well, how bad--

LIZ: Wait, hold on a second. Wait. How come Julian gets to do it and not me?

PAZ: Because Julian's read the books!

JULIAN: Cause this is all shit that I should already know, I just don't remember.

LIZ: Mm. Hmm.

PAZ: Listen, once we finish the Power of Three, you can go wild, because that's up to where we got to. I don't know what we were doing.

LIZ: Chapter 10?

JULIAN: Chapter 10. The eight-page chapter 10. RiverClan is flooded.

PAZ: RIP RiverClan.

LIZ: Oh, sorry. Go ahead.

PAZ: I was just saying RIP RiverClan.

LIZ: I do want to talk about the one thing where Tigerclaw's telling Fireheart to patrol and then Fireheart is like, oh, he's too smart to be hostile to me in public. But he is, though.

PAZ: Right? He's already been hostile to you many times.

LIZ: He calls you a little bitch like every single day in front of people.

PAZ: For real.

JULIAN: It's like, you don't really need to set Fire-- or set Tigerclaw up as like conniving because he's already been conniving. We've seen him be conniving. Part of his connivingness is that he calls you a little bitch every day, and you can't do anything about it because he's the deputy.

PAZ: It's not like-- his whole posse calls Fireheart a little bitch. Fireheart got called a kittypet like two chapters ago.

LIZ: Right? The problem is that people don't care.

JULIAN: Fucking Longtail and Dustpelt.

PAZ: Yeah, and Darkstripe.

LIZ: One of those is like someone's brother, right?

JULIAN: Dustpelt is Sandstorm's brother.

PAZ: No, no, no, no, no.

LIZ: No, wait.

PAZ: They were just apprentices. He's, um, I think he's technically Ravenpaw's brother.

LIZ: Oh, right right right.

JULIAN: Is he?

PAZ: Or something like that.

LIZ: Someone is Ravenpaw's brother.

JULIAN: Oh, I just assumed they were siblings because they were...

PAZ: But it's like, not really--

JULIAN: Oh, you're right. He is Ravenpaw's brother.

LIZ: Wild.

JULIAN: And he's Longtail's half brother.

PAZ: Bitch.

JULIAN: Oh, he's such a little bitch because Darkstripe was his mentor.

LIZ: Duh.

PAZ: Oh. Sorry, I just saw a spoiler for the.... Oh man.

LIZ: These cats. I think that's it though for the chapters, right?

JULIAN: Yeah.

PAZ: Yeah. Sorry. Sorry, Dustpelt had a son.

LIZ: What?

PAZ: Called Spiderleg.

JULIAN: [snorting]

LIZ: You can't do that. What about a cat is spidery?

JULIAN: Peyton's gonna be so angry.

LIZ: Please.

PAZ: That's incredible. I'm clicking Spiderleg's wiki page.

LIZ: Wait, I think Dustpelt should have eight children, no, nine children, and they should all be like Spiderleg 1, Spiderleg 2, Spiderleg 3, until you get to 8. And then you should have one just be like Spiderhead.

JULIAN: Oh holy shit.

LIZ: And then they can stand on top of each other like a mech.

JULIAN: Dustpelt is also Birchfall's father.

PAZ: Oh.

JULIAN: Birchfall of the bad name.

PAZ: I bet Peyton hates Spiderleg too.

JULIAN: Yeah, I guess, uh. Well, whoever the leader is the person who gave the leg name because Spiderkit is... I mean, it's a weird name. But it's a fine one.

LIZ: Oh God.

JULIAN: Oh, I hate that the pixel art here is this cat is looking directly at me. Usually the pixel art, the cat is kind of like, you know, three quarter view, like looking off into the distance. Spiderleg? Looking into my eyes.

PAZ: Sorry, what? Here's a quote caption. "Spiderleg annoyed with Dovepaw when she talks about brown animals." What?

JULIAN: What?

LIZ: Hey, Spiderleg, you, hey, what?

PAZ: What? Brown animals.

JULIAN: [yells]

LIZ: What is that noise you just made?

JULIAN: [hysterical laughter]

PAZ: Hold on. Just gonna screenshot this.

JULIAN: [creaks]

PAZ: If my phone will let me.

JULIAN: Oh God.

PAZ: It all comes full circle.

JULIAN: It really does.

LIZ: [laughing] Oh my god.

PAZ: I clicked "brown animals," and it took me to the beaver page.

LIZ: What does it mean?

PAZ: "Friendly? No."

LIZ: What does it mean?

JULIAN: Beavers aren't friendly?

PAZ: No.

JULIAN: "Relation to clan cats. If provoked they're able to kill a cat with their sharp front teeth."

PAZ: Holy shit.

LIZ: Is that true?

JULIAN: That has never happened.

PAZ: I do not think so.

LIZ: Wait. [typing] Can beavers kill cats. [gasps]

JULIAN: Beaver versus cat.

LIZ: "Beaver attacks can be fatal to domestic animals."

JULIAN: [gasps]

PAZ: Holy shit.

LIZ: There's a whole Wikipedia page for beaver attack.

PAZ: I never would have guessed.

LIZ: Oh, you gotta see this beaver. You gotta see the beaver they use. Look at him, looking at you.

JULIAN: Oh.

PAZ: Oh no.

LIZ: What the fuck?

PAZ: He's so round. I'm so scared.

LIZ: Got his little paws together like [evil laugh] I will.

JULIAN: A beaver has killed a man.

LIZ: What?

JULIAN: Yeah.

PAZ: "Relation to clan cats." Oh, go ahead.

JULIAN: Um, I mean, okay, so this is a 60 year old guy who grabbed the beaver, to take a photo with it.

LIZ: Oh my god.

JULIAN: And the beaver bit open his femoral artery.

PAZ: Oh, okay, he shouldn't have done that.

LIZ: Yikes.

JULIAN: So it was like, you shouldn't have done it. Also, it was like bad luck. It just happened to get the femoral.

PAZ: Here's what the Warriors wiki has to say. "Relation to clan cats. Beavers are known to be both inquisitive with cats, but also aggressive if provoked."

JULIAN: Oh my god?

LIZ: Well, how many beavers are they gonna see in England?

JULIAN: There are beavers in England.

PAZ: Yeah, there are beavers.

LIZ: Have we covered this? This feels...

PAZ: I feel like we have, yes.

JULIAN: I think we have. There's beavers in the Narnia book.

LIZ: Aren't they like-- isn't it that like beavers have been recently reintroduced or something?

JULIAN: Yes, we talked about this because they were hunted for their fur to almost extinction, and then they made a big comeback.

PAZ: To kill cats.

LIZ: Good for them?

JULIAN: Good for them. Aw, this is one sleeping and he's all curled up into his tail.

LIZ: I'm just looking at the list of non fatal attacks on humans by beavers.

PAZ: Get 'em.

LIZ: While you say this. Goddamn.

JULIAN: Oh, this image is too powerful for Discord.

PAZ: Understandable.

LIZ: Can you screenshot it?

JULIAN: Oh, I just posted the link, because it's 6000 by 4000 pixels.

LIZ: Oh my god.

PAZ: Aw. Have you guys seen baby beavers? They are an incredible shape.

LIZ: Oh yeah. Mm-hmm.

JULIAN: Oh, I don't think I have. Baby beavers. Listeners, I hope you enjoy our animal googling. Oh!

PAZ: They're just such a good shape. They're so fuzzy. They're so round.

JULIAN: Oh, they're so fluffy. Oh, I highly recommend everyone to Google baby beavers.

PAZ: Yes, please. There's some good videos on YouTube, I think.

JULIAN: Yep. They're so small. This is from I Can Has Cheezburger, a site I did not realize was still on the internet.

LIZ: I don't think it can die at this point. I think it's an establishment, right?

JULIAN: Here it is. Their Facebook page is actively posting things as of 47 minutes ago.

PAZ: On Facebook?

JULIAN: There's a listicle about 18 cats demonstrating their cat logic.

LIZ: [groans]

PAZ: Tigerclaw voice.

LIZ: Tigerclaw voice, debate me.

PAZ: I'll destroy them with facts and logic.

JULIAN: Wow.

LIZ: Also sorry, on my search for can beavers kill cats, like the fourth result is just the beaver Warriors wiki page.

PAZ: What do you call a baby beaver? Kits.

LIZ: Baby.

JULIAN: Aw.

PAZ: They're kits, too.

LIZ: [laughs] Can I-- oh my god. Can I give you some suggested searches from this?

JULIAN: Yeah.

LIZ: Okay. One. "Are beavers venomous?"

PAZ: No, that's a platypus.

JULIAN: I understand the confusion, though.

PAZ: Yeah, they're a little similar.

LIZ: Two. "How to survive a beaver attack."

PAZ: Run.

JULIAN: Don't get bitten in the femoral artery and you'll be good.

LIZ: Three. "Beaver bite force PSI."

JULIAN: Now what is the beaver bite force psi? I'm very curious.

LIZ: Let me check. 180 pounds.

PAZ: Holy shit.

JULIAN: That's a lot.

PAZ: Well, I mean they have to bite hard to take down trees, I guess.

LIZ: Goddamn.

JULIAN: Yeah, damn.

LIZ: Compared to a human's 88 pounds. Good Lord.

PAZ: We don't have shit.

JULIAN: That's pretty strong on humans, too.

PAZ: Yeah, I'm not biting that hard.

JULIAN: No wonder my teeth hurt all the time.

PAZ: I don't have anything else to say about these chapters.

JULIAN: Yeah, I think we've wrapped up.

PAZ: I forgot to decide on something to talk about.

JULIAN: I mean, we did talk about beavers for quite some time.

PAZ: We did.

[meow]

JULIAN: I wonder if-- okay, I'm gonna do a quick Google to see if... beaver roleplay.

LIZ: Oh my god.

PAZ: Oh my god. Beaver kids book.

JULIAN: Oh no, this is Narnia roleplay. That's not what I want. Beaver roleplay Proboards.

PAZ: Oh shit.

JULIAN: Beaver [sighs]. Yep, here we go. I found-- this is on the Disney Roleplay World.

PAZ: Disney?

LIZ: Oh?

JULIAN: Yeah.

LIZ: Beavers in Disney?

JULIAN: This is an Angry Beavers RP.

LIZ: What?

PAZ: Oh my god, that show. You don't know that show, Liz?

LIZ: No?

PAZ: I think it was a Nickelodeon cartoon. It was like the era of like, Catdog and such.

LIZ: Oh.

JULIAN: Yeah, it's a band of outcast beavers trying to take over the world, or take over the woods, sorry, not the world.

PAZ: Why not the world?

JULIAN: Holy shit, this is dark. Um, they are the young Zachs family. The head beaver, Jason, catches Treeflower. Kate, who was with her, isn't seen, but finds her mother dead after Jason kills her to send a message.

PAZ: What?

JULIAN: Is there a way to bring her back or stop Jason? Fuck!

PAZ: I hope so.

JULIAN: Oh, it's so much to read this very intensive, um, there are lions here?!

LIZ: What?

PAZ: I don't remember that.

JULIAN: This roleplay includes lions and bears. It's a lot to see this really intensive moment where this beaver is facing down lions. And she's screaming for her uncle, Daggett.

PAZ: Oh yeah, I remember. Yep, that was the name.

JULIAN: "'Mama, Daddy, Uncle Daggy-Waggy,' she screams."

LIZ: Oh my god.

JULIAN: Also a lot to see, um... is this Tyler Posey? Someone's shooting a gun at me in the gif.

PAZ: What?

JULIAN: In this signature about beavers.

PAZ: What year was this happening?

JULIAN: This was posted in 2014.

PAZ: That is much more recent than I would have thought.

JULIAN: Yeah, it didn't get off the ground too far. Only about 10 posts here.

PAZ: I wonder why.

JULIAN: Oh, no, I'm sorry, there's four pages of this. I'm just kidding.

LIZ: Oh my god.

JULIAN: Yeah, the final post is, "'Kate, it's time for lunch,' Norb called to his daughter." So I presume they--

PAZ: They survived.

JULIAN: They dealt with the lions.

LIZ: They went to lunch.

PAZ: Man, Warrior Cats needs to step up.

LIZ: This is riveting.

JULIAN: These beavers have sofas? I never watched the cartoon.

PAZ: Oh yeah, they live in like a-- I don't remember exactly.

JULIAN: Little house?

PAZ: Yeah.

JULIAN: Yeah, no, Kate's mom fuckin died. Rip Treeflower.

PAZ: Wow.

JULIAN: I am kind of surprised but there hasn't been like a big sprawling story about a society of beavers.

PAZ: Yeah, they also are like communal animals. Are beavers not interesting enough? I think they're cool.

JULIAN: Wait, hold up. What was the Redwall book? Oh no, those were otters.

LIZ: An otter is just a beaver that hasn't been flattened at the back.

JULIAN: Because I was thinking of Taggerung, which in hindsight was I think a little racist. But that was about otters and not beavers.

LIZ: You know that--

JULIAN: Are beavers--

LIZ: Oh, go ahead.

JULIAN: Are they evil in Redwall?

PAZ: Are they in Redwall?

LIZ: Beavers?

JULIAN: Oh, there are no beavers.

LIZ: Well, when was Redwall written?

JULIAN: Redwall wiki. "According to Brian Jacques, beavers do not appear in subsequent Redwall novels to reflect the fact that there are no longer any native beavers in Great Britain."

LIZ: Well. Wait.

JULIAN: "The solitary beaver is the only beaver in the Redwall series and was very rarely mentioned."

PAZ: Holy shit. Who's the solitary beaver?

JULIAN: He stopped Cluny from climbing up the wall in the first battle of the Late Rose Summer Wars.

PAZ: I want to know more about this guy.

JULIAN: And he uses a crossbow. Damn.

PAZ: Wow, apparently beavers have like, mate for life.

JULIAN: Aw.

LIZ: Aw.

PAZ: Wikipedia doesn't have a fictional beavers page.

JULIAN: Why? They have a fictional badgers page.

PAZ: Maybe there just aren't many fictional beavers.

JULIAN: Oh my God. I know this is not a Redwall padcast.

LIZ: Padcast?

JULIAN: Padcast. But I have found a tidbit of Redwall lore that is blowing the series wide open. Bees can communicate in Redwall.

LIZ: What?

PAZ: What?

JULIAN: "Indicated by a statement at the end of the books where the guerrilla shrews learn to speak the bee language so they can trade and argue. This is not noted in other books."

PAZ: Holy shit.

JULIAN: That means that if bees can communicate, half of the animals eat insects. Are they eating sentient insects?

PAZ: Ahh.

LIZ: Horrible. I hate that. What if you're like, God, I don't know, like a bird or mouse or whatever, and you just like, eat a cricket, and it's just like, [tinily] nooo.

JULIAN: [very small] I have a family.

LIZ: Gruesome.

PAZ: This is a problem when you make all the animals in sentient societies.

JULIAN: Well, I feel like Redwall tried to handle it by making all the carnivores evil.

PAZ: I've never read Redwall.

JULIAN: Yeah, they make most of the carnivores, like-- which is its own problem because then it's like these species are inherently evil.

PAZ: They just did Zootopia. I mean, I guess Zootopia did Redwall, is what I should say.

LIZ: With cops? Does Redwall have cops?

JULIAN: Um...

PAZ: They have like soldiers.

JULIAN: It's sort of like a medieval situation. So they have like soldiers, and like, there might be like a sheriff or something. There's not like the police.

PAZ: There's only 21 pages in the fictional beavers category.

LIZ: That's so sad.

JULIAN: That's so sad. That feels--

PAZ: This is an undertapped market.

LIZ: They have architecture. They feel rife for like anthropomorph-- word I can't say. You know, when they become little guys with little houses?

JULIAN: Hey, children's book editors, hot new idea, fictional story about beavers, species of beavers. They're-- not species, family of beavers. Society of beavers. That's the word I was looking for.

PAZ: That should be the next Erin Hunter endeavor.

JULIAN: Right? I guess maybe the concern is, while they do have a society and they do have little hands and they do build things, they don't attack each other and kill each other?

PAZ: That's true. No, but they're very territorial. Maybe they do.

LIZ: They can attack and kill us. That's gotta be something.

JULIAN: That's true.

PAZ: They probably have fights.

LIZ: Maybe it's like the next, you know, great civilization is one of beavers and they've got to fight the humans or something.

JULIAN: There you go.

LIZ: Terrible remnants of the last one.

PAZ: Beavers inherit the earth.

JULIAN: There was a beaver dam in the creek at home, and they were-- they did a lot. They really dammed up that creek.

PAZ: Yeah, they work hard. Okay, if Erin Hunter was to make a beaver series, what would it be called? So the bears one is called Seekers. I think the canceled dog one was like...

JULIAN: No, that's the Africa one.

LIZ: Designers. Planners.

JULIAN: Architects. Builders.

LIZ: Constructors. Oh, Creators.

JULIAN: Oooh.

PAZ: Ooh.

LIZ: There's also Devisors, which sounds a little, you know.

PAZ: Oh, that sounds like they'll be like little wizards.

JULIAN: Yeah, I like Devisors.

PAZ: Devisors is real good.

JULIAN: Survivors is the dog series.

PAZ: Oh, Devisors is a little close to Survivors. But I think it's still very good.

LIZ: Artisan.

PAZ: I want little wizard beavers.

JULIAN: Right? They're so ripe to be little magic guys. Little magicians. They got their little hands.

LIZ: I feel like every other creature that's vaguely in the shape of a beaver, which is like kind of a brown egg, has gotten that treatment already. Like, you know, badgers, which they're not really brown, but they're eh. Porcupine. I feel like I've definitely seen more porcupine than beaver.

PAZ: Yeah. Why are beavers so underutilized?

LIZ: Otters. Capybaras.

JULIAN: I don't think we've done capybaras.

PAZ: Friends at the Table has done capybaras now.

LIZ: I think someone's done capybaras.

JULIAN: I mean, maybe there's a children's book.

LIZ: Moles. Voles.

JULIAN: That's just Redwall.

PAZ: Yeah, those little guys are Redwall.

LIZ: A raccoon isn't brown but it does have little hands and is about the same shape, and they've definitely done those.

PAZ: There's like Sly Cooper, yeah.

JULIAN: Yeah. Ranger Rick.

PAZ: Justice for beavers.

LIZ: Let the beaver have its moment. It's basically like a water clan, right?

PAZ: Yeah.

LIZ: Okay, there should just be like a direct lifting of all the Warriors clans into just like beaver clan, badger clan. That's like--

PAZ: This is just Redwall. We're just reinventing Redwall with beavers.

LIZ: No, there's more than one beaver, because they've returned to England.

PAZ: You're writing Redwall fanfiction.

LIZ: I can make this an Arthurian beaver.

PAZ: Yeah, the beaver is Merlin.

JULIAN: Guinebeaver.

LIZ: Who's gonna play young hot BBC beaver Merlin?

JULIAN: Do you mean Beaverlin?

LIZ: Yes.

PAZ: You know, that might do it for us. I think we're-- [laughs].

LIZ: When we hit that 420 goal.

PAZ: Thanks everyone for listening to our podcast. You can find the show at Stairway to Star-- no, it's just, you can find the show @staircast on twitter.com. You can now support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/staircast. You can email questions or anecdotes or yell at us about talking about beavers too much, [email protected]. Um, next week we'll be reading chapters 11 through 14 of Forest of Secrets. I guess that's about it. So until next time, may StarClan light your path. Bye.

LIZ: Bye.

JULIAN: Bye.

[outro music]

LIZ: My God.

JULIAN: Oh.

LIZ: Hey, did you know beavertails are a kind of donut?

JULIAN: Oh, like a food?

LIZ: Yeah.

JULIAN: I was like, I thought you were talking about like a mathematical donut for some reason.

PAZ: Wow.

LIZ: That's me. I love to talk about math.

JULIAN: Like a torus. Anyway.

#ep 19 #forest of secrets ep #transcript #beaver tales

1 note · View note

fencesandfrogs · 3 years

Text

cloudtail’s daughter: cinderheart

alright well third character: cinderheart.

i'm going to be honest, i don't care enough about cinderheart to have a lot to say about this. i'm finishing it in the morning, and i'm starting it in night, so watch this be longer than dovewing's (fat chance i wrote like 4k words about dovewing because, and i can't say this enough, i lovewing dovewing), but i'm not feeling particularly inspired at the moment.

ohhh wait i changed my mind this is the one where i get to talk about cinderpelt again, isn't it? yeessss i take it all back i've been waiting to write this since i first wrote cinder back in dovewing's character

anyway as per usual, this is part of an au where dovekit and ivykit are born to brightheart and cloudtail. go ahead and click the cloudtail's daughter tag if you want to see more about this. this is probably pretty dependent on knowing what happens to dovewing in the au, but i'd say compared to lionblaze, its still more self standing because it's significantly more verbose, so it's not reliant on filling in the gaps as much, because this is filling in the gaps.

[3k words, 10 minute read. section headers. a little bit jumpy.]

section one: cinderpelt and cinderkit --- an exposé on reincarnation

you don't need me to tell you warriors reincarnation is weird. to make my life easy, here is how it works:

true reincarnations -- jay's wing/jayfeather, dove's wing/dovewing, lion's roar/lionblaze. only one soul exists. half moon will reunite with jayfeather. or ig he can decide to go by jay's wing. dovewing and lionblaze may or may not regain their memories on death; it's not important to this story so i'm not decided

starclan induced reincarnations -- cinderpelt's soul gets shoved into cinderkit. they now share. this was, ah, very dangerous, because cinderkit and/or cinderkit's soul could have died. but she didn't. as cinderkit grows into her own person, she and cinderpelt will grow either increasingly intertwined (i.e., cinderpelt weaves into cinderheart, and is never fully awakened.) when they die, idk what happens. it's not very nice.

luckily, that didn't happen. instead, cinderheart grows apart and cinderpelt basically is a voice in her head. eventually, at some point, idk, cinderpelt frees herself. i'm sure i'll figure that out in this post, but i don't know yet.

so that's their deal.

section two: cinderheart and lionblaze

alright, cinderheart and lionblaze are not going to be a conflict thing, because of destiny. i'm just, that's. well it's a step up from the standard romance drama, but i still hated it. so anyway, cinderheart knows lionblaze is in L-O-V-E with her, but she's kind of holding out until he's more mature/responsible.

she's also not ready for kits, and that's the only way a warriors romance can be officially codified.

jk, but in seriousness, they're already close, similar to sandstorm and fireheart in books 2-4 or so of TPB. she's just not ready to take him as a mate yet, and he's kind of funny as a bumbling fool. that said, she does care a lot about him and if he pushed her, or circumstances pushed her, she'd be willing to be upfront about it.

cinderpelt is happy cinderheart is finding love, but she does kind of wish it wasn't with lionblaze. not because he's an idiot, after all, cinderpelt had a crush on fireheart before he finished growing a brain, but because she is worried about the prophecy. and lionblaze dying and leaving cinderheart alone. so cinderheart has some internal conflict about this, but she has internal conflict over whether she wants thrush or mouse some days. side effect of having two souls in one body. she keeps it wrapped up because she's pretty sure she's into lionblaze and cinderpelt is unsure, and she doesn't need to confuse the situation anymore.

yeah, by the time this series begins, cinderheart and cinderpelt are really two separate entities, and cinderpelt is getting ready to leave. she's just sort of waiting. it's until cinderheart and lionblaze confirm they're mates. why? because that's when it happens in the original and i can't think of a better time. also, it kind of completes cinderpelt's small crush on fireheart.

(it really wasn't that big. sandstorm just made a big deal out of it because she was jealous.)

section three: dovepaw

right, so cinderheart is hype for dovepaw. the dovepaw is real sweet and quiet and cinderheart feels good about that. so they're excited.

cinderheart and dovepaw go out for territory and cinderheart is like "she's on top of shit this dovepaw" and dovepaw catches a mouse or two and cinderheart is super proud and supportive and everyone is happy.

and then cinderheart starts to feel like she's failing dovepaw, because dovepaw just can't get anything else down. lionblaze and ivypaw, on the other hand, are having basically no issues. so she feels like she's failing dovepaw, and she's a little insecure about that, so cinderheart and dovepaw tag along with lionblaze and ivypaw a lot.

as you can guess, this makes everything worse.

cinderheart realizes dovepaw is sneaking out at night and is like "well this is a problem i'm not equipped to deal with" and frets over it for a while, unsure of who to talk to without geting dovepaw in trouble. (lionblaze also snuck out as an apprentice, he's an unreliable source.)

so she doesn't tell anyone at first, just makes sure dovepaw is still getting sufficient rest for a young cat. (she isn't.) eventually, she lets it slip to hollyleaf who talks about it with lionblaze who ivypaw overhears, but ivypaw is the last character i'm covering in this set of essays.

dovepaw gets trapped in the tunnels for three days, and cinderheart feels like she's failed her charge. also, brightheart is kind of mad at cinderheart because she feels that cinderheart didn't really do anything to stop dovepaw from feeling like she needed to prove herself and like, brightheart's not wrong, but it's also unfair to cinderheart. so cinderheart blames herself a whole lot because dovepaw is dead now and it's her fault.

when dovepaw gets back cinderheart only barely punishes her, and dovepaw has had enough exploration, so being confined to camp is only barely a punishment anyway. cinderheart vows that she's going to do better, do right, by dovepaw (although she's really been doing pretty okay no one is really blaming cinderheart, even brightheart has gotten over it now that dovepaw is back and safe and alive.)

section four: can you hear what i hear?

so when dovepaw gets back, cinderheart takes her out once she's recovered, and dovepaw is like "so where are the creatures with the clicky-clackies?" and cinderheart has no idea what's going on.

but cinderheart, despite being lumped in the "two braincells" category that the first three pov characters have (seriously if you haven't read my breakdown of this au as a whole you may want to because i've written so much for it that i'm definitely skipping details. now that my pace has slowed from "about 10k words in one weekend" to "2k words a day" it's better but still), is not an idiot. she's seen the lake get smaller. times are getting hard. there was a gathering while dovepaw was in the tunnels that cinderheart went to and it was real rough. so she's like. hm. maybe. dovepaw is starclan chosen or something? it would explain why she's spacy all the time.

cinderheart gets all the info she can from dovepaw and then has to figure out whether she's taking this to firestar or jayfeather.

i'm not 100% how this resolves, but eventually, cinderheart and dovepaw go to firestar to discuss the beavers. cinderheart does most of the talking, dovepaw is just kind of there nodding along.

so the standard canon thing happens and they all get ready for the trip. i feel like i've done a pretty in-depth breakdown of this for dovewing, and hollyleaf will get one too, so i'm just going to say, other than hollyleaf also coming, it's pretty much canon.

section five: the tribe

oh man it's the cinderheart book and whoo boy am i excited for this one.

alright alright alright so dovepaw is doing the Late Nights again, but its to see tigerheart. so cinderheart is uh, not very aware of it this time?

dovepaw is older and smarter (barely) and more importantly knows she can’t get caught again.

so dovepaw real tired, real close to tigerheart at gatherings, and cinderheart is like “hm maybe something is up” and cinderpelt is like “yeah keep an eye on that”

(an aside: so cinderpelt’s presence is kind of a nagging one in cinderheart’s life. it’s not that she’s not the same cinderpelt we know and love, but she’s a kind of omnipresent authority figure, so she reads a bit differently. but she’s still our wonderful cinderpelt. no fear.)

and ivypaw tells lionblaze that dovepaw is sneaking out (see here for lionblaze, literally 0 awareness) and he tells cinderheart and cinderheart is like “well that checks” and cinderpelt is like “hm remember fernpaw and dustpelt”

“ferncloud is like a second mother to me no i don’t know the details of her romance”

“yea well...”

you know, cinderheart's almost worried dovepaw is going to have kits real soon after becoming a warrior and there are approximately 0 thunderclan toms she's close enough with for that to be applicable.

(for the record, they are not that close. cinderpelt is concerned not just because forbidden romance, but also because of how young leafpool was. not impossibly young by any means, but still fairly young.)

so then through uhhh who knows memory? convenient stormfur is convenient? haven't decided yet, but anyway, cinderheart decides the tribe can help them. (the real reason is because i want the tribe to solve a clan problem for once. the stated reason is probably something like "dovepaw feels too much pressure after the beavers" or "long journeys are good for apprentices" i mean look brambestar dgaf about where warriors are going so why should i?)

lionblaze and ivypaw come along and cinderheart is like "great i just told this guy that i don't want to change anything between us until i'm done mentoring dovepaw and now he's tagging along with this? where's a hollyleaf when you need her?"

(hollyleaf is living with her ghost boyfriend, cinderheart, she is no longer a reliable source of buffering between you and lionblaze. also, cinderheart, this isn't coming up in this au because again ending in step with canon but please consider: lesbians.)

anyway, the four of them set out and dovepaw and ivypaw still aren't talking which is getting really old, really fast.

eventually, after a day or two of travelling in basically silence, ivypaw and dovepaw do start to talk again. one goal down. (my conviction that travelling books are good, actually, remains untested, but i'm determined to prove it.)

okay, so i've been reading all my notes in detail as i start actually drafting this, which means my essay content is morphing further into writing notes. you can tell because i'm skipping bigger sections, or adding notes about purpose in story, etc. this is just a warning that since i last worked on this, i've actually begun writing the book this stuff takes place in (the first book only matters if you're dovekit or ivykit, so the fact that i'm writing it doesn't really have an effect. i just wanted to start with something low-stakes.) so like, on one hand, i should have more figured out, but on the other hand, my comments are going to be a lot looser and i wouldn't be surprised if i just straight up contradict something i already said (i do edit my posts but not heavily and only if i think they're something i'm going to point people back towards. i'd rather point people to my archive once i start posting, so.) anyway, this is just a warning for this and anything else in the CTD essay series (hollyleaf, jayfeather, ivypool, as well as the books, growing shadows, fading echoes, distant whispers, and whatever the canon names are but switch book 4 and 5), that it's going to be less "here's a summary of what i'm going to do" and more "here are my thoughts about what i'm doing"

right that note aside, the travelling party makes it to the mountains. there's drama, probably? none of them have been to the mountains IIRC? i know jayfeather has but i don't think the others went with him (bramble did? hm i'll have to research) but okay so the point is, they make it to the tribe as the mountain is getting colder and this is where i have to deviate from my trend of realism the most because they're going to stay on the tribe for much longer than they should. my timeline has ivy/dove born in leafbare at the beginning of the season (easier math), so this is early-mid leaf fall, and the mountain would be unpassable really soon. but i don't want that, so we're going to pretend they have 2-3 moons before it's truly impassable, or the story flows a lot worse because i really want the drought to be in green leaf because it just sets up a hard hitting winter which is a good tension/drama fodder machine.

unfortunately, i'm limited in who i can kill off, but what can you do?

right so anyway, they're in the tribe and cinderheart present dovepaw and stoneteller is like "huh ig this could work sure why not" and dovepaw is enlisted to be a tribe to-be. she's not given an offiical whatever the tribe word for mentor is, (does the tribe have individual mentors? i can't remember off the top of my head), but she's more or less the same as any othet tribe to-be. the fact that she's so fluffy is a bonus. keeps her warm.

cinderheart is less at-home in the tribe, but she works with the prey hunters and generally gets along. i'm not sure. maybe she makes friends? (this is literally her book she definitely does interesting things i just don't know who lives in the tribe off the top of my head. her life does not revolve around dovepaw like 100%. she has to sort out some cinderpelt stuff in this book it's just very internal and i'm not entirely sure how it goes yet.)

so cinderheart and dovepaw are doing their thing for a bit. they get a good chance to explore tribe culture. it's good. everything is good. cinderheart is still definitely mentoring dovepaw, but what that means right now is a lot of modeling how to be a good learner, rather than explicitly teaching. cinderheart herself is preparing and thinking about how to transfer these skills to thunderclan.

uh yeah so anyway it's getting close to winter so they gotta head out, and the tribe is like "off u go food is tight in leafbare/whatever-they-call-winter" and the four of them set out.

okay so i'm going to skip to cinderheart's second book, because honestly, arc one narrators all get thrown in BGCH until they're needed in arc 2. (i mean, tbf, jayfeather has done literally nothing in all of arc one. nothing. he's just there, occasionally being like "no firestar, don't make dovepaw my apprentice!" and that's pretty much it.)

and basically so while jayfeather and hollyleaf are off having ghost romances (that's the entire plot of their book it's ghost romance), cinderheart and lionblaze are just having a relationship. dovewing and ivypool are warriors now, so cinderheart does have background drama of being worried because dovewing is still seeing tigerheart ("we took her on a whole mountain vacation and she's still obsessed with him?"), but like, it's very chill for a while.

and then sol comes back.

oh man, sol comes back and it's gonna be a big deal. yeah. it's a big deal for cinderheart, and hopefully this will be an interesting section, because cinderheart is a very different character from the OG oots crew, and she's going to handle problems in a different way, and this is the first chance we get to see that. the beavers don't count she was j chilling with whatever dovepaw said and the tribe is certainly a good example of her character (caring, resourceful, outside the box), but that's the set up. sol is the pay off.

so cinderheart is pleased by sol, but also generally wary. you gotta remember, cinderheart has been on a lot of extra curricular field trips. she's met a lot of cats. (note to self: include more loners.) she's a quick judge of character. and sol, you know, he's a lot.

so she keeps an eye on him, and she expresses her concern to hollyleaf, and hollyleaf is like, yeah, sure, i'll help.

so hollyleaf is like "so by the way, sol is in the tunnels." and cinderheart is like "this is going to be a problem" and cinderpelt who is now in starclan is like "oh she's finally learning."

so i'm not entirely sure on the details here because i haven't plotted out the ending three books in nearly as much detail (i mean on the blog i have but in my head where i keep all the plot lines i haven't) but cinderheart is going to solve the problem and she'll do it in a different way.

thunderclan definitely still learns to fight in the tunnels because they need to for battle purposes. (oh, to be a windclan tunnler, looking down in sadness from starclan about what my clan has lost.)

and yeah leaving cinderheart here because she retreats to BGCH after completing her duty of being a meanful character.

cinderheart? done.

#lionblaze #dovewing #ivypool #hollyleaf #cinderheart #cloudtail's daughter #mine #q #txt #27th #February #2021 #February 27th 2021 #essay #long #lovewing dovewing #not really but also yes #28th #February 28th 2021

4 notes · View notes

sparky-is-spiders · 4 years

Text

Evil Rusty AU! (OR: That One Time When Firestar Tried to Conquer the Whole Dang Forest)

So remember the giant text wall I made that accidentally lavished Hollyleaf with love and praise? Well it’s time for another one!

So I was trying to come up with AU ideas and then I thought about that time Bluestar got really pissy with Rusty ‘cause he was like “well why don’t you guys all share???” and I realized that Bluestar didn’t really make any good points about the four clans being seperate and also constantly fighting and so I realized: huh, what if Rusty wasn’t convinced by angry shouting about territory?

This AU will be called the Evil Firestar AU, or the EFAU for short. It works with the idea that Firestar is more manipulative than his canon counterpart. They share the same desire to protect and help all cats, sure, but while canon!Firestar fit his ideals to match those of the Warrior Clans, EFAU!Firestar has different ideals, partially from his time as a kittypet where everybody could pretty much visit everybody else and eat everyone else’s food (provided that they didn’t go in the city) and partially because Bluestar doesn’t manage to convince him about that whole “sharing is bad” thing. EFAU!Firestar likes to think of himself as lawful good, and he does have good intentions, but he’s manipulative and has the kind of ambition that can fog up a moral compass.

So, there’ll be two different outcomes, depending on how shady Firestar is willing to get: Firestar wins and Firestar loses. But both have the same basic starting point and they only diverge at around Forest of Secrets. Whether he fails or succeeds is up to whether or not he realizes and confronts his manipulative behavior or willingly sinks further into it.

I’ll be covering the first three books here. The next post will (probably) be about books 4-6 and cover the Firestar loses timeline.

So, without further ado, let’s begin!

Into the WIld: Things go pretty much the same way the first three books go. For the most part, anyway. The first book does start off a little bit different. It is told from Spottedleaf’s perspective. She has a dream of a fire surrounding fourtrees. Shadowy monsters lurk outside the fire, but Spottedleaf sees that they dare not cross it, and that the clan cats don’t seem to be scared of the fire itself. She interprets this as “Fire will save the clans” or something and goes to talk to Bluestar, who’s like “yeah, seems legit”.

Later, Bluestar sees Rusty and is like “He looks like fire if you squint” and so she has Graypaw attack him. That chapter goes about the same, only when Rusty says “Why don’t you guys share?” Bluestar doesn’t convince him. He just... doesn’t see what the problem of merging clans would be. Surely they wouldn’t have to fight for survival every day if they were all one entity that wasn’t getting into constant border fights? But he knows better than to argue with her. Maybe she has a point that he just, didn’t see???

When he hears about how Redtail died in a battle with RiverClan he doubts Bluestar a little bit more. This respected, high-rnaking warrior was killed over a pile of rocks??? Seriously???? It’s a little ridiculous.

He’s also surprised by how small ThunderClan’s population is. The camp is easily big enough for several dozen cats, and there are only around ten? He asks Lionheart about it later, and Lionheart tells him about how ThunderClan has fallen on hard times, and how they lost cats in battles with the other clans and whatnot. Fireheart thinks “Well maybe if you guys unified instead of constantly FIGHTING. This wouldn’t be a problem!” But he holds his tongue. These clan cats are too set in their ways. They need to be convinced, and a measly little apprentice can’t do that. But maybe a deputy, like Lionheart, could...

When he’s introduced to the idea of StarClan, it gets even worse. These cats have the same ancestors who they worship in the same way. Why are they seperate? What is the difference between the four clans?

He spends some time with the elders. He brings them food and cleans their bedding and listens to their stories. He wants to learn about the clans. Their similarities, their differences. He wants them to tell him that Bluestar was right and give good reasons as to why. But they don’t tell him anything that manages to change his mind. In fact, their stories of the four clans inadvertently convince him of his own opinion even more: the clans are the same, and this seperation only harms them.

He trains and befriends Graystripe and Ravenpaw and everything is going well. And then he meets Yellowfang.

He attacks her at first, only to realize that she’s a starving old lady and not a threat at all. He brings her food and barrages her with questions. She doesn’t tell him much, except that she’s from ShadowClan. This makes Firepaw ask even more questions. It’s his first encounter with a cat from another clan and he is so curious.

Although taking care of Yellowfang is his punishment for feeding an enemy warrior and eating before bringing food back to his clanmates, he enjoys her company. She reminds him a little of the elders in ThunderClan, although he’s careful not to tell her that. Firepaw also sees that cats from ShadowClan can be just like cats from ThunderClan, and it feeds his clan unification idea.

After that, things go the way they do in the books. ShadowClan attacks, Ravenpaw tells Firepaw and Graypaw the truth about Tigerclaw, Operation: Recue Ravenpaw goes off without a hitch, the kits are stolen, and Brokenstar is defeated.

Seeing the differences between Brokenstar and Bluestar gives Firepaw a newfound respect for Bluestar, but it doesn’t stop him from holding onto his idea for clan unification, especially when he sees the ShadowClan cats working so well with the ThunderClan cats to drive off Brokenstar.

Firepaw and Graypaw become Fireheart and Graystripe. On the night of the vigil, a plan forms in Fireheart’s mind. It isn’t terribly detailed, and for now he views it as a wishful fantasy rather than as an actual possibility, but the seeds have been planted.

A young ex-kittypet turned warrior can’t convince four whole clans to change their entire way of life, but with the right moves, maybe a leader could.

Fireheart vows to himself, then and there, that he willbecome Fireheart, and he will unite the clans as one under his rule.

Fire and Ice: This book stays mostly the same. Fireheart and Graystripe go and collect WindClan. Fireheart befriends Onewhisker, sure, but he also chats with as many WindClan cats as possible. His reasoning for this is threefold (although he’s only really aware of the first two reasons):

1. He needs allies for his plan.

2. He is DEATHLY curious about WindClan. He wants to know as much as possible about all the clans and this is the perfect opportunity to learn about WindClan’s traditions and cultures and beliefs. He’s dissappointed to learn how similar WindClan is to ThunderClan. He tells himself that it’s just because he wanted to learn something cool and new instead of just realizing that WindClan was just another ThunderClan but, like, fast, but...

3. A small part of Fireheart really, really wants to believe that the clans have such different cultures that they could never combine. He knows that his plan will be difficult. That he might lose. That he might have to make sacrifices, or even sacrifice other cats (he finds that particular idea disgusting, but if he has no other choice, if he has no other way to save the four clans... he hopes it doesn’t come to that). Fireheart also respects Bluestar, likes Bluestar. She’s a good leader, noble and brave. He’s not sure that he could ever be that good at leading a single clan, let alone ThunderClan. If WindClan isn’t like ThunderClan, if the two are so dissimilar that they could never be combined, then he doesn’t have to go through with the plan. He could just let things be. Become a regular ThunderClan warrior, maybe take a mate, maybe have kits, when he’s older.

When RiverClan attacks them on the way back, Fireheart is confused and angry. They weren’t invading or hunting on RiverClan land, they were just taking WindClan home. Whiteclaw’s death just makes it worse. Cats were injured, a cat died, and because what? Because of stupid borders? Because of rules that weren’t being violated and wouldn’t even be neccessary if the clans teamed up???? It’s ridiculous!

But he does get a new apprentice. This is excellent news. He can perhaps teach her that the clans would be better as one than as four. Plus, becoming a mentor is a sign that Bluestar likes and respects him. It’s also a requirement for a deputy. He needs this if he ever wants to put his plan into motion. It’s vital.

He tries to train her as best he can, showing her around the territory and teaching her how to hunt and fight. Cinderpaw is eager to learn and picks up skills quickly. He talks to her about the other clans sometimes, telling her as much as he can get away with. He talks about how they’re “just like us, really” and how “we worship the same ancestors and go to the same place when we die” and Cinderpaw starts to feel and show more empathy for the other clans. He’s winning her over.

And then Graystripe meets Silverstream.

Fireheart doesn’t approve of their relationship, sure. But Graystripe is his friend, and Silverstream seems nice enough. He knows what would happen if they were discovered and that is what angers him. These two cats just want to be together, but because the clans HaVE tO Be SEpErATe they could both be punished for it. It’s another arguement in favor of clan unification. No such thing as divided loyalties if there aren’t any divides.

Fireheart doesn’t want his friend to get in trouble, but he doesn’t want to stop him, either. He sees this for what it could be: an opportunity. Their relationship forges a connection between RiverClan and ThunderClan. Silverstream is the daughter of Crookedstar, so of course she has influence in RiverClan. If they have any kits, those kits could be the bridge to unite ThunderClan with RiverClan.

And so he covers for Graystripe. He trains Brakenpaw for him, makes excuses for Graystripe’s absence, even helps him sneak out of camp. He briefly speaks with Silverstream, telling her that he doesn’t want them to get in trouble, so even though he doesn’t 100% support their relationship, he’ll do his best to help them. He then proceeds to ask her 50 billion questions about RiverClan culture. Silverstream and Graystripe are both a little confused. Silverstream is also annoyed and a little worried. She isn’t sure whether or not Fireheart is aware of his manipulative tendancies, but either way she doesn’t like them, even though she has no clue what (if anything) his larger goal is here. Graystripe has no idea what the problem is. Fireheart is his best friend! He’s just being a supportive wingman. Surely.

Cinderheart gets into her accident. It upsets Fireheart greatly. He did genuinly care about her and seeing her so hurt makes him feel awful. He should’ve done more to stop her from going...

Fireheart is meeting with Princess. He likes talking to her about his issues, and a little bit about his plan. He knows that she’s the only cat who will really listen to him and agree with them. It’s his only respite from the stress of covering for Graystripe, dealing with one apprentice who isn’t even his and coping with the injury of his own, and worrying about how to tell Bluestar about Tigerclaw’s guilt.

Sandpaw is kinda into him and Fireheart has no freakin’ clue.

When Princess tells Fireheart that Cinderheart’s accident might have been a trap laid by Tigerclaw and intended for Bluestar, Fireheart is furious. She has to talk him down from immediately running after Tigerclaw to kill him. Fireheart asks what he should do about this once he’s calmed down, and Princess tells him to keep an eye on Tigerclaw. He can’t bring this up to Bluestar without proof, and most of what he has is circumstantial and not enough to prove that Tigerclaw is a criminal (Ravenpaw saw him murder Redtail, sure, but everybody believes that Ravenpaw is dead and telling somebody that ‘my friend who is totally dead now btw said that the highly respected deputy that everybody who isn’t me and my friend trusts killed that guy who was deputy way back when. He was the only witness.’ It’s not as solid to the clan as it needs to be, y’know?). Fireheart needs to make sure that a trap like this isn’t laid again, for starters. To get the evidence that he needs and to protect his clanmates, he should spy. Listen in on their conversations Tigerclaw and his friend’s conversations, spend more time with them (volunteering to go on patrols that just happen to have Darkstripe or Longtail on them, etc.).

Minus the spying, the rest of books two and three go pretty much the same. Firestar can never collect enough evidence (because nobody just says ‘so about that guy, Redtail, who I very much murdered’ casually or out of the blue, even to their friends). Cloudkit is also taken in.

Book three opens with Firestar being frustrated by his lack of progress with the spying.

He tries to investigate other avenues talks to both Ravenpaw and Mistyfoot about the battle where Oakheart was killed.

When he and Graystripe save Mistyfoot’s kits, they’re accused of trying to steal them and are taken back to RiverClan’s camp. Fireheart makes a coment under his breath about how “if all the clans were united, this wouldn’t be happening.” Graystripe shoots him a funny look but decides not to comment.

Firestar is pissed about being accused of trying to steal kits, but he sees the situation that RiverClan is in and decides that he wants to help him.

He’s shocked and worried when he hears that Silverstream is expecting Graystripe’s kits, but part of him is also happy. Not just for his friend, but also for himself. This will make it easier for him to sway Graystripe, Silverstream, and the future kits, to his side. He wonders briefly if he’s being shitty and manipulative but decides that it doesn’t matter.

Things progress pretty much the same from here on out.

Silverstream dies when she has Featherkit and Stormkit. Graystripe is distraught. Fireheart is also very upset, but also wonders if he can use this to his advantage. Here is where a slight divergence happens. On the Fireheart/star succeeds track, he tells that voice to shut up and ignores it. His friend’s lover just died, that’s an awful thing to think. It makes him wonder if his actions are as good as his intentions and plants a seed in his mind. That seed will eventually force him to confront his shitty behavior and try to be better. On the way back to camp, Fireheart does his best to comfort Graystripe and make sure that Tigerclaw doesn’t get a chance to so much as speak to him. On the Fireheart/star fails path, he listens to it. He comforts Graystripe, sure, but he also makes sure to mention how maybe things would be better if the clans were all one. He’s sneaky about it, so Graystripe doesn’t think too much about it until that night in the nursery (he is gonna stay with his kits and that is final), where he wonders about how different thing would have been if Bluestar was in charge of all the clans...

Things go mostly the same way that the books did. Longtail saves Fireheart from drowning, Cinderpaw becomes a medicine cat apprentice, the ShadowClan and WindClan attack ThunderClan because they learn that ThunderClan is harboring Brokenstar (yes I know that this happened before Silverstream died shush.)

When the rogues attack ThunderClan camp, Fireheart defends Bluestar from Tigerheart. When the battle is over, Fireheart tells the clan that Tigerclaw tried to kill Bluestar and reveals what really happened to Redtail. Tigerclaw is exiled and none of his friends go with him.

Fireheart is named deputy and Graystripe goes to RiverClan with his kits.

Here we have another divergence. When Cinderpaw takes the Magpie to Bluestar that turns out to be crowfood, Fireheart sees it. He believes it to be an omen from StarClan that Bluestar’s leadership will rot. On the Fireheart succeeds track, this makes him feel really crap, and he decides that he’ll do his absolute best as deputy to help and support her when she needs it. On the Fireheart fails track he sees it and goes "Well, guess that that technically makes me the leader then, huh? Bad news for Bluestar, I guess, but it’s good news for the mission. It’s good news for me.“

Next time!: I wanna expand on that atheist Firestar AU I mentioned awhile back, so you can expect that eventually.

Next time on EFAU: It’s the Firestar fails arc! If you thought that this AU stuck too closely to the events of the books for this to be much of an AU, don’t worry. Things are about to get a lot more interesting (hopefully). Ever wondered what would happen if Firestar was more willing to ignore Bluestar? If he discovered the dogs at Snakerocks? If he teamed up with BloodClan instead of TigerClaw? You’ll find out! Eventually. Hopefully. These take a really long time to make so if I were you I wouldn’t hold your breath.

#warriors #warrior cats #warrior cats au #EFAU #evil Firestar AU #Fireheart #Firestar #the prophecies begin #the prophecies begin AU

45 notes · View notes

stagwhisker · 4 years

Text

Lavenderfrost

Meadowclan

Medicine Cat

------------------

Kit : Snow

Apprentice : Lavenderpaw

Warrior : Lavenderfrost

Loner : Lavender

Medicine Cat : Lavenderfrost

------------------

Father : Hail

Mother : Sweetpea

Foster Mother : Pinestripe

Foster Father : Eaglestar

Sister : Rain

Foster Brother : Redwing

Foster Sisters : Fawnhop, Tigerpatch

------------------

Mentor : Eaglestar

Unofficial Mentor : Firestorm

Apprentices : Stormridge, Tawnypaw

------------------

Lavenderfrost was born as Snow to Hail and Sweetpea. He lived in the Old Mill on the southside of Shoreclan territory with a clowder of Kittypets, loners, and rogues under the supervision of Shoreclan leader Snapstar.

Snow lived in the Mill until three moons old when he was swept away by a young hawk. He struggled until he got a good angle and bit the Hawks leg causing him to be dropped. The Hawk came back for Snow but a large Meadowclan warrior named Eagleflight defended Snow and the Hawk gave up. Snow was seriously injured and brought back to Meadowclan camp to be treated by their medicine cat Firestorm.

Snow was terribly scarred and needed to stay in Meadowclan camp until he was fully healed. In that time, Eagleflight and his mate Pinestripe became his foster parents. Snow slowly learned about clan life from his foster family and grew to appreciate it. When the time came for Snow to return home, he decided he wanted to stay in Meadowclan. There was pushback from some warriors of the clan but Sandstar allowed him to stay and apprenticed Snow, now Lavenderpaw, to Eagleflight.

Lavenderpaw trains to be a Meadowclan warrior under Eagleflight for the next seven moons. During this time, he is shown to be very empathetic and Firestorm suggests that he see if he would be interested in learning medicine. Lavenderpaw isn't keen on the idea at first but after about a moon learning medicine from Firestorm on the side, he finds it more engaging than his warrior training. He tells Eagleflight who passes the message to Sandstar who then declines. Sandstar tells Eagleflight that having a former loner for a medicine cat may cause more upset than it's worth and considering Lavenderpaw has completed his Warrior training save for his assessment he might as well become a warrior.

Lavenderfrost becomes a warrior of Meadowclan while continuing his side education in medicine and becomes a bit of a dual-purpose warrior which catches the attention of the Shoreclan medicine cat Walnutglow and the two become friends. Around the same time, his foster sister Fawnhop brings a former Kittypet named Levi to the clan and confesses her love for him to her father and now deputy Eagleflight and Sandstar. Once again there is pushback with Levi as well but Lavenderfrost steps in and supports his sister and her mate. Sandstar is hesitant but also allows him to stay, once again ruffling the fur of her warriors. It wouldn't be long before Fawnhop announces she is expecting kits and later gives birth to Rainkit, Stormkit, and Lightningkit.

Lavenderfrost gains Stormpaw as an apprentice early due to a surplus of kits being born. While Lavenderfrost was an amazing teacher and Stormpaw a bright and receptive apprentice, the two never quite formed the bond Mentors and Apprentices often do and he suspects it was because he still wanted to become a Medicine Cat. He brings it back up to Sandstar who once again declines. Lavenderfrost tries to put his foot down and debate with her which only causes him to lose any hope he had of her giving in. He leaves defeated and tries to drop the desire in favor of Warrior life.

During a nasty border dispute between Meadowclan and Ridgeclan, Stormpaw falls into the Rushing River and Lavenderfrost dives in to save her. He's able to hand Stormpaw off to Levi before being swept downriver. Lavenderfrost awakes to three cats trying to resuscitate him on the bank. They introduce themselves as Hina, Aki, and Emi before convincing Lavenderfrost, whom they refer to as Lavender during his stay, to come back to their den with them until he can regain his strength. The three turn out to be a group of siblings living with some other barn cats on a Twoleg farm. While resting, Lavender meets an old she-cat named Amber, a former Meadowclan warrior who seems to have so much disdain for her former clan that she refuses to give Lavender the way back home, instead insisting he stay. Lavender refuses and tries to head home early the next morning but is too far from home to find his way back. He gives up and returns to the barn hoping that he can wrangle the way back out of Amber.

Lavender ends up staying for quite a while at the Twoleg barn and gets to know the cats there pretty well. Especially Emi, who is very interested in what clan life is like but could never get anything out of Amber. Eventually, she brings up wanting to follow Lavender back to Meadowclan to be a warrior. Lavender thinks about it but ultimately decides it wouldn't be worth it considering Meadowclan already let in two outsiders within a short time and both times fights broke out. He also finds himself feeling homesick for the Mill where he grew up with his birth family before being carried away. Lavender makes a mental note to go see his family when he gets back home.

One night in Leafbare, Lavender is visited by Sandstar who delivers a message to him. She says Whitecough broke out in Meadowclan and that hers became Greencough and took her last life. Firestorm has fallen ill with Whitecough and it threatens to become Greencough if she has no time to treat herself. Sandstar tells Lavender that another Starclan cat has visited Amber as well and that she should tell him how to return home now. Lavender wakes up and decides to grab catmint from the Twoleg's protected garden before heading home to get a head start on treating the afflicted cats. Emi catches him and, refusing to take no for an answer, helps him gather catmint intending to take her own mouth full back to Meadowclan with Lavender. The two finally get directions from Amber and before departing, she asks Lavender to tell Eaglepaw she's always thinking of him and that she's sorry. It doesn't take much to put 2 and 2 together and figure out she meant Eagleflight. He promises to and the two leave for Meadowclan.

They arrive at Meadowclan camp just before sunrise and Lavenderfrost rushes to the Medicine Cat den, heartbroken to find that Firestorm is dying. Realizing there is nothing he can do, he stops to spend time with her in her last moments. The commotion of Lavenderfrost returning woke up Firestorm's apprentice Tawnypaw who finds the two in the Medicine Cat den. Before she dies, Firestorm invites Tawnypaw into the den to meet Lavenderfrost and tells her that he will be her new mentor and Medicine Cat. Lavenderfrost is stunned by this development but takes it with honor and quickly begins instructing Emi and Tawnypaw on how to help the sick cats.

The illness was becoming manageable but Lavenderfrost knew if he didn't get more catmint the illness would pick up again. Eagleflight (who hadn't had the chance to visit the Mooncave) organized healthy cats to go with Lavenderfrost to Shoreclan to ask for catmint. Fawnhop, Nightwing, and his former apprentice Stormridge accompanied him there. The group meets up with Walnutglow and Lavenderfrost has a brief reunion with his friend. While they do retrieve Catmint from Walnutglow, it's very little. Walnutglow suggests they see if there's a covered patch in the Old Mill, which Lavenderfrost takes up instantly.

The Mill Cats don't recognize Lavenderfrost at first but Sweetpea does and she runs to greet him with tears in her eyes. The two have a warm reunion along with Hail, Rain, and Hail's sister Blizzard who helped raise Lavenderfrost. Much to Lavenderfrosts relief, the Mill Cats do still have Catmint and let him take as much of it as he needs. He says goodbye to his family and takes the catmint back to Meadowclan, successfully healing the sick cats. However, despite the efforts of Lavenderfrost three do still perish being Greystone, Swiftmist, and Goldenfur.

Eagleflight decides to hold a vigil for the fallen cats before he and Lavenderfrost leave for the Mooncave. Lavenderfrost mourns Firestorm and laments for always wanting to be a Medicine Cat but never wanting it to happen like this. After the sun rises and the dead are buried, Lavenderfrost and Eagleflight set out for the Mooncave. To reach the Mooncave, the two need to pass all the way through Ridgeclan territory and catch the attention of a patrol to escort them. Along the way, the group ever so happens to run into the new Ridgeclan Medicine Cat Barleytail, who despite seeming friendly enough, gave Lavenderfrost wicked feelings and left him feeling uneasy.

Upon reaching the Mooncave, Lavenderfrost remembers what Amber had said and tells Eagleflight while the two are waiting for Moonhigh. Eagleflight tells Lavenderfrost that Amber, formerly Ambersun, was his mother and that she abandoned him, his brother, and his father in the midst of a dispute over reforming the Warrior Code, saying the clans were no longer a place she wished to live. Eagleflight elaborates on the reforms that would have been made in the clan had it been successful and Lavenderfrost asks him if he wishes to try reforming the code again once he became leader. Eagleflight is unsure and admits to Lavenderfrost that he would most likely be following in Sandstar's pawsteps, trying not to ruffle fur too much and just worry about keeping his clan alive.

The two head into the Mooncave at Moonhigh and Eaglestar receives his nine lives and a troubling vision, which he shares with Lavenderfrost once they reach the surface. Eaglestar said the reformist cats who perished gave him a prophecy that foretold doom for the clans if the Warrior Code and the ways of the clans weren't changed. He says that he isn't sure what needs to happen but when he finds out, he will give it all he's got. Lavenderfrost is satisfied with his leader’s resolve and vows to stand by his side no matter what the change may bring.

#Lavenderfrost #warrior cats oc #warrior cats #warriors #warriors oc #long post #Meadowclan #my art #zephyrartz

33 notes · View notes

katedoesfics · 4 years

Text

Shadows of the Yiga | Chapter 13

Revali didn’t leave until Aryll got home from school, and it wasn’t without him raiding Link’s fridge of most of his beer as ‘payment for babysitting.’ Link didn’t argue with him, and in fact, felt a sense of relief to know that there was less beer in there, which meant less of a temptation for him. Of course, nothing was stopping him from going out and restocking, but the idea didn’t really cross his mind as he was too anxious to see Mipha again.

At some point during the day, Kit had called to check up on him, making Link vow to never show his ‘ugly mug’ in his bar again. He seemed satisfied with Link’s promise, even going so far to promise not to serve him if he ever stumbled in again.

Aryll seemed genuinely relieved to see her brother when she got home, but otherwise, she said nothing about their interaction that morning. All in all, she appeared to be in a good mood, humming to herself in the kitchen as she made them both peanut butter and banana sandwiches.

It was then when Mipha poked her head into the kitchen. She stepped in and rolled her eyes at them as they turned to her from the couch. There was a box in her hands.

“Is this what your diet consists of?” she said with a frown. “Are you ten?”

Aryll bit into her dinner with a grin. “And pizza,” she said as she chewed. She took a moment to swallow before speaking again, looking between her and Link. “What are you doing here?”

She raised the box and sighed. “Pizza.”

Aryll threw herself over the couch excitedly. “It’s a good diet,” she said. “I’ve got all my nutrients.” She took the pizza from Mipha, setting it on the table and taking a slice. “So,” she started slowly between bites. “Are you guys back together or something?”

Mipha hesitated. She turned her gaze to Link, who was letting his arms dangle over the edge of the couch. He pointed at his sister.

“Pizza.”

“Get off your ass and get it yourself,” she sneered at him. She made a dramatic display of shoving her own pizza into her mouth before turning back to Mipha. “Yeah?”

Link sighed and dragged his feet across the room, but before he could grab a slice, Mipha pulled the box away with a sly smile.

“That depends,” she said.

“Gimme,” Link said simply.

Aryll looked between them, her brow raised. “Depends on what?”

“How badly he wants pizza,” Mipha said, grinning.

“An interesting ultimatum,” Aryll said, her hand on her chin. “But do you really want to force him to be with you for pizza?”

“I’ll take what I can get.”

“That’s a terrible relationship.” Link grabbed the box from her and yanked it out of her hands. He took a slice and immediately shoved it in his mouth. “But I accept your proposition.”

“Congratulations,” Aryll said dryly. “You’re stuck with him, you know. He’s your problem now.”

“It was much more romantic the first time,” Mipha said.

“You conned me for pizza,” Link reminded her. “How is that romantic?”

“Should I get on one knee and offer you another slice?”

Link grinned. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

Mipha sighed. She took a slice, got on one knee, and shook her head. “This is what my life has come to, apparently.”

“That’s so sweet,” Link said. He took the slice from her and pulled her back to her feet, planting a kiss on her lips. He pulled away quickly to devour his next slice.

“Did you miss that?” Aryll said, rolling her eyes. “Did you really, honestly miss this idiot’s bullshit?”

“Love makes you do weird shit,” Mipha said.

“Well.” Aryll picked up her bag from the corner of the room and swung it on her shoulder. “You guys have fun being weird. I have finals to study for.”

When she heard Aryll’s door close, Mipha pulled Link toward her, kissing him once more, but after a moment, he pulled away.

“You know the rule,” he said. “Pizza first. Sex later.”

Mipha rolled her eyes. “It’s like nothing ever changed,” she said with a dramatic sigh. “Honestly. Who puts pizza before sex?”

“You’ve had pizza, right?”

Mipha cocked a brow. “You’ve had sex, right?”

Link paused to consider this for a moment. “They’re comparable.”

“Well, see if I give you pizza or sex ever again.”

Link frowned. “That’s cruel. You’re a monster.”

“You know,” she started. “We’ve never had makeup sex.”

Link’s eyes widened. “I’ve heard incredible stories about that,” he said. “I thought they were just fairytales.”

Mipha smiled. “You sure you want to pass that up?”

Link look towards the pizza, then back to her. “I guess I can have pizza any day.”

Mipha grinned. “You’re an idiot.” She took his hand. “Come on,” she said. “I have a tiny apartment with a shared wall that doesn’t have your sister on the other side.”

“Good plan.”

*****

The rest of the week went without further incident. Link fell back into his usual routine at work, and though he originally found it dull, he came to appreciate the normality of it all, especially considering the depression he had fallen into. For once, life felt almost normal again. Though he was still working two jobs and barely keeping up payments on the house, the world felt right again. The weight of his responsibilities didn’t feel so heavy. A part of him knew the feeling would likely not last long, but he wanted to enjoy his moment of happiness for as long as he could. He wanted to forget his worries for as long as life would allow him. Mipha was back in his life, his friends were coming back to the city, and everything felt the way it should.

When Saturday finally came, he found himself in the company of his friends, standing around the firepit in the backyard as the first stars of twilight began to show themselves. Aryll was speaking excitedly with Mipha and Urbosa on one side, while on the other side, Revali passed out cigars to Link and Daruk.

“ Well, here we are,” he said with a sigh as he blew out smoke. “The boys are back in town.”

“I heard you’re sticking around,” Daruk said. “I didn’t know you were so in love with Link.”

“What can I say?” Revali said. “The heart wants what the heart wants.”

“He’s in the mafia or something,” Link said. “He’s here on business to bust some kneecaps.”

Daruk raised a brow. “For real?”

“He tried to drag me into it,” Link continued with a nod. “I think he might be considering blackmail.”

“Why does everyone assume I’m doing something shady?” Revali whined.

“Because you won’t tell anyone what you do for a damn living,” Daruk said.

Revali grinned and brought his cigar to his mouth. “The less you know, the better.”

“He’s working for the Yiga Clan,” Link said. “I’m sure of it.”

“It makes sense,” Daruk said thoughtfully. “Getting some dirt on you. Trying to lure you into their trap.”

“Please,” Revali said. “What would they want with that dirtbag?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Daruk said dryly. “Maybe the Triforce?”

Revali considered this. “Wait. Let’s be real for a second.”

“We weren’t?” Link muttered.

“That’s a totally plausible explanation,” Revali continued.

Daruk raised a brow. “That you’re working for the Yiga?”

“No, no,” Revali said quickly, waving them off. “No, I mean. The Yiga were once Sheikah. They’re followers of Ganondorf. So, wouldn’t that be their main directive? Get the Triforce and bust Ganondorf out of his seal.”

“This is true,” Daruk said. “But, we’ve also never encountered them, even when we were running around Hyrule closing portals.” He shrugged. “Maybe they’re really not a threat.”

Revali shook his head. “I don’t buy it,” he said. “Dorian and Rusl had beef, remember? Dorian’s up to something. Maybe he’s keeping things quiet.”

Link stared into the flames. “I thought we agreed not to worry about the Yiga Clan?” he muttered.

“How about the Termina festival, then?” Revali pressed. “King Roham kept that real nice and quiet. Come on, Link, your father -”

“Enough,” Link snapped at him. He hesitated as Revali fell silent. He turned his gaze back to the fire. “I told him I would stay out of it,” he said softly. “Zelda’s convinced Dorian is innocent. I promised her I would drop all of it.”

“You sound like a conspiracy theorist,” Daruk said to Revali. “Link’s right. If they were an issue, they would be an issue by now. They wouldn’t be silent for ten years. They would actually be relevant.”

Revali didn’t press the matter further, mainly due to the fact that he did not want to upset Link any further. While he had not originally meant it to be a serious accusation, the more he thought about it, the more uneasy it made him. Still, he pushed those thoughts aside and changed the topic.

“So, are you gonna work for me or not?”

“Not,” Link said.

“Why not?” Revali whined.

“I have absolutely no skills worthy of any job,” Link said. “The fuck do you want me for? I don’t need the pity party.”

“Dude. I’m making you work for this money. There’s no pity party.”

“All the money in the world -”

“One hundred,” he said quickly. “One-double-oh.”

“Dude,” Daruk said. “Take it and run.”

“I’ll be running for my life,” Link said. “He won’t even tell me what the damn job is.”

“Fine,” Revali said. “Look. All I need from you is your signature. Sign the papers I give you, and that’s it. Literally all you need to do. You can sit in a big fancy office all to yourself for eight hours a day, sign some papers, and go home to bed on your pile of cash.”

Link stared at him for a moment, then narrowed his gaze. “Signing what?”

“Documents,” Revali said. “You just sign them. Don’t read. Just sign.”

“What the fuck…” Daruk murmured under his breath.

“That’s shady as fuck, man,” Link said.

“And that’s why we have lawyers,” Revali said with a grin. “To cover our asses.”

“Hylia, I don’t even want to know,” Link said, shaking his head. “Leave me out of your shady ass business.”

Revali shrugged. “You’ll come around sooner or later,” he said. He winked at him. “They always do.”

“Don’t do it, Link,” Urbosa said, shaking her head as she caught the end of their conversation. “I won’t let you.”

Mipha frowned. “Do what?”

“Work for Revali,” Urbosa said, placing a hand on her hip. “I checked the contract you’d have to sign. You’d be lucky if you only had to give up your left nut.”

“That’s my favorite one,” Link said with a playful pout.

“Who really reads contracts, anyway?” Revali muttered.

“I do,” Urbosa said. “That’s my job.”

“Hey, you’re my lawyer, not Link’s.”

“Free advice,” Urbosa said, turning her attention to Link. “Don’t do it.”

“Why you gotta ruin everything for me, woman?” Revali barked at her.

Urbosa grinned. “Why do you need to be working for such a shady company?”

“Because they know how to pay.”

“Revali, you could go to jail.”

Revali waved her off. “They keep me protected.”

“Come on,” Daruk pressed. “You gotta give us more than that.”

“Alright, alright,” Revali said. His voice lowered and he looked between his friends as if he were about to reveal kingdom secrets. “My company is the largest company in the industry of producing energy, to put it simply. They do everything from oil to gas to solar and other various clean energies.” He air quoted this last part.

The group was silent for a moment, staring at him.

“That’s… that’s it?” Daruk raised an unconvinced brow.

“That’s it,” Revali said simply.

“That’s it on paper,” Urbosa said. “But what they do in the dark is a totally different story.”

“So, what do you do, exactly?” Aryll asked.

“I oversee all transactions,” Revali said. “Contracts come across my desk and I implement them. I send out jobs all over the world.”

“So, why do you need Link?” Mipha asked.

“To sign off on contracts I can’t.”

“And why can’t you?” Daruk asked, narrowing his gaze.

“Because I’m too closely involved in the company. Link would be acting as, say, an outside employee.”

“To sign off on the shadier jobs,” Link said. “So that when your company gets sued, I’m the one going down.”

“That’s why we have lawyers,” Revali reminded him. “To cover your ass.”

“You’re insane.”

“I am not representing you,” Urbosa snarled. “Link’s right. You are insane.”

“You would slander the name of the hero?” Link said.

“That’s exactly it,” Revali said. “There’s no way the hero would be involved in anything questionable. They see your signature and all their doubts and worries wash away.”

“Right,” Link said dryly. “That’s exactly it. No problem at all.”

“What I tell ya?”

“Not happening.”

“It’s not like it’s that big of a deal,” Revali said. “We have other people that do this. I just need someone in my new office.”

“So take whoever you had before.”

“Can’t,” Revali said. “He’s in jail.”

Link just stared at him.

“He’s in jail for trafficking drugs!” Revali said in a exasperated tone. “Goddesses!”

“Did your company have him do that?” Daruk asked.

“The point is,” Revali started, blatantly ignoring Daruk’s question. “It’s not as bad as ya’ll are making it out to be.”

“No, I think it’s that bad,” Urbosa said.

“Dude,” Daruk started. “How did you even get involved in that?”

“Headhunters,” Revali said proudly. “They saw my skill and worth. I am a valuable asset.”

“What skill?”

“They had me doing the same shady ass job in my early days,” Revali said.

“So you admit it’s shady?” Urbosa said.

Revali ignored her. “I proved myself and I got promoted.” He crossed his arms. “If you don’t want the shit jobs, you gotta prove your worth.”

“So, now I get the shit job?” Link said.

“Don’t look at it that way,” Revali said. “See it as a stepping stone.”

“To a future in jail.”

“Whatever,” Revali said, crossing his arms. “I don’t want you to work for me, anyway.”

“So, how’s the apartment?” Urbosa said to Mipha. “Glad to be back?”

Mipha frowned. “My neighbors are either having an affair with the pizza delivery guy, or they really like to roleplay.”

“Why don’t you just move in with Link?”

Mipha’s cheeks reddened and Link made a sound of disgust.

“Wow,” Daruk muttered. “Tense.”

“I don’t need to live with two women,” Link said, narrowing his eyes at his sister.

“Hey, fuck you, man,” Aryll said.

“He’s right,” Revali said, coming to his defense. “That’s double the PMS. Nobody needs that shit.”

“Move forward in your relationship!” Urbosa barked at them.

“We’ve been together a week,” Link said. “At that rate, we’ll be married by next weekend.”

Urbosa rolled her eyes. “You’ve been together forever. You might as well be.”

“Don’t do it,” Revali said. “It’s a trap. Teba got married, had a kid, and I haven’t seen him since.”

“That must be so hard for you,” Urbosa said dryly.

“Don’t worry,” Link started. “I won’t fall into that trap.”

Mipha sighed and turned to Urbosa. “Do you have any single guy friends?”

Urbosa grinned. “Don’t worry,” she said. “I’ll get him to come around.”

“That sounds like a threat,” Revali said, and Urbosa winked at Link.

And under the stars muffled by city lights, the night went on.

#soty13 #soty #shadows of the yiga #botw #loz #fic #fanfic #legend of zelda #breath of the wild

3 notes · View notes

thunder-the-ranger-wolf · 5 years

Text

Back to the Future- Apprentice Days: Bluestar

Bluestar and Snowfur were used to this strange life of theirs by now.

They were siblings once more, though their parents were far nicer this time. Moonflower was called Shimmerlight here. Bluestar was called Robinpaw while Snowfur went by Frostpaw. It was a bit disconcerting to all three of them, especially since they already knew called who had been called Robinpaw and Frostpaw in their past lives.

The funniest part was when Whitepaw came along.

He was the only kit of their parents' third litter, and perhaps a final sign that Violetclaw and Poolcloud ought to retire to the elder's den. They had spaced out their litters, not seeing any reason to rush, and this last one was rather difficult on poor Violetclaw.

Whitepaw had a dusting of grey around the edges that he didn't have before. It made him look more like Thistleclaw in all the ways that hurt, and Frostpaw was determined to leave that part of her life behind. But she couldn't. Not when her son was batting at her paws and looking up at her with only love in his eyes. Frostpaw would spoil her little brother rotten if that's what it took to get over these feelings.

StarClan definitely had a sense of humor when it came to names. Whitepaw went by Goosepaw now. Shimmerlight howled with laughter when she heard that she, once again, had a brother called Goosepaw.

"Make sure this one doesn't get to be too special." Her friend Goldenheart snickered darkly.

"Shut up, Sunfall! You're not funny!" Shimmerlight scowled playfully.

"Oh, I'm hilarious!" He protested. "But I'm also not joking. At all. That kit better be the most normal of us all."

"He will be." Frostpaw insisted. "If I have to die twice, that tom will know we love him."

_______________________________________________________________

Flashback: Sunstar and Moonflower

She doesn't know when it hits her, but it does. She turns to the cat she'd been sharing a den with for the past few moons and whispered his name.

"Sunfall…" She breathed, not wanting to shatter the peace but needing to know all the same.

"I haven't heard that name in many moons," The golden tom murmured. "and I was starting to think that I would never hear it again."

"I thought you were avoiding me," Shimmerpaw admitted. "in StarClan. I thought I'd never see you again."

"Why would you go looking for me?"

"Why would I-? Why wouldn't I? You were more of a father to Bluestar and Snowfur than Stormtail ever was. At the very least, I owe you for that!"

"You owe me nothing, Moonflower; I was Bluestar's mentor. Besides, she and Snowfur could never be separated."

"Not even when it mattered most…" Shimmerpaw murmured. "Sunfall, I… I didn't know how you felt about me. I didn't know how obvious Stormtail was being until it was too late. I should have seen it." Shimmerpaw scowled, letting her head flop roughly onto her paws.

Goldenpaw snorted.

"Not when the Clan was actively trying to keep you from being hurt." He admitted. "You deserved to be happy, even if your mate was a mouse-brain."

"I didn't learn this until I reached StarClan, but… he tried to kill Goosefeather."

"He what?!" Goldenpaw snarled, flexing unsheathed claws.

"It was in our early years. Goosefeather had just been appointed a full medicine cat after not even two moons of training, the poor guy. I just… I was so blind because I never thought anyone would look at me like Stormtail did. And by the time I figured you out I was already dead and… StarClan's kits, this is exhausting."

"You've had an exhausting day," Goldenpaw noted. "we should be sleeping by now anyway. I'm sure one of us has dawn patrol."

"Right. I wonder when Bluekit and Snowkit will become apprentices." She yawned.

"Hopefully soon. I'm sick of being the only one to gather moss." Goldenpaw grumbled before rolling over.

_____________________________________________________________

Robinpaw took a liking to Goldenheart. The blue-tipped she-cat could be seen at the young warrior's side more than her sister’s, asking questions or telling him about her day. Talking about everyone she'd met in camp. What Frostpaw and Shimmerlight were up to, what color Goosekit's eyes were now that he opened them. He looked good with blue eyes, but she hoped they turned yellow. She imagined he'd look nicer that way.

"We can't control the will of StarClan, Robinpaw." Goldenheart had chuckled fondly when she proclaimed that Goosekit had to have yellow eyes. It was only right! "And woe unto any cat who dares to try." He warned. "He's your brother and you love him anyway, right?"

"Of course!" Robinpaw spat, astonished that he'd ask.

"Then that's what matters." Goldenheart insisted. "He could have green eyes, like Shimmerlight. Many cats of your line have green eyes."

"I guess so." Robinpaw grumbled.

"Hey," Her sister's friend stopped her with a fluffy tail, urging her to look at him. "I'm proud of you."

Robinpaw dipped her head solemnly, eyes bright as her tail lashed back and forth.

"I'll be the cat you always thought you saw." She vowed.

______________________________________________________________

Robinpaw's mentor was a senior warrior named Rainstripe. She was dark grey with light orange eyes and Robinpaw was painfully reminded of her former medicine cat, Yellowfang.

"Do you need another mentor?" Rainstripe prompted one day when she completely missed the mouse that was practically driven into her paws. "You seem to like Goldenheart a lot. I could see if he wouldn't mind training you."

"Why?" Robinpaw wondered. "I get that I'm a lousy hunter, but I can get better-!"

"What-? Oh, I thought you didn't like me. It seems like every time we need to do something, you're padding after Goldenheart. Do you like him?"

"Of course I like him, he's a great cat." Robinpaw muttered, confused.

Rainstripe's expression turned to one of sympathy.

"Have you talked to your sister about this?"

"Shimmerlight knows that I hang around Goldenheart. I... well, I guess I can tell you this. I'm honestly waiting for him to get sick of me."

"Why would he do that?" Rainstripe wondered.

"I don't know." Robinpaw offered quietly. "I guess it just feels like I'm not good enough for the cats I'm surrounded by. They all believe in me, but I'm... I don't know. It doesn't matter. I'll find another mouse."

"Robinpaw," Rainstripe murmured, sadness warring with confusion. "Where did this come from?"

______________________________________________________________

"So, you were having trouble today." Goldenheart loomed over her like a cloud, effectively blocking the sunlight she was dozing in.

"I caught another two mice to make up for the one I missed." Robinpaw grumbled. "Rainstripe doesn't need to tell you everything."

"I'm not the one she told." Goldenheart corrected. "But I was there when she approached Violetclaw, Poolcloud, and Shimmerlight. So you might want to expect this talk more than once."

"Stars above-." Robinpaw groaned, rolling onto her back. "I shouldn't have said anything."

"C'mon, kit, you know you can talk to me."

"Not a kit." Robinpaw grumbled, allowing Goldenheart to poke at fluffy chest fur. "I just... I did some thinking today. About... Before. And I... I don't know if I can do this a second time, Sunstar." Robinpaw admitted. "Don't say anything yet."

"I don't know if I can do this a second time. I'm surrounded by cats I love, I have a brilliant mentor, everything's going great... but I'll lose it. Someway, somehow. There's no point to this second chance."

"Where is this coming from?" Goldenheart demanded sharply.

"Actually, that part just occurred to me. What I was thinking about earlier is that I messed up... a lot. There's no way around that. I was born, I slept a lot, I opened my eyes, I walked around, Stormtail wanted nothing to do with us, Moonflower tried... she really did. But then she died in the WindClan attack. That should have been my motivation, right? I should have been a warrior worth her praise in StarClan.

But I wasn't. I was completely average. I didn't do anything another cat couldn't do and the only reason I even became a deputy, let alone leader, is because it was given to me. Forced, almost. I was a walking disaster of a cat. You took pity on me and Goosefeather... Goosefeather probably saw one of his prophecies and thought I was destined to be the next leader but it really could have been any other cat."

"Like Thistleclaw?" Goldenheart sneered.

"Like Rosetail!" Robinpaw snapped, lunging to her paws. "Like Dappletail or Stormtail or Stonepelt or Sparrowfur. There were so many cats you could have chosen besides me and Thistleclaw. I kept making moused-brained mistakes and fox-hearted decisions and then when it finally caught up to me I couldn't handle it. And then I died not handling it. What good is a second chance when I haven't changed a bit?!"

"Well, to start with,” Frostpaw snorted from above where Robinpaw lounged. "You're just as dramatic as usual but that was the insight StarClan chose you for. Cats don't just become leaders, Bluestar. Sunstar wouldn't have picked you if he didn't think you were up for it, whether you'd kept your kits or not."

"And you best believe I will regret that for the rest of my days." Robinpaw muttered bitterly. "What's your point?"

"I know what my point is." Goldenheart snapped, thwapping Robinpaw aside the head. "You haven't lost anyone yet. We're all still here and StarClan willing, we're here to stay. Now, you can rest your chin on your paws or you can get up and be the cat I thought I was proud of. It's your choice, Robinpaw, but there is one to be made."

#bluestar #snowfur #sunstar #moonflower #whitestorm #warrior cats #warriors #warrior cats back to the future

12 notes · View notes

ashilleong-blog · 5 years

Text

Custom Plumbing or The Trouble with Testicles.

When Crawley first took human form he didn't bother with genitals. He didn't eat, drink or breed so he didn't see much point in adding a bit of kit that was bound to get in the way. Otherwise he'd modelled his human body on the angels and humans he saw, and assumed the angels hadn't bothered with the dangly bits either.

He hadn't been entirely right about that.

Crawley got his first set of genitals thanks to Aziraphale.

It had been early on, and while they hadn't exactly been on friendly terms Aziraphale wasn't as openly hostile as the other angels had been. Plus the whole thing with the sword had been pretty hilarious.

Aziraphale was particularly entertaining and non-hostile when he was sloshing around an animal bladder full of fermented something that humans had made.

"They make it for ceremonies and the like. It's absolutely divine." Aziraphale screwed his face up. He seemed to be having trouble getting his features under control. "No, not actually divine. But good. Not 'Good' good. Enjoyable! You'll like it. "

The angel certainly had looked like he was having a good time, and this fermented stuff undoubtedly made Crawley's job easier when the humans drank it. Eventually Crawley found himself tempted to try a swig. It hasn't taken all that much tempting to be perfectly honest.

And another.

And several more after that.

The next morning he was left with only a handful of hazy memories. Aziraphale bopping completely out of time with the drumming. The pair of them sitting on a log overlooking the big fire, laughing hysterically at something he couldn't quite remember. He thought he might have fallen off the log at some point. Crawley remembered explaining to Aziraphale about the stars but had the distinct impression of doing a less than stellar job of it, mostly because he forgot where he started and what he was actually talking about. Few memories, but the definite impression of having one of the best nights of his life.

But by Heaven he was paying for it now.

There was a funny taste in his mouth, like something had died in there. The drums from last night pounded away behind his eyes, which he kept firmly closed because the morning sun was out to kill him.

"Is this what Hell feels like?" The voice came from somewhere off to his right, and soundeda bit like Aziraphale if the angel had tried to gargle rocks.

"Hnurgh," Crawley replied with all the articulation he could muster. He wasn’t sure if he'd fallen off the log or not, but he clearly hadn't made it very far judging by the blessed thing digging into his arse. Crawley also felt uncomfortably full, low in his pelvis. It was a steady, insistent sensation that he’d never felt before. He'd also never felt the strange stiffening sensation in that part of his body because...

.. body part?

Crawley must've got sand in his eyes, because they felt like gravel when he opened them. He looked down. He squealed.

Aziraphale groaned. "Be gone foul beast."

"Aziraphale!" Crawley croaked urgently "What the Heaven happened last night? I've got... I've got..."

Aziraphale's face appeared from the other side of the log. He looked like he'd been run over by a herd of goats. The angel blinked several times, and then looked at the offending body part.

"It's just a penis, Crawley. About half the humans have one," he said, resting his forehead on the log.

"I don't. Didn't. Where'd it come from?"

Aziraphale groaned again. Apparently he wasn't up for questioning. Crawley didn't care - he'd woken up with a brand new body part and was blessed if he wasn't going to get answers.

Aziraphale lifted his head again. "I think I am going to be in trouble for this. I've already been spoken to about inappropriate miracles."

"For what? Angel, did you miracle me a cock?"

Aziraphale nodded. "You needed to urinate. Kept going on and on about how you were going to explode. This body had one as standard, I was trying to help."

Crawley had a vague memory of standing against a tree and feeling an unholy, profound sense of relief. And wet feet. His body suggested he would need to do the same again very, very soon. Preferably, without the wet feet.

Crawley, with considerable effort, heaved himself standing. He stumbled a few steps before aiming himself at a nearby bush and releasing a stream of urine. It stank, but it felt a lot better than keeping it in. He'd seen humans do this before; he just never thought he'd have to do it for himself.

He'd seen humans do other things with their genitals as well.

"Angel? Angel!"

Aziraphale heaved his head back up off the log. "I don't know how to banish a demon, but I'm about to give it a damn good try. What do you want Crawley?"

"Did you have sex with my genitals?"

The look of abject horror on Aziraphale's face suggested that he had not. "Don't be absurd. We've got genitals, not hormones."

"Oh. Right then. Good." Crawley staggered back to the log and sat down. He had a bit of a look at the whole set up. The hose was useful, obviously, but the dangling monstrosity down below was a bit of a mystery. He'd never taken that close of a look before.

"Do you really need to be doing that so close to my head?"

"What're these for?" Crawley asked ignoring the angel's complaint. He gave the offending organ a flick and felt an immediate, physical regret. It was an entirely new type of pain, both very localised and very encompassing at the same time. He doubled over and vowed never, ever to do that again.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Crawley nodded.

"They're testicles. Humans use them to produce sperm for mating. We don't need them but they come with the set. You just have to be a bit careful with them."

"How do you know all this?" Crawley asked, still feeling tender and more than a little wary.

"There was a seminar when I got the body. It was very interesting. Your lot didn't do one?" They hadn't. Crawley had sort of winged it as he went.

"Look, "Aziraphale continued, "Do you want me to miracle the genitalia away again?" He didn't sound enthusiastic about it.

"No, " Crawley waved him off, "I'll figure it out myself. Save you from having to explaining it to upstairs."

Aziraphale grunted his thanks, rubbing his eyelids. "But honestly Crawley, please go away."

He did, but he didn't magic away the genitalia because his body hadn't quite finished removing the night’s drink. In a few years’ time Crowley would figure out how to sober up with a miracle, and excitedly share the trick with Aziraphale, but right now they both had to deal with the physical aftermath the human way. It wasn't all bad. While watering a nearby bush he got talking with a young man from a neighboring clan and discovered a good, solid lead on some potential mischief.

Read the rest on Ao3

#good omens fanfiction #anthony j crowley #intersex #glbtqia #self acceptance #good omens #fanfic

1 note · View note

auspice-of-echoes · 5 years

Photo

StarClan approved of every code-abiding mateship, but sometimes mates loved eachother more than the word mate would allow.

The clans had several non-clanborn members who picked up Nofur words and occasionally used them. Husband, wife and spouse were three. No living member of the clans- save for Dawnstar, perhaps- could say who started the tradition of marriage. But to say it wasn’t the sweetest of ceremonies was a lie.

In Doveheart’s humble opinion, she’d been through too many ceremonies. First her apprentice, then her warrior, then her gender change and now her marriage. But she loved Blizzardtail with all her heart and soul. She couldn’t just say no when the white molly proposed to her.

Willowgaze purred happily, grooming down his daughter’s fur. Featherspots was weaving white flowers into his sister’s tail. Silverflash sat beside the silver-spotted tom, but didn’t help or say much. Doveheart tapped her paws against the earth, not very sure what her vows should be. She hadn’t ever needed to tell Blizzardtail anything more than an “I love you.”

It was greenleaf, the sun low in the sky, which was a good mix of pink and orange with dawn. It was a good, warm morning, a perfect day for a marriage. The waves of the lake slapped lightly on the sandy shore and up the back of the Lakerock. Dawnstar and Jittertail were sharing tongues under the face of it, in front of the den.

Blizzardtail’s family were primming her in the elder’s den, which sat across the way from Doveheart, and right beside the camp exit. The lichen and bramble tendrils out the front were closed solidly, and the only thing Doveheart could see were dull movements from the family of white-furred cats. Just as Doveheart let her mind drift toward however Aspentail and Gullsong, another set of married cats, were decorating her wife-to-be, Smokewing stepped out and padded toward her. Featherspots raised his head.

“How are things?” asked Blizzardtail’s brother.

“Alright,” Doveheart shrugged with a tilt of her head.

Smokewing smiled and picked up one of the flowers from the bundle beside Silverflash, passing it to Willowgaze. The tom smiled and purred, licking the stem and putting it under a tuft of fur on Doveheart’s head. He purred a bit louder as he stepped back and admired his daughter.

He made a sound and pressed a paw to one brilliant green eye. “Oh,” Willowgaze whimpered, “You’re so pretty, Dovey. I’m so proud of you.”

Doveheart dipped her head embarrassingly and stared down at her paws.

“Done!” exclaimed Featherspots, sitting up and purring. Doveheart looked back and swept her tail over the ground, very content with all the small white flowers adorned in it. She smiled and nodded up at her brother, who beamed back before putting his cheek against Silverflash’s.

Silverflash turned to Smokewing, “How’s Blizzardtail?”

Smokewing let out a happy, quick purr. “She’s good! Aspentail and Gullsong really wanted to deck her out,” he then looked down to the last few flowers at the black tom’s feet. “What flowers are those?”

Silverflash faced Featherspots and nodded for his mate to answer. The warm tom laughed a bit before he did. “They’re primroses. What did Gullsong choose?”

“Oh,” laughed Smokewing, “Lots. I think it’s mostly mallow and tulips, though. She found some morning glories in that birch forest on our other border.”

“They sound pretty,” Doveheart mewed, a bit flustered at the thought of her mate somehow becoming even more beautiful.

“Do you think the ceremony will be soon?” Willowgaze asked Smokewing. He nodded happily, so Willowgaze turned to his daughter. “Do you have your vows ready, Dovey?”

Doveheart gulped hard. “...n-no.”

Willowgaze fanned away the other warriors with his tail and laid down, tapping the ground to invite Doveheart to do the same. Doveheart laid and slunk forward, placing her head on her father’s back.

“Do you remember Swallowwhisker and Sunfeather’s wedding?” he asked her. Doveheart shook her head, so Willowgaze went on. “I remember. Swallowwhisker said that he’d be there for her no matter what. But also said he didn’t know everything and may need help sometimes. Sunfeather said that she wasn’t perfect and knew that, but said she would try her absolute best because Swallowwhisker couldn’t carry the entire relationship.”

Doveheart huffed, thinking.

“Sunfeather also brought up a miscarriage they had. She said she couldn’t hardly bear to look at Swallowwhisker and thought their relationship was over. But Swallowwhisker had always supported her from afar.”

“Blizzardtail and I haven’t ever had a miscarriage,” Doveheart reminded, a bit angrily, “We haven’t even tried to have kits.”

“No,” Willowgaze admitted, “But there was that time when you were both apprentices….”

Doveheart made a loud, long noise of discomfort. She unsheathed her claws and pressed them deep into the earth.

“My point is,” Willowgaze laughed, “You got past it and you’re getting married now! If Blizzardtail hadn’t forgiven you, you wouldn’t be here!”

Doveheart hummed and sat up. “Okay. I think I have an idea of what to say.” She turned toward Jittertail and Dawnstar. Gullsong stood in front of them, and Dawnstar turned bright green eyes toward Doveheart. The molly nodded back, and Willowgaze gave her one last lick.

The cream leader hopped atop the Lakerock. Jittertail and Gullsong, the deputy, sat on either side.

“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Lakerock for a clan meeting!” cried Dawnstar.

Hailpaw was the first cat to rush out. He shot up beside Willowgaze, who was taking a spot a tail-length from Smokewing under the Lakerock. His mentor said something Doveheart couldn’t hear, and, very disappointedly, the apprentice took a spot on the opposite side.

Rabbitfleck and Sunfeather, shoulder-to-shoulder and holding two curved leaves, padded proudly through the crowds, flower petals falling. Once they reached the start of the crowds, two tail-lengths from the Lakerock, they circled around and took places.

“Doveheart,” called Dawnstar. The molly gave her chest one last embarrassed lick and started to pad down. Everycat’s eyes burned into her fur, but she kept her head high and tail straight out. She sat a half-tail from the point of the Lakerock, turning to see Willowgaze, Featherspots and Mistblaze, her mentor, smiling proudly.

The gray molly let out a breath and faced the aisle, sitting up straight and curling her tail around her hide. Then Blizzardtail, beside Aspentail, stepped down the small, rocky steps of the elder’s den and, in Doveheart’s mind, it suddenly clicked why they were preparing her in there.

She was beautiful.

Several small purple flowers adorned her slim figure, though mostly bundled on her head, the back of her neck and her shoulders. She also had a few in her blue-and-cream tail, of course, but Doveheart couldn’t take in one part at a time. Her mate was just so pretty and somehow her parents had made her even more so.

At the starts of the crowds and a tail-length from Doveheart, Aspentail pressed his nose to his daughter’s cheek and set her off before taking his place on Smokewing’s other side. Doveheart subconsciously dipped her head in greeting, though her gaze never wavered from her mate’s face. Dawnstar jumped down from her post and nudged Gullsong’s shoulder. With that, the deputy padded around them and sat beside Aspentail instead, her eyes bright with water. Jittertail took her mother’s place.

“We are gathered here today to witness the marriage of Doveheart and Blizzardtail,” the medicine cat announced, “They have quite the history,” she said, gaze flickering between Blizzardtail’s parents and Doveheart’s father, “They shared the nursery together and weren’t ever seen more than a pawstep from eachother. As they grew older, their friendship grew stronger. And, when the time was right, Doveheart asked Blizzardtail to be her mate.”

Doveheart had managed to tear her gaze away from the beautiful white molly in front of her to listen to Jittertail’s speech. But when the lilac medicine cat mentioned Blizzardtail and mate in the same sentence, she couldn’t help herself but to look back. Blizzardtail caught her out of the corner of her beautiful green eyes and smiled lovingly.

Jittertail smiled and took a deep breath, eyes hanging around the two mollies under her. “Today, we observe their marriage. Do either of you have any words for eachother?”

Blizzardtail faced her mate and nodded. “Doveheart…” she whispered, “I love you with all my heart… I never knew how bad I needed you, but now that you’re here, I can’t imagine a life without you…” She sniffed and her voice broke, “And I need you with me forever because I’m a mess. But you make me feel less messy…. There isn’t a word to describe how long I want to live and love you, because eternity and forever aren’t long enough.”

Blizzardtail’s eyes watered and she pressed a paw to her face as one flooded. Doveheart longed to shoot forward, lick her tears away and comfort her, but Blizzardtail knew her too well. The molly tapped her cream-tipped tail against the ground, telling Doveheart to stay still.

Looking back up at the Lakerock, Jittertail had nodded down at Doveheart.

She gulped. “I feel… the same, Blizz…” she looked back toward her father for approval. He lifted his tail slightly and bared his teeth in his smile. Doveheart sighed and shut her eyes tight. “I never… thought we would be here… I thought when…”

She felt a lump choke in her throat and her voice crack. She cleared her throat, but it didn’t do any good.

“I thought when Smokewing fell in the lake and… got bitten by that turtle,” she couldn’t help but stifle a laugh at the ridiculousness of that situation. Blizzardtail’s brother still had that strange gait in his hips from where he’d been attacked. “And I ran to get help instead of saving him…” Doveheart took a deep breath, “You wouldn’t look or talk to me for… moons. And I thought our relationship was over right there. But… for some star-forsaken reason, you started talking to me again.”

Blizzardtail smiled gently up at her, which was the only thing Doveheart needed to keep going.

“I don’t know why you did. But I’m so happy you did, Blizzardtail. I love you so much and I can’t imagine a life without you… or a life where you still hate me… the thought keeps me up at night,” she sniffed, “You’re right. I will love you forever and ever… and even more after that.”

Doveheart gave Blizzardtail one solid nod, which she returned, then the both of them looked back up at Jittertail. The molly had laid down on the Lakerock, but now the focus again, stood.

“Wonderful,” she purred, then looked up at the dawn sky, “StarClan, we ask that you look down upon these warriors. They wish to declare an eternal love, greater than matehood, and we wish you see and approve,” she then looked down at Blizzardtail, “Do you, Blizzardtail, take Doveheart to be your wife, to have and love, in sickness and health, in life and death, from this day forward?”

Blizzardtail, her voice still shaky and her eyes still watery- maybe even moreso, what with Doveheart’s vows- managed to weakly mew, “I do.”

Jittertail turned to Doveheart, “Do you, Doveheart?”

Doveheart sniffed and, voice alot more broken than she thought it would be, mewled out an “I do.”

“Then,” Jittertail meowed, rather proudly, “By the powers of StarClan, I declare you two wives!”

A purr rumbled in Doveheart’s throat, and she rushed forward to press her nose to Blizzardtail’s, rubbing her head over her chin and pressing closer. Blizzardtail licked her chin and cheek while Doveheart sobbed on top of her. The clan called out their names, but their parents, siblings and mentors voices were the most distinct.

The cries slowly started to fade out after several, several heartbeats. With that, Jittertail hopped down and Dawnstar waved her brown tortoiseshell tail for the crowds to return to their duties. The newlyweds didn’t move, but neither Dawnstar or Jittertail had any intention to make them.

After the two left, Blizzardtail slunk her head out from under Doveheart’s and licked a piece of fur on her chest down. She laughed a bit as she spoke.

“You had that up the entire ceremony.”

“Oh, noooo!”

Blizzardtail laughed, “It’s okay! It’s oka~ay! I love you.”

Doveheart sniffed and wiped her face with her paw, “I love you too.”

“I can’t believe we’re married now!” Blizzardtail exclaimed breathily, “Doesn’t hearing wife just feel so good?”

Doveheart nodded. It really did, especially when coming from her’s.

#doveheart #blizzardtail #smokewing #aspentail #gullsong #willowstar #silverflash #dawnstar #jittertail #if anyone tags br/ac/ke/nf/ur i will stomp you to death with my fucking hooves

2 notes · View notes

walters-tampon-string · 6 years

Text

Justice

Fandom: Warriors

Rating: T

Warnings: Evil Spottedleaf, Spottedshade, drowning, murder (neither of done to either party of the ship)

Characters: Spottedleaf, Mapleshade, Patchkit, Larchkit, Flowerkit, Reedshine, Appledusk.

Relationships: Mapleshade/Spottedleaf

Description: Everything Spottedleaf did was just.

Notes: Credit to Pumpkin Claws and Draikinator on YT for the AU.

Seeing kits up in StarClan never failed to make Spottedleaf’s heart twinge a bit in pity. It seemed unfair, for lives to be lost so soon. Every kit, in her opinion, should get the opportunity to taste their first piece of prey or to be an apprentice. They should get the opportunity to live. And she stuck hard to this vow. She had gotten herself killed trying to give Frostfur’s kits that right.

Alas though, as much as she believed in this conviction, she couldn’t change fate completely, and every now and then, a kit, scared and confused, would join their ranks. It was always a heartbreaking sight to see, really. The kit would usually always demand or beg to see their mother or father, which would then force one of the StarClan members to come forward and gently explain that the kit was not apart of his or her’s parents world anymore, and they would have to wait until their mother, father, or siblings eventually joined the ranks with them, in order to see them again.

They always conveniently left out that it could be seasons and seasons before that would happen. But it eventually would. No cat could escape death forever, and she had to admit, it was touching to see kits finally reuniting with their parents, when their time eventually came. She’d been there when Mosskit got reunited with Bluestar. Admittedly, it had been quite a jarring sight to see her old leader, who Spottedleaf always saw as powerful, strong, and calculated cat, break down from overwhelming emotion. But it also made her heart melt a bit, too.

Seeing such sights always made her somewhat wish she could have kits of her own, but that opportunity was forever gone. Her tail twitched. But hey, she wasn’t the only unfortunate one here in StarClan. In fact, some had an even sadder fate than her. The three cats she had in mind were the kits who would never get the opportunity to see both of their parents’ again. At least, not in a meaningful way.

Kits in StarClan were very rarely left unattended. Even if their mother or father wasn’t up in StarClan yet, someone would usually step in and take care of them. Snowfur, for example, had apparently volunteered to take care of Mosskit after the kit had joined their ranks. To this day, Snowfur still continued to dote on her niece as if she were her own child.

There was always a cat like Snowfur around.

But for as long as she had been up here, there had been three particular kits who seemed to be without guardians. Of course, they weren’t outcasted completely. If one of the kits squeaked up at a leader, while in the middle of playing, that particular StarClan warrior would always be willing to spend a bit of time entertaining and talking with them. She even saw them playing with some of the other StarClan kits every now and again. But while they weren’t completely ignored or vilified, there was no denying that these kits were different from the other StarClan kits in some way.

It was extremely rare, but every now and then, she saw a RiverClan tom and she-cat approach them and stick with them, but never for very long. For a while, she wondered if those were the kits parents. Their fur seemed just as faded as theirs, which suggested they had all existed around the same time. She wasn’t sure. If they were their parents, why did they always look so uncomfortable whenever they were around the kits.

Her curiosity finally getting the best of her, she asked Smallear who the kits were and why they seemed to have no one around them constantly.

The story was much sadder than she thought it would be. The three kits had been the result of a forbidden romance between a ThunderClan she-cat and a RiverClan tom. Eventually, ThunderClan had apparently discovered that the kits were Half-Clan and had banished them and their mother out of the Clan. Thinking RiverClan would provide them sanctuary, the she-cat, having nowhere else to go, decided to trek across the river.

Unfortunately, the water got too rough, and the current swept the kits away. The she-cat and a bunch of RiverClan warriors had jumped in after them in an attempt to save them, but despite their best efforts, the kits, unfortunately, did not survive the incident.

Her heart aching for the poor kits and their unfair death, she then asked if the two cats she kept seeing approach them were their mother and father. She had <i> thought </i> they both looked like they were RiverClan cats, but she could’ve been wrong-

Then Smallear told her the second part of the story. The scarier, darker part of it. About how the she-cat, now lost with a desire for vengeance, had then went on a misguided murder to avenge the life of her kits. How that conquest had eventually lead to her own demise, and the demise of three other cats.

And now, that she-cat wasn’t even walking up in the fields of StarClan with them, but instead in the shadows of the Dark Forest. A tragic end to a tragic tale.

Despite the fact that what the she-cat did was wrong, Spottedleaf couldn’t help but feel a speck of pity for her in her heart. No cat should of had to go through the pain that she went through.

And while she would never admit it out loud to Smallear, she could even empathize with the she-cat in a way. She knew what it felt like to feel cheated by life and underappreciated. She also could understand the desire for revenge.

But, of course, she couldn’t go into that with Smallear. So instead, she simply innocently asked who this she-cat was.

And that was the first time she heard the name Mapleshade.

She had been willing to leave it at that. She had simply wanted to know the information for pure curiosity's sake. But then Smallear had to continue with, “I worry about those kits sometimes.”

“Why?” Spottedleaf asked immediately, her ears twitching with interest.

Smallear leaned towards her conspiringly, as if he was about to tell her a secret he wasn’t supposed to tell. Maybe he was. Spottedleaf felt her heart pump a bit with excitement as she leaned in with him to hear his words.

“Lots of cats here had been claiming they’ve seen her hanging around near the border lately. She never crosses, and most will get her to back off, but it is still quite odd. She has never made a habit of hanging around before. Especially not at the frequency these reports are coming in.” He suddenly leaned back and began to idly lick at his paw, saying in between licks, “And you know those Dark Forest cats don’t approach the border unless-”

“-They have someone they are looking for,” Spottedleaf finished.

Smallear nodded, “Exactly.”

Spottedleaf politely dipped her head and thanked Smallear for telling her about the mysterious kits. Smallear immediately got flustered and stammered out it was no problem. Hmph. Toms were so easy, it was kind of sad. Oh well, she wasn’t going to complain about cats being easier to convince. So, instead of giving him an unimpressed look, she gave him as a genuine of a beam as she could before padding away.

Besides, the tom deserved it.

The information he gave her was more valuable than he probably previously realized.

………………………...

She had took it upon herself to play and tend with the three kits, whose names were apparently Patchkit, Flowerkit, and Larchkit. She had thought the decision might of been somewhat controversial in StarClan, seeing as the cats up here did seem somewhat uncomfortable with the kits, but to her surprise, people seemed to eye her approvingly. Smallear had even smiled, saying she had always been a nice cat and she was providing them a nice role model, unlike their mother. Cats were relieved some cat seemed to want to handle them for them.

She was glad the kits seemed to like her too. They followed her practically everywhere and were always wanting her to tell them stories or play around with them, and she was perfectly happy to indulge them sometimes. They were all very sweet kits. They did not deserve banishment from a Clan simply for the crime of being born, nor did they deserve to die such a horrible fate.

They would’ve made great warriors, whether they were in ThunderClan or RiverClan.

And she got to meet the two RiverClan cats who occasionally visited them. One of them was named Reedshine, a pretty she-cat, who the kits seemed to be at least somewhat fond of. Spottedleaf realized this must be the second mate Appledusk had taken in RiverClan. Spottedleaf liked her well enough. She was sweet and gentle, and if she held any resentment towards the kits from the pain their mother had no doubt caused her, she certainly didn’t show it. However, she did make it clear she was happy that Spottedleaf was taking task with them now instead of her. She lamented that she hated to see sweet kits by themselves most of the time, but she also got bad memories looking at them.

Spottedleaf had nodded sympathetically, though she was somewhat annoyed she had to mention this so close to the kits.

While Reedshine, ultimately though, seemed like a nice enough she-cat, Spottedleaf couldn’t say the tom, Appledusk carried that same kindness. The tom looked uncomfortable the entire time he was even near the kits. He spoke not a word to her or either of them. Spottedleaf could see the kits were more visibly nervous or avoidant of him. She watched Flowerkit tap his tail gently with her paws in an attempt to get his attention, but he just lifted his tail out of her reach and gave her a dirty look until she slinked away, looking apologetic.

Spottedleaf had held her tongue, a spike of anger shooting through her. What either Mapleshade or Reedshine saw in this tom was beyond her. To her, he seemed to be a most unpleasant character.

Eventually, after their first visit, Reedshine had dipped her head and said that they must go, once again thanked Spottedleaf for her kindness. Reedshine looked expectantly at her mate, who didn’t say anything. She nudged him on the shoulder and he gave her an annoyed look that practically screamed, ‘What?!’

Reedshine gestured at Spottedleaf with her head, and said, “Say thank you.”

Appledusk looked like he was prepared to argue, but then he just turned his nasty look on Spottedleaf and growled a rough, “Thanks.” before padding away.

Spottedleaf waited until they were a good distance away before letting her look grow dark. Hmph. What an entirely unpleasant tom. But she didn’t let herself get to angry and worked up. After all, if her plans worked out in her favor, then she wouldn’t have to deal with him anymore. Her tail curled in pleasure at the thought.

But first she had to gain the kits trust. They may be young in appearance, but they were not stupid.

Suddenly, she felt someone tapping her paw. Looking over, she saw Flowerkit looking at her shyly, mewing, “Spottedleaf… can you give us a badger ride?”

Spottedleaf internally grimaced at the thought. Badger rides were by far her least favorite of the games these kits liked to play, as they were much bigger than they thought they were and she was much smaller than they seemed to think she was. But seeing how nervous Flowerkit looked to ask, and remembering Appledusk’s dismissive attitude towards her, she immediately smiled and nodded. Flowerkit immediately beamed and shot off calling for her siblings to come and join.

She smiled. She couldn’t help but have the premonition that things were about to get a whole lot more interesting. And very soon.

………………………………..

It eventually happened one day.

She had just finished up an idle chat with Lionheart, when all of a sudden, she heard a shy, “Spottedleaf?”

She turned around and saw Larchkit, who was the one who spoke, approaching, with Patchkit and Flowerkit trailing behind him. Smiling, she said, “Yes, dear?”

Larchkit suddenly looked like he lost some confidence. Swallowing, he looked at his siblings for support, before he said, “Can we show you something?”

Spottedleaf had a feeling she knew exactly what they were wanting to show her. But she didn’t want to betray that. Keeping her gaze calculated, she said, “Show me something?”

Larchkit nodded firmly. Suddenly, Patchkit meowed, “But you have to promise not to get mad or tell on us! A lot of other cats get mad at us when we show them this!”

Spottedleaf blinked, before pleasantly chirping, “Oh, you three don’t have to worry your little heads about that. I could never be mad at you.”

The kits looked skeptical at this.

“What about the time when we told Yellowfang she was mean?” Patchkit asked, cocking his head.

Spottedleaf flattened her ears, before clarifying, “That was entirely different. You were being rude. But I wasn’t mad, I was just chiding you.”

The kits still looked skeptical, so Spottedleaf placatingly said, “I promise on my honor that I won’t get mad at whatever you show me.”

This seemed to convince the kits. Immediately they beamed. They were also prepared to move immediately, Patchkit immediately taking the lead, his small tail raised proudly in the air. He looked behind him and screeched, “Come on!” before charging off, Larchkit and Flowerkit not so far behind.

Spottedleaf shook her head. Where did kits get all of this energy from?

She followed them a good distance, purposely making sure that her strides were long enough for them to see her approaching, but slow enough that she was always a good distance behind them. She needed to be smart about this, if what, or for that matter, who, they were showing her was as bad as they were making it out to be.

Her theory was getting confirmed more and more, the longer they followed. The trees of the StarClan were beginning to get sparser, the grass beginning to die. She could feel a malevolent energy hanging in the air.

They were nearing the Dark Forest border.

All of a sudden, she heard squeals of excitement and saw Flowerkit, Patchkit, and Larchkit somehow moe een faster than before over the hill. Given that she heard Patchkit joyously scream, “Mother!”, it didn’t take a lot of deduction work to figure who was standing over the hill.

She continued to move slowly, not wanting to approach too suddenly in case she scared the she-cat off. All of a sudden, she saw Patchkit’s head pop over the hill. He half-ran, half-tumbled down it before, finally, he was by her side, puffing, “Come on! You got to see mom now! If we hang around here too much a patrol will see and we’ll never be able to see her again!”

That urged Spottedleaf to hurry up with Patchkit up the hill and then down it to go and see the infamous Mapleshade.

When she spotted the large she-cat, she had no doubt in her mind that this indeed Mapleshade. She looked almost identical to Patchkit in looks, though her thick fur was somewhat matted and her body was covered in scars. There was a particularly long one on the back of her neck. Her ears were covered in nicks. The marks of a cat who had lived a hard life.

It was amazing to see how much Mapleshade’s expression changed. When she had first began going down the hill, she saw the tortoiseshell’s face full of love as she looked at her kits from across the border. However, the moment she saw Spottedleaf, hatred and malignance flickered through her dark eyes. It was so dramatic an expression change, that when Mapleshade shot to her feet, her gnarled claws springing out of her paws, Spottedleaf actually leapt back a bit in fright, her own claws springing out from sheer reflex, her tail raising and bushing slightly.

But she forced her fur to lie flat when she heard Patchkit explain, “No, Mother, this is Spottedleaf. She is nice!”

Mapleshade looked as if she were somewhat split on being nicer for the sake of her kits, or just saying forget that and screaming obscenities at Spottedleaf. Her fur bristled and she kept looking at her kits, who were all talking over one another trying to explain what Spottedleaf had done for them and back to Spottedleaf.

Finally, she seemed to decide on a combination of the two. Allowing herself to sit down on her haunches, she licked her fur down, (though the claws were still out), and said, “What do you want?”

Spottedleaf kept her smile pleasant, “To talk.”

Mapleshade gave a skeptical look.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Mapleshade and Spottedleaf had discussed for quite a bit of time, the two she-cats laying down in their respective borders.

The kits played amiably around them, sometimes leaping on Spottedleaf’s tail or haunches, which was a bit distracting, but it kept them busy. Mapleshade still looked tense around her, but she was pretty sure hearing how comfortable the kits were with her and seeing the kind look on Spottedleaf’s face probably made her not think she was such a threat. Besides, it wasn’t like Spottedleaf was growling and chasing her off the border. She doubted she would be able to pull off that intimidating of a look anyways.

The two of them discussed some things. It was small talk really. Spottedleaf asked about what it was like at the Dark Forest and Mapleshade asked her a few questions about StarClan. Spottedleaf had tensed, waiting for Mapleshade to bring up any of the cats she killed, but the she-cat didn’t. Perhaps she didn’t even like thinking of them. Perhaps she didn’t want to know about them.

Mapleshade finally cut to the chase, “What do you want, StarClan cat? I am not so much of a fool to know you won’t use my kits as blackmail.” Mapleshade’s eyes glimmered with hatred again.

Spottedleaf kept her pleasant smile on her face, refusing to let herself be so easily intimidated by the she-cat. If she was going to prove herself to Mapleshade, she had to be tough. “I will do nothing of the sort. I personally think every kit should get to see their mother now and again.”

Mapleshade growled, “Then what do you want?”

“A favor,” Spottedleaf said. Mapleshade practically crowed in her face with laughter, revealing a set of very sharp, yellow teeth.

“A favor?” Mapleshade practically screeched, her voice shrill. “You StarClan cats have some nerve thinking you can ask the cats you sent down here a favor.”

She noticed that the kits had ceased playing, nervously eyeing the two of them. Spottedleaf coolly said, “I am not asking all of the Dark Forest for a favor, just you.”

Mapleshade hissed lowly, “You don’t have anything, I would want, flower.”

Spottedleaf gave a smirk now, her eyes glinting wickedly as she said, “Oh but I think I do, actually.”

Mapleshade’s eyes narrowed, as she said, “What? My kits-”

“No,” Spottedleaf said, cutting Mapleshade off. Leaning forward, so that her nose almost crossed the border, she said, “Revenge.”

Mapleshade opened her mouth in shock, and for a heartbeat, it seemed as if she was about to say something. But after a moment, her eyes narrowed even more and her mouth closed as she mulled things over. Then, finally, she looked at Spottedleaf and said, “Go on.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spottedleaf had always been a good actress. At least, she was pretty sure she did. Maybe it wasn’t her acting that was so good, it was just that people didn’t expect her to deceive them. She was sweet and pretty and a medicine cat. She didn’t make a habit of lying all the time, and she managed to keep herself believable enough to get cats to follow along with what she had to say.

And she was about to put this to the ultimate test. If she didn’t do this right then she would mess up a great opportunity for herself. So, bracing herself, she put on her best panicked and scared face and bolted towards a RiverClan tom who was stalking a mouse.

“Appledusk! Appledusk!” she cried, scaring the mouse away in the process. The tom glared at her in annoyance and was no doubt about to snap at her for making him lose his meal, but at the terrified and frazzled look she must of been sporting, he hesitated.

Taking advantage of his pause, she gasped, “Mapleshade got Reedshine!”

Appledusk immediately bristled, snapping, “What?!”

Spottedleaf shook her head. “There is little time to explain. The kits went missing and I asked her for help. She was trying to find Flowerkit, Patchkit, and Larchkit with me and we went near the Dark Forest border… we found them, but Mapleshade was waiting for us! They grabbed her and is holding her hostage! She told me to grab you immediately! Please, you got to help her!”

Appledusk immediately nodded and said, “Alright, let’s go. Lead the way.”

Spottedleaf nodded and charged ahead, fighting the urge to smile the whole entire way. They finally reached the Dark Forest border, she paused as Appledusk desperately looked around for Reedshine. “Reedshine? Reedshine?! Where are you? Mapleshade, show yourself!”

Appledusk was so desperate in looking across the border for Reedshine and Mapleshade, he didn’t notice Spottedleaf slinking up behind him. Taking a breath, she charged and then, with all of her strength, leapt at him and pushed him across the border. The unsuspecting tom tumbled with a cry of surprise, completely knocked off his feet.

Gritting his teeth, he tried to stand up. But midway before he could snarl at her and ask why she did that, a large she-cat leapt on top of him and pinned him down. When he opened his mouth, he could only let out a cry of pain when she slashed his muzzle.

Mapleshade leered down at him, “Hello again, Appledusk. It’s been a while.”

Appledusk snarled, “What are you doing, Mapleshade? Where is Reedshine? Spottedleaf, what is this?!” His green eyes were full of anger, but Spottedleaf could see a hint of fear inside of them as well. She supposed she couldn’t blame him.

“Don’t worry, Reedshine is fine. She is babysitting the kits,” Spottedleaf meowed, “You however, I can’t promise will be the same after Mapleshade is through with you.”

Appledusk struggled against Mapleshade’s weight, trying desperately to wiggle free or to kick her off, but she was not allowing it. The Dark Forest cat was as steadfast as a rock and she was not moving. In fact, she was seeming to take pleasure on digging her claws into Appledusk’s skin.

Appledusk looked at Spottedleaf in horror, gasping, “What is this?”

Spottedleaf just merely shook her head, “How could you have done that to someone you claimed to have loved?”

Appledusk’s eyes hardened. Looking at Mapleshade, he snarled, “I regret ever meeting you, fox-heart.”

“Likewise,” Mapleshade said. Then suddenly, she removed herself off of Appledusk’s body. The tom was about to shoot to his feet and no doubt flee, but Mapleshade quickly and roughly grabbed him by the scruff of the neck with a surprising amount of strength. Appledusk hissed in pain.

Spottedleaf smiled and said, “It seems as if Mapleshade’s mouth is full right now, so I will just fill in for her. You’re not leaving, Appledusk.” She saw Appledusk’s eyes widen with actual fear now. He tugged desperately to try and free himself, but Mapleshade was bigger and stronger than him, and she had her jaws fastened tightly on his flesh. He was not getting out of her iron grip.

“Traitor!” he screeched at Spottedleaf, his voice shrill. “You’re a traitor!”

“Perhaps so,” Spottedleaf said coldly, with a shrug, “But my betrayal will end up helping dozens of cats. Your betrayal ended up with multiple cats dead. So far, mine only has one casualty. Yours.”

“Let go of me! Let go! Let go!” Appledusk begged and pleaded, but Mapleshade wasn’t hearing anymore. She began dragging Appledusk with her. Not easy work, but they had accounted for this. Spottedleaf had made sure that the area they were in was relatively near the giant river the two realms had. It crossed blue and pristine from StarClan… and turned into blackish sludge in the Dark Forest. It would only take Mapleshade a few mouse-lengths to get in there.

As Appledusk and Mapleshade fought each other, hissing and clawing and spitting, Spottedleaf follow calmly behind, crossing the border to follow Mapleshade and see the process. She couldn’t have Appledusk coming back, no matter the cost. She definitely felt the difference as she crossed the border. Everything felt slimy and wet beneath her feet and the air felt heavy and thick. The smell of mold and rot filled her nose. Ugh. She would like to get out of here soon.

They finally reached the black river. Appledusk had taken quite the beating on the trip there. His body was littered with cuts and scrapes, and dirt matted his pelt and paws. He was also thoroughly exhausted from having to fight so hard, the tom gasping desperately in the heavy air. It took Mapleshade little work to push him into the water. Then, immediately, she jumped in and placed her weight on his head.

“This is what you get, Appledusk,” Mapleshade hissed, fury in her tone, “What I did to you when we were alive was entirely too merciful. You deserve to die a thousand times over!”

It was a slow process drowning someone. It was hard too. Appledusk kicked and fought, probably using every last energy reserve in his body to escape… even when he stilled, bubbles still rose, hinting he was alive. They had to wait patiently, until finally, the bubbles ceased. Mapleshade tentatively lifted her body out of the water, dragging Appledusk’s soaking body with her. The tom wasn’t moving or breathing. A few seconds later, they watched his body fade away.

Spottedleaf shuddered despite herself. Even for a horrible cat like that, she wasn’t a fan of watching murder. But she also felt a lick of satisfaction. She had done it. She had accomplished her task.

It seemed as if Mapleshade was surprised as well. After she shook off her fur (directly near Spottedleaf too, much to the medicine cat’s dismay), she looked Spottedleaf up and down and said, “I am surprised you did that, starlight. I thought all of you StarClan cats were moral goody-goodies.” Her whiskers twitched and she actually looked impressed. Pride beamed in Spottedleaf’s chest.

Giving Mapleshade a coy look, she said, “Surely Appledusk being up there convinced you that was not entirely true?”

Mapleshade growled her assent. Spottedleaf added, “But you are right, I am willing to go to bounds most StarClan cats aren’t willing to go to if it means things can go according to plan. And that is where you will come in.”

Mapleshade nodded, “You got yourself a deal.” Flexing her claws into the wet soil, she meowed, “Getting to tear my claws into that mouse-hearted coward again was more satisfying than I thought it would be.”

Spottedleaf nodded and smiled, genuinely this time, “Yes, yes… but we got a while yet before your part of the plan really becomes implemented.” There was always so much to do.

Mapleshade just grunted and kept licking at her pelt in a desperate attempt to get dry. Having thick fur like that get wet was probably a pain.

Spottedleaf knew that she should probably head back to her realm again, but it felt wrong to just leave like that. She still found Mapleshade a fascinating and smart and strong creature… and besides, surely their kits should get the right to see their mother multiple times, right?

So, looking at Mapleshade imploringly, she mewed, “Can I see you again? I’ll bring the kits.”

Mapleshade looked startled at the offer. “You wanting more from me or something?”

Spottedleaf shook her head, “No, I just wanted to see you.” She looked Mapleshade in the eyes to show that she was genuine.

Mapleshade looked away, as if unsure what to do about this. But eventually she meowed, “Sure.”

“Wonderful. I’ll see you sometime soon. Thank you for your help, Mapleshade,” Spottedleaf purred. She then pressed her nose quickly to Mapleshade’s muzzle, before she bounded off back to StarClan.

Excitement buzzed in her paws. She had a feeling things were about to get a whole lot more exciting soon.

#ashs writing #evil spottedleaf au #spottedleaf #mapleshade #spottedshade #warriors #warrior cats #fanfiction #wc #patchkit #larchkit #flowerkit #appledusk #reedshine #smallear

47 notes · View notes