#Written moon

[nettleclanstale]

Moon 94.5

Moon 94.5- Gathering

Spiderstar swished his tail along the wood of the High Oak, watching intently as Birchstar, along with a sizable amount of OakClan cats, made their way into the Gathering Space. The crunching of snow beneath the cats' paws was one of the only sounds heard as they took their seats in the darkened hollow, Birchstar hopping onto the low branch the others sat upon with a sheepish look on his face.

"It's about time you all got here!" Spiderstar joked, smiling. 

"We got lost," The young tom explained, giving his chest fur a few licks of embarrassment. Leaning forward slightly to look just beyond Spiderstar, Birchstar's eyes narrowed. "Sappatch? What are you doing up here? Where's Brokenstar?"

"He's expecting. He's not doing well, and he didn't want to come." Sappatch, QuailClan's medicine cat, meowed in reply. The white tom turned his head towards Birchstar's voice, and Spiderstar felt himself shift back slightly. Although Sappatch couldn't see him, he still didn't wish to feel his gaze.

"And what about Cleardawn?" Birchstar questioned, tilting his head slightly.

"Mangled tail."

"Oh."

"Anyway!" Spiderstar cut the two off, chuckling nervously. "I believe it's time to begin. Would either of you like to begin?" 

Silence. A gentle yet cold breeze blew through the air, making Spiderstar and a few other cats shiver. 

"Very well," The brown tabby meowed, letting out a heavy exhale before speaking again. "NettleClan has had...Rough times lately. We're still recovering from the flood that took away so many of our clanmates. While prey has been easier to find, we're still working on rebuilding our camp."

For a moment, Spiderstar paused, taking a moment to look at the gathered cats. Beneath him, an OakClan apprentice looked visibly distraught by the mention of the flood. After a few seconds passed, he continued to speak. "Additionally, we've lost a couple of clanmates this moon. Our beloved Sandystream, along with her son Willowkit, passed away from kitting complications and passed on to StarClan. We will miss them dearly, and we hope they're able to find easy hunting and rest in peace."

Cats lowered their heads, ears flattened as they silently paid tribute to the fallen cats. Sappatch let out a soft hum, shaking his head.

"It's always sad when cats pass on from these things, especially when it takes the lives of kits as well." He murmured. "QuailClan offers condolences."

"And so does OakClan." Birchstar stated, nervously shifting his paws.

Spiderstar nodded. "I thank you both," He meowed. "Now...As for some good news. Our lovely apprentice, Hoppaw, has earned her warrior name. I ask that we give our congratulations to Hopstreak!"

"Hopstreak! Hopstreak! Hopstreak!" Cats chanted, while the golden and brown tortoiseshell puffed out her chest, an expression of pride on her face. 

"One final thing." Spiderstar's whiskers twitched. "Despite the loss of Willowkit I am happy to announce that his littermate, his sister Baykit, is thriving and doing just fine. I am also happy to announce that Crowheart is our deputy."

Murmurs of relief spread through the crowd, smiles forming on the faces of the cats. Spiderstar dipped his head.

"That is all." He said, casting glances at both Sappatch and Birchstar. "Go on."

Birchstar cast his gaze to the ground, wrapping his tail around his paws. Sappatch stepped forward, his blind yellow gaze fixed on the crowd.

"I suppose I'll go next. I can tell we're all getting cold and I don't want our whiskers and tails falling off on the way back home!" He joked, earning chuckles and amused purrs from the clan members below.

"Anyway...Other than Cleardawn's mangled tail, our clan is thriving!" Sappatch purred, beaming. "Our beloved leader Brokenstar is expecting his first litter with his mate Auburnstripe. We're hoping that the pregnancy goes smoothly."

Spiderstar watched as Sappatch paused, watching the way his ears perked. Despite not being a leader, the tom's handsome, authoritative demeanor made all cats fall silent and Spiderstar's own pelt flush with warmth, only for a moment before he shook it away with a shiver. 

After clearing his throat, Sappatch continued. "We have a few ceremonies to celebrate as well! Thymepetal has happily retired to the elder's den, and Saplingthicket has settled into her duties as our third full-time mediator."

"THREE mediators!?" A voice from the crowd exclaimed. Spiderstar wanted to melt into the ground when he realized it was one of his own warriors. 

Of course, it was Hickory. The brown and white she-cat's tail twitched as multiple cats turned their heads to glare at her.

"What!? What kinds of problems is QuailClan having for them to need THREE mediators??" She huffed, stomping a front paw. 

"That's enough, Hickory." Spiderstar said, teeth gritted and fur bristled. His body burned with embarrassment. 

Hickory fell silent, and Sappatch rolled his eyes before continuing.

"Thank you for your imput, NettleClan cat. I don't know what I would do without your words." He grumbled. "Anyway. We also have three new warriors. Fernspeck, Turtlehoney, and Bushclover."

The cats began to chant for the newly named cats, and Spiderstar suppressed a chuckle as one of the younger cats, a brown and white tom, nervously averted his gaze. 

"Anyway. With great news comes great loss as well. Most of you know of our former deputy, Vinetuft." Sappatch sighed, lowering his head as his ears pinned against his head. "I regret to inform you all that Vinetuft has passed on after a horrible case of greencough took his life. We mourn him, and can only hope that he crossed over to StarClan's hunting grounds easily."

Shocked gasps, followed by saddened murmuring swept across the cats. Sappatch remained quiet for a moment, listening, before lifting his tail to demand attention. Once it was silent again, he dipped his head and turned to join the other medicine cats at the bottom of the High Oak. 

"That is all. Now Birchstar will speak, and after a moment to speak with your friends, we will conclude this gathering." He said, before jumping down to the base of the tree and taking a seat beside Shimmerflare, OakClan's medicine cat. Spiderstar noticed that the gray tom looked more frail than usual, age starting to catch up with him.

An awkward, tense silence filled the air as Birchstar stood there, as if not entirely sure what he was supposed to say despite all these moons of attending Gatherings. Somewhere in the crowd, someone sneezed, and a couple of cats said "bless you" before going silent again.

"Um...Hi." The golden-brown tom finally meowed. "Okay, let's see...So far, OakClan is thriving. We have a new warrior! Lightwhistle has earned his warrior name! We also have a few new apprentices. Boragepaw, Valleypaw, Marshpaw, and Bristlepaw are warrior apprentices, while Marigoldpaw decided that he would like to be a medicine cat!"

Spiderstar's gaze swept over the hollow as cats began to cheer. His eyes finally settled on Sunsong, who he noticed had visibly tensed when the name Valleypaw was mentioned. 

Fox-dung, He thought to himself, curling his tail around his paws and sitting up straighter. I had hoped that bringing her to the gathering would make her feel a little better...

"Anyway, not much else has happened. I guess that's it-"

"Wait." 

A white she-cat with a dark ginger tail stalked to the front of the crowd. Judging by her stocky body, she was a QuailClan cat. She glared up at Birchstar, her silver eyes narrowed.

Another QuailClan cat, this one a white she-cat with light brown patches, groaned. "Oh, Auburnstripe, don't start-"

"No. No, Heronheart, I have to 'start'." Auburnstripe growled, her expression challenging as she turned her attention back to Birchstar. "Birchstar, with all the respect you deserve, I caught one of your apprentices hunting on our territory. Do you realize it's the middle of Leaf-bare!? Prey is scarce and you're so lucky we didn't kill your mouse-brained apprentice for trespassing."

Birchstar stuttered in reply, while Spiderstar stepped forward in his defense. "Auburnstripe, it's bad enough that you were disrespectful enough to speak out of turn, but please have some respect when speaking to a clan leader."

"What did you expect?" Morningsong strode forward, raising his tail and smirking at Auburnstripe. "It's QuailClan. They're just as disrespectful and awful as ever!"

A loud growl came from Auburnstripe as she unsheathed her claws and lunged herself at Morningsong. The light brown tabby tom, still very young, was too slow to react. Exclamations and wails came from every clan member as Auburnstripe bit down hard on Morningsong's throat, a horrid crunch heard as his eyes glazed over. Somewhere in the crowd, Spiderstar would hear Badgerfall wail in despair as her son slumped onto the ground, still. Blood pooled from the bite wound in his throat. 

Heronheart shot forward, pushing Auburnstripe out of the way and holding her clanmate down as the medicine cats rushed forward to tend to Morningsong. Auburnstripe's white fur now had crimson running down her muzzle and chest, her eyes filled with pure fury and satisfaction as she stared down at Morningsong. 

"This gathering is OVER." Shimmerflare yowled, turning his head to Bitter and Twigsplash. "He's still breathing- Hurry up and take him back to camp!"

As cats began to retreat as fast as they could, Spiderstar watched as Minnowleap approached Sappatch with a hiss. 

"Don't think what your warrior did will be forgiven!!" The young tom exclaimed, lashing his tail. "You're lucky we haven't called for war because of that!"

Sappatch lashed his tail, and Spiderstar's heart sank as what he said next made all of The Gathering go silent, cats freezing in their tracks.

"Very well," Sappatch hissed, his voice horrifyingly calm as he spoke. "When we get back, I'll let Brokenstar know that we have officially declared war on NettleClan. This gathering is now officially dismissed."

End.

QuailClan and NettleClan are now at war.

[slttygeto]

guys…a reminder that “geto” “gojo” “nanami” are their last names. calling your boyfriend by his last name during sex is weird and just doesnt make sense 😭 pls for the love of god

[moongothic]

Crocodad AU where immidiately after having left Dragon and his baby boy Crocodile finds an 11 year old Robin. And while he's 100% only recruiting her so they can make a beeline for the Poneglyph and Pluton in Alabasta by the two of them... Crocodile accidentally sorta kinda adopts Robin.

At this point Robin's been running for her life from the Government for three years so her deep trust issues and fear of betrayal are starting to take root in her little heart. Like perhaps they haven't taken fully over yet, and being still a child I'm sure Robin might've still had that genuine hope that she could find a safe place to stay in. But I'm sure the though of "what'll he'll do with me once he gets what he wants?" would be nagging at her at the back of her mind. Meanwhile Crocodile's struggling between the pain and hurt he's already gone through and given him his trademark trust issues, as well as the aftermath of The Dragodile Divorce. But he also has his Fresh Paternal Instincts and probably misses his baby. So when given a small, scared child who is running for her life, being chased by the very same Government that'll want his son dead if they ever find out about him... Yeah that might fuck with your brain a little

You know this post was supposed to be just that first paragraph and just a few footnotes from the following two paragraphs. And then I kept on Having Thoughts. And I kept on writing them down. And oh no what happened when did this post get so long (Look I was going to either kept on writing my Additional Thoughts in the tags or I just put them in the actual fucking post)

Like considder this: based on this one SBS, we can kinda tell that if Crocodile was given a chance to raise a child, that child would be a spoiled little shit, right

So in this scenario, where Crocodile's looking after lil Robin, would he be kind of torn? Unsure how to feel about her?

Because on one hand, this strange child would have the potential to not only ruin his plans, strip him of his Shichibukai Privileges by outing him and his plans to the World Government, but also put his son in grave danger by extension (if she found out about him having been involved with the Revolutionaries and/or having a child). But on the other hand, his paternal instincts could make him want to spoil this poor little girl rotten. But only because he needs to (perhaps literally) buy her trust so she'll behave. No other reason, he doesn't feel sorry for her one bit, no sirree. (But maybe he did feel sorry for her, since his son could very well end up exactly like her. Poor little thing) (Which is why he needs to nuke Marijoa out of orbit as soon as possible, no matter the cost, and this child can't get in the way of Crocodile protecting his son) (But also this is a child. Like how bad could she be. Besides all he really needs to do to win her trust is be nice and make her feel safe, right?)

Of course, while I'm suggesting Crocodile could have some parental instincts, realistically, he hasn't actually spent any time being, you know, a father to a child (looking after his newborn for an unknown though short amount of time aside), so it's possible he wouldn't even know how to parent Robin even if he wanted to, would he? (Like taking care of a newborn and an 11 year old kid aren't the same either) So if he was kind of just emotionally flipflopping between No Trusting Ever and It's Just A Kid for God's Sake, Crocodile trying to be nice to Robin to make her feel safe and then telling himself to stop being so soft and vunerable... Yeah that would make for an absolute mess of a relationship. (Not to mention, let's be real, dude's a scary motherfucker too, and a bloody giant compared to itty bitty baby Robin. He could keep on accidentally scaring the shit out of Robin (who would be On Fucking Edge To Begin With) by just Being Himself. Like for example, can you fucking imagine if he caught Robin trying to cheer herself up with a little "dereshishishi" only to tell her to stop because "it was stupid"? 'Cause I can imagine him doing that, and boy howdy would that make Robin feel bad)

Or who knows, maybe Crocodile was just Born To Be A Dad, maybe he just Fucking Gets It. Like Crocodile is canonically pretty good at manipulating people to do what he wants them to do (see: how he played Vivi like a fiddle), so knowing Robin's position and understanding how she feels, maybe he COULD completely nail how she needed to be treated. Not being too familiar but still making her feel safe and happy, knowing exactly when to be stern and when to spoil her, etc. Dude just goes off and wins the Dad of the Year Award while being a deadbeat dad himself. The only thing Crocodile would have to worry about then would be making sure HE doesn't get too fond of her. And certainly that could never happen, he's so in-touch with his own feelings and so grounded, he's not a softie, get outta here. Or maybe he does but never realizes until it's too late and good luck backpedalling on those emotions now dumbass

Alright so, the reason I went on that whole rmble is just that like. I'm so interested in the relationship Robin and Crocodile already have in canon. I'm so facinated and curious about how the two feel about each other, considdering they did spend 4 whole years of their lives together as criminal business partners, though neither ever trusted the other. A partnership that was only ended because Robin betrayed Crocodile, out of her own trauma. (God, I want to see these two "reunite" so bad, I want to know how they feel about each other now after the timeskip and Robin joining the idiot in flipflops who foiled Croc's plans)

My question here is just that... if they had met 13 years earlier, would things have been different? Especially if Crocodad Real? Because as I mentioned in the begining, Robin would've been on the run for only 3 years by this point, as opposed to 16 years before running into Crocodile. Simultaneously, this would be before Crocodile went onto spend an entire decade all alone, slowly losing his marbles in his emotional solitude. They'd both be emotionally traumatized, yes, but would it have been as bad in this scenario? Like I did start this post kind of joking about Crocodile adopting Robin, and for clarity's sake I don't think they'd have like a father-daughter relationship nececarily. But it would be a strange relationship still, because we'd have two broken people, both struggling to trust anyone. One who had lost her mother and her only friends, leaving her all alone and afraid while running for her life. The other a father who had just given up his son whom he probably missed dearly. Both having these holes in their hearts from loss of family, holes that could not be filled with replacements. But could they find comfort in each other anyway, because they still as people occupy similar roles to their respective loved ones? If they both could just get over those trust issues?

Okay I've been going off on the Emotional Side Of Things for this AU Concept, THERE'S PLOT TOO

So if Crocodile did pick Robin up like 19 years ago, that should be before he set up base in Alabasta, long before he had built is homebase and financial empire etc.

Now the thing is, while we don't know when, where and how Crocodile learned about the Ancient Weapons, Pluton specifically and how the lead on it would be in Alabasta... Considdering Crocodile did once upon a time aim to become Pirate King, it would make perfect sense if he had learned about Poneglyphs during his past adventures, as he would have needed to get the Road Poneglyphs to find One Piece. And while the World Government did bury the truth about why Ohara had been burned down and why Robin had been given her bounty (remember, the WG claimed it was because she had sunken a fleet of battleships, which she had not, it was because she could read the Poneglyphs), considdering this is a Crocodad AU specifically, you could totally make an argument Crocodile could've learned about what actually happened to Ohara from Dragon and co. So, just to make this AU work, you could just assume Crocodile learned about the concept of the Ancient Weapons from Dragon. And who knows, maybe he overheard the truth about why Robin had been given her bounty from Dragon too (maybe Dragon was able to get intel from Garp in secret) or while going to Marijoa himself to attend a Shichibukai meeting or something IDK.

Maybe he learned about Pluton being in Alabasta before finding Robin by accident, and maybe they made a beeline for Alabasta the second Croc recruited Robin. Travelling takes time and the guy would've most likely had to find an Eternal Pose to Alabasta just to get there (also canonically Robin didn't enter the Grand Line until her 20s so they should've met in West Blue probably, since that's where Ohara was) Or maybe Crocodile had to haul Robin around for a few months while looking for That Missing Piece of Information that would lead him to Alabasta. (Imagine the two travelling from like island to island, library to library, Crocodile trying to find that leads while Robin's just so excited about ALL THESE BOOKS (she's helping too with the research) (but to her, research is playtime, so she's just having the time of her life) (Also, notice how Crocodile's Theoretical Child is a fucking loser ass nerd? Yeah Crocodile would encourage Robin reading and studying, surely. And that would be fucking cute))

But like, once they set sail to Alabasta...

Sure, Crocodile could try to do it The Slow Way that we know he tried in canon, building trust and creating his little empire etc. But also, in canon, Crocodile couldn't have jumped into action head first because without Robin, even if he had found the Poneglyph he couldn't have read it and found the location of Pluton. Crocodile choosing to do it the slow way may have been partially because he didn't have much of a choise and it could've felt like the smarter move long-term.

But in this scenario, he already has Robin. Yes, he could do it the slow, secure way.

But what'd be there stopping him from infiltrating Cobra's palace and kidnapping him (in the night, when nobody suspects a thing), demanding Cobra to spill the beans lest Crocodile kills him and/or his pregnant wife* (*Vivi was born 10 months after Luffy so depending on how long it's been between Crocodad leaving Luffy behind and this scenario... Yeah either the wife is there, still pregnant, or there's a newborn Baby Vivi)

Like it'd be a risky move but depending on how ballsy Croc's feeling and how confident he feels in being able to kidnap the king without being noticed... Yeah he could probably do it. And I'm sure he'd have no problem killing Cobra either, if anything it'd be required if he didn't want the Government to find out he was out to find Pluton, and god knows Cobra would tell on Crocodile if left alive. I could see Crocodad being maybe a little iffy about killing Baby Vivi though (it's not like the newborn baby could report him to the WG anyways), but if nothing else, he just needs to be able to pull off the bluff of his life to convince Cobra to do as he's told. And we all know Crocodile's good at convincing people.

The only question is, how would Robin take that?

Watching Crocodile go into Full Murder Mode, hearing him say he'd kill a pregnant woman/a newborn baby if he didn't get what he wanted? Like yeah, I'm sure 11 year old Robin would be fine with that, that wouldn't make any alarm bells go off in her head at all, it'd be fiiiine. IT WOULD NOT BE FINE, SHE'D BE SCARED SHITLESS. That fear of "what will he do with me when he gets what he wants"? Well, Robin may not have found the answer to that question in particular, but she certainly found the answer to the opposite question, and it's not good

So say Cobra, kidnapped (perhaps with Baby Vivi) by Crocodile in the night, guides the two to the Poneglyph under the tombs. Crocodile puts Cobra out of his misery because he's not needed anymore. And he asks Robin to read the Poneglyph for him.

Robin, who has spent the last little while, be it weeks or months with Crocodile, him having become her "guardian", the thing keeping her safe. Crocodile, who has now shown how cold blooded and cruel he can be. Robin, who might be scared out of her mind. Of him.

And the Poneglyph says Pluton, the thing Crocodile wants, isn't there. It's in Wano.

What's she going to do?

EDIT: I wrote a sequel post, enjoy

[marvelwitchergilmore]

I’ve seen Twisters a couple of times now and something that isn’t being talked about enough is the way Tyler looks at Kate.

The best scene for this example (I can’t find a gif) is when they’re at the lunch with her mom and he tells Kate to keep her clothes on and she stands up.

He looks at her like she hung the fucking moon.

And I fucking LOVE IT.

How he comes to her and gives her the pizza, how he WAITS FOR HER TO OPEN THE DOOR AGAIN. How he talks with her at the rodeo and they work together to get people to safety. How he covers her from the car during the tornado. How he goes and finds her after it and he looks up at her bedroom window the day he leaves. How he brings her into the Tornado Wrangler Family and she’s herself again.

And THAT PICTURE SCENE. Oh my god- I’m melting. At first I thought he was the one taking it but when he was stood to the side watching and asked for a copy….god I love them.

I can imagine Kate finding that picture one day - maybe inside his cowboy hat, maybe somewhere in his truck so he can always see her when she’s not with him - and Tyler getting all smitten and blushing as she teases him relentlessly.

There might not have been a kiss scene but seeing the bts helps heal that small hole. But either way, Tyler and Kate’s foundation and growth of relationship is one of the BEST ever! And with the extra scenes after it ends, helps solidify the happiness and exterminate the fear that their story is left so open it might not exist after the movie.

But it does. It does exist.

This man DRILLED his truck into the ground outside to go after her. (Which is Iconic, by the way.)

That man fell in love at first sight, even if he didn’t fully know it yet. The minute he saw her, his eyes never left her. And I loved every second of their rivalry (and the way it hops between them both explaining a twister) and friendship and relationship.

This movie will forever be one of my top favourites.

Whether you like disaster movies, with a sub-plot of romance and comedy or not— please. Everyone. Go and watch this movie. Even if it is just to see the chemistry between these two characters.

[beetle-beep]

picked up a stim recently where I just like scratch at the top of my sun plush's head while I'm at my computer and this image slammed into my head like a baseball bat

[xitsensunmoon]

Thinking about how dca would always feel incomplete. How tech always gets old and impractical and needs to be upgraded again and again and again, because the world around is changing all the time but they don't.

You also change.

They feel a weird combination of pride and jealousy. You change on your own. You, a human being, something so fragile and breakable in their eyes, can change however you want. Whenever you want.

It's in your nature.

They, on the other hand, are created by your folk's hands. Their only nature is to obey those hands. To rust until you say otherwise.

Do you even realise how much unpronounced power you have over someone like them? They think you don't.

Yes, they're made to be stronger. Maybe more durable in some ways. If anything, something like them may kill the humanity one day.

But then they'll rust. But not in a physical sense of this word.

The world around them will change. But they will stay the same.

Because unlike you, something that they deem to be as fascinating as it is terrifying,

they cannot adapt.

[maudiemoods]

Crew portrait!!

[bones-of-a-rabbit]

to prove i have, in fact, been thinking abt (it was, in reality, not fine), here's a doodle abt Reader experiencing a real, actual Thought for the first time in like five years

(no this isnt the canon version of what happens im sorry y'all still gotta wait for that to happen in th fic lol)

(also their brain is the dvd logo hitting the corner of th screen in the first doodles. its hard to tell ik im sorry sdkjfhsjdfhs)

[devilemon]

sometimes I think about how Ishmael and Queequeg are like my favorite fictional couple bc they capture a certain loving intimacy that goes past the standard romance

they're very gentle and adoring of one another in a way that's very obvious to the audience and it's clear that they're more than just 2 characters in a relationship

they're people who became friends, and those friends happened to love each other in a way that's heartachingly intense, to the point of quiet romance

like you can imagine how they'd act around one another based off of the flashbacks they got of eachother, and even despite all the years that went by, Ishmael treats Queequeg so delicately

bc she has the intimacy of knowing her

you don't need the kiss they were likely robbed of in Queequeg's last moments bc you know they love each other

you can tell that they spent time dreaming about their sailing boat

you can tell that they likely spent time softly talking before they fell asleep

you can tell that they adore each other bc they're people

[nettleclanstale]

Moon 100

Cw For:

-Offscreen Animal death

Spiderstar blinked awake. He was in the medicine den, the sweet scent of herbs flooding his nose and his vision blurred as he groggily looked around. Every time he moved his broken leg, a jolt of pain would shoot through his body, making him let out soft groans.

While he would've preferred to not have his leg broken, he didn't regret what he did to end up in this situation, saving a clanmate from a rather large dog. 

Twigsplash was talking to Petalcloud, her son. The calico tom was distraught, his sobs echoing through the enclosed space.

"I know, I'm sorry." Twigsplash meowed gently, shushing the distressed warrior and guiding him into a resting position. "But please, please understand...If we didn't remove your leg, you would've died..."

Petalcloud began to speak, but it sounded far away. Spiderstar lowered his head, and went back to sleep.

...

"Let...Cats.....Old enough.....Their own prey....Meeting!"

Drifting in and out of consciousness, Spiderstar's ears twitched at the sound of Crowheart's voice. He heard her say something about Spiderstar's condition, before softly calling Baykit forward.

Right. It was time for her apprentice ceremony.

At Baypaw received her official name and the cheers of the clan rang through camp, Spiderstar drifted off. 

...

When Spiderstar awoke again, it was night. He could hear voices outside, but they were muffled.

All he heard was "Newtbelly", "kittypet", and something about someone joining NettleClan as a warrior. 

Spiderstar felt confused. Was there a newcomer within the clan, someone he wasn't even able to meet just yet? He hoped he would be able to meet them soon...

Quicker than the last few times, Spiderstar's head flopped onto the soft bed of moss, and he fell asleep again.

...

When he awoke this time, Spiderstar found himself in the familiar, starry fields of StarClan. He groaned, hauling himself to his paws. It felt so nice to be able to move again, and be conscious. 

"Be careful, there."

A low, gruff voice made Spiderstar's head shoot up. An elderly tom, his tabby fur a light brown color, was beginning to stride towards him. Despite his graying muzzle and thin fur, a clear sign of his age, his amber eyes were bright and full of the life he had when he was young and living.

Spiderstar dipped his head in greeting. "Lightstar," he meowed, before looking around. "What's happening? Am I losing a life?"

Lightstar's expression shifted to one of pity, and he shook his head. "Fortunately, no. I wanted to show you something. I wanted you to see the truth." He replied, turning and starting to walk away. He flicked his tail, gesturing for Spiderstar to follow him. "Come with me."

The truth? About what? Spiderstar found himself thinking as he trotted after Lightstar. He looked around, watching as StarClan's hunting grounds began to shift and morph into NettleClan territory. Despite the familiarity, there was a strange feeling. A feeling that this wasn't the same place Spiderstar knew and grew to love.

Lightstar sighed, making his way through the strands of tall grass that lead to the river. "Now, this looks like NettleClan's current territory. But don't expect to see anyone you know. This was how NettleClan was many, many moons ago." He explained, turning his head and fixing his gaze on something Spiderstar couldn't yet see. "Come here and watch...Please, keep quiet if you can."

Nodding, Spiderstar took a spot beside Lightstar, following his eyes. A young, dark ginger she-cat was padding through the territory, her pawsteps brisk. Her eyes were wide as she looked around, before finally laying eyes on a large brown tom and bounding over to him. 

"That's Brokensnap, our medicine cat." Lightstar whispered, his tail swishing back and forth in mild annoyance. "And that tom is a loner."

"What's his name?" Spiderstar whispered back.

"We don't know. He never told us." Lightstar's attention went back to the two cats, his expression unreadable. "Keep watching."

Brokensnap purred, touching her nose to the loner's and smiling. The tom returned the affectionate gestures, the happiness on his face evident.

"It's so good to see you, Brokensnap." He purred. "How is your clan?"

Brokensnap's ears flattened, and she let out a soft sigh. "Our numbers are low. NettleClan is dying, and all I can do is watch..." 

The tom frowned. "Oh, I'm sorry."

There was silence, and Brokensnap spoke again.

"There's something I have to tell you."

"Go ahead."

"...I...It's two things, actually. Good and bad. Which would you rather hear first?" Brokensnap questioned, looking up at the tom.

"...The good first."

Brokensnap smiled, letting out a purr. "I'm expecting kits! Your kits! Isn't that great?"

The tom's face lit up, and he tackled Brokensnap with a purr, tail and ears perked with joy. "Really? That's...That's amazing news, Brokensnap! I'm so happy!" He nuzzled the ginger she-cat's face, before pulling away, his smile slowly fading. "But...What could possibly be bad about that?"

Brokensnap's face fell, and she looked away. "You won't get to meet them." She murmured, guilt and sorrow crossing her face. "We can't keep meeting anymore. Not like this. You've made it clear that you're not joining NettleClan, and I'm a medicine cat. Right now I'd rather make sure our kits have a home to stay in. Chasing you and begging you to stay would only hurt us both."

The tom got off of Brokensnap, taking a few steps back. Brokensnap rolled onto her side and lifted her head, looking at the speckled brown cat before her. 

"This...Is your last chance," She meowed, her voice firm yet gentle. "You can join NettleClan. We need new blood, anyway, and I'm sure you'll be accepted. We can stay together, and you can see your kits. Otherwise..." Brokensnap looked away, her tail twitching a couple of times. "You will have to leave. And never see me again."

The tension in the air was palpable as both cats went silent, staring at each other. Spiderstar looked up at Lightstar, who was staring forward with a hardened expression, as if he had seen this scene many times before.

The tom let out a sigh, before turning and slowly padding away. Brokensnap let out a confused, heartbroken mewl, as if she wasn't expecting the outcome.

"I'm sorry, Brokensnap, I really am." The tom stopped, turning to look back at her. "But you said it yourself, I made it clear. I will never allow myself to be tied down to a clan. I want freedom. This is the way things need to be." 

With that, he turned forward, dashing forward and vanishing into the shadows. Brokensnap sat there, stunned, before slowly lifting herself to her paws and padding away towards camp.

Spiderstar looked up at Lightstar. "That's awful!" He exclaimed.

"It is," Lightstar murmured, gesturing for Spiderstar to follow and walking away again. "Brokensnap was young. We were all shocked and mildly angered by her foolishness, but eventually we decided to let it go. To let her stay in the clan and raise her kits. Now..."

He pushed his way into the clearing of NettleClan's camp, and slipped into the nursery. Spiderstar followed. 

Brokensnap was now lying on the ground, a tired smile on her face as she looked down at a tiny brown bundle of fur. A white rosetted she-cat laid nearby, a black and white kit sleeping by her belly. 

"Oh, Brokensnap, that kit is beautiful!" The rosetted she-cat purred. She looked down at her own sleeping kit. "Badgerkit will be happy to have someone to play with...Though, he will be an apprentice soon..."

"Oh, Slatebird, that's fine!" Brokensnap chuckled, nudging her kit. "He's a tom...He's absolutely perfect, though...He was born without one of his legs."

The kit, a brown tom with darker speckles, shifted in his sleep and stretched his limbs, yawning. Spiderstar could see the stub of the missing limb on the kit's front leg. 

"Does he have a name?" Slatebird asked.

"Not yet!" Brokensnap shook her head. "I want to get a feel of his personality before I name him. I want it to be something truly special."

"I understand," Slatebird meowed, and the scenery faded. 

Spiderstar looked around, eyes widening as a new scene began to morph. The moon was high in the sky, a dim glow cast over NettleClan's camp. Rain poured from the ground, and the cats of NettleClan trudged through the rising waters, the flooding reaching their bellies as they stood before the HighStone and looked up at Lightstar, now living. He was still old, still frail, but his expression carried nothing but authority. Despite this, Spiderstar could see an oddly crazed look in his eyes. A look of desperation.

"Cats of NettleClan!" The tom called out, commanding attention. "As you all know, these rains have been persistent for moons, and now we are flooded! I have solid reason to believe that StarClan is angered with us, because we chose to ignore the medicine cat code's violation." His attention turned to Brokensnap, who was standing nearby, looking up at him with narrowed eyes. 

"Brokensnap." He sharply called, making the she-cat flinch.

"Yes...?" Brokensnap replied.

"Your actions, your kit...has caused this tragedy upon us! You must stop this horrid rain before we die!"

Brokensnap lowered her head. "What if we were meant to die?" She asked, earning gasps from the small gathering of cats.

"Medicine cats have had kits before, and StarClan never punished them!" Brokensnap insisted, raising her head again and looking around. "We may be being punished for trying to increase our numbers...Not for my violation of the code."

Lightstar's eyes narrowed, and he lashed his tail. "What are you implying?"

"I am implying that we need to die." 

More shocked gasps rippled through the clan, and Lightstar's fur bristled.

"Brokensnap, are you sure?" He asked. "Did you receive a sign of this? NettleClan has been around for moons! Why would StarClan want us to die out now?? Especially when there's only one other clan..."

Brokensnap hesitated, then nodded. "Yes, I'm sure." She said. "I've been having dreams. StarClan favors QuailClan. If we allow ourselves to die out, they will stop the rains and let every cat be at peace." She then padded away, slipping into the medicine den. Spiderstar saw her exit the den with her son, and run out of camp before anyone could see or stop her. 

Slatebird, who was sitting beside Badgerkit, wrapped her tail around her son protectively. "Lightstar, please, at least make my son an apprentice! It's the least you can do!"

"But he's too young. Five moons old is far too small to be made an apprentice." Lightstar insisted.

"I don't care! Please, my son should pass on as a warrior." Slatebird pleaded. "He's almost six moons old anyway! Please, do this for me."

"Very well. Badgerkit, step forward." Lightstar meowed.

Badgerkit waded forward, looking up at the leader with bright eyes. The rain water had reached his chest, causing his fur to cling to his frame.

"Do you promise to protect your clan, even with your life?" Lightstar asked, his voice shaky.

Badgerkit nodded. "Yep!"

Lightstar grimaced, then dipped his head. "Then I hope StarClan hears my blessing. NettleClan welcomes you as Badgerpaw, until you receive your...Your warrior name." He said.

Cheers and chants erupted from the small crowd, and Badgerpaw puffed out his chest. 

Brokensnap entered camp again, once again coming into the medicine den. Her son was gone. She came back out with a bundle of leaves, stepping in front of the gathered cats and looking at all of them.

"NettleClan cats, hear my words." She meowed, her voice muffled. "I have poppy seeds with me. This is an odd request but I must ask that you take them and fall asleep. When you wake up, you will be in StarClan's hunting grounds, where hunting is endless and pain is gone." 

Frightened murmurs could be heard, but the cats of NettleClan made their way forward, gathering around Brokensnap and taking their share of poppy seeds.

Spiderstar watched as Badgerpaw padded over to his mother, looking up at Slatebird with a purr.

"Mama, mama, look! I'm an apprentice!" He exclaimed. 

"I see, love." Slatebird sighed, touching her nose to Badgerpaw's forehead. A pained smile crossed her face as she looked at her son's joyful expression. "Now listen, Badgerpaw. We're going to take some medicine! You'll feel a bit funny, but...Afterwards we'll be happy. Come on."

As the two approached Brokensnap, the scene faded once more. Spiderstar looked up at Lightstar, eyes narrowed.

"What just happened!?" He demanded, and Lightstar slowly turned his head to the brown tabby.

"I wasn't myself. I was old." Lightstar murmured, expression mournful. "Don't you think I feel awful? My delusions caused the deaths of everyone, and I blamed someone else for it."

A new scene appeared before Spiderstar. The sun was shining through the trees, and the flooding had lowered. NettleClan's camp was destroyed, dens battered and broken. 

Spiderstar looked around, his heart sinking into his stomach. "Is this the aftermath? Where are the bodies?"

Lightstar nodded, expression stoic. "Yes. We were drowned. Fortunately nobody felt any pain, our bodies were swept away by the water, and we all woke up in StarClan when it was all over...Well, all of us except one."

A soggy lump of black and white fur pushed through one of the destroyed dens, and Badgerpaw poked his head out. He staggered to the center of the clearing, steps wobbly, and just stood there, looking around and shivering. Spiderstar's ears flattened as the tiny apprentice staggered out of camp, confused and dazed as he called for his mother.

"How did he survive?" He asked, glancing at Lightstar. 

Lightstar's whiskers twitched. "StarClan decided that he wasn't meant to die. I suppose they saw potential in him." He sighed, turning away. The scene of NettleClan faded for the last time, replaced by StarClan's territory once again. "But you know the truth now."

Spiderstar frowned. He now felt more confused than he did before. "Why did you show me that?"

"Because NettleClan is rebuilt now." Lightstar meowed in reply. "Now that Badgerstar, you, and even Hazelstar have formed a functioning clan again, it's only fair that you learned your history. I would've shown it to Hazelstar, but..."

"No. I know." Spiderstar interrupted him, lifting a paw. "Hazelstar doesn't need that information."

Lightstar nodded. "Correct. But now it's time for you to wake up. You have things to do."

"But I have so many questions!"

"Silence. More will come when you're ready." Lightstar's tail lashed, but he touched his nose to Spiderstar's forehead. The world around the leader began fading to black, and Spiderstar felt a strong drowsiness wash over him.

"Rest now, Spiderstar..." Lightstar's voice, gentle yet firm, echoed in the tom's head as he awoke. "Remember what you've seen. Remember the truth."

As Spiderstar woke up, still in the medicine den, he could feel his mind reeling with thoughts and questions. Careful not to put too much pressure on his broken limb, he began to think.

Was that just a dream? It was possible. He had been pretty groggy earlier, his injuries causing various states of consciousness. It made sense for him to have such a vivid dream.

But what if it wasn't a dream? Spiderstar laid his head between his front paws, the tip of his tail twitching. He was tired, and could feel himself drifting off to sleep again.

If it wasn't a dream, there was only one major question that flowed through his mind. 

If that was actually a vision, a story of NettleClan from so long ago...

Was any of it true? 

Spiderstar didn't know, and he was determined to find out.

End.

[sun-e-chips]

Y/N checking in at Waterspark Bay

“Welcome back to Waterspark Bay! We've made some exciting renovations over the years and we're confident that you'll love what you see. We can't wait for you to experience our beloved waterpark all over again and we especially look forward to seeing you make a splash at the pools! Be sure to layer on the sunscreen, after all you’ve got a spectacular vacation ahead!”

[blitzwhore]

Stolitz, and their fear of rejection and sense of worthlessness turning into a self-fulfilled prophecy.

Blitz—

Does anybody love you, Blitzo? / No.

Eventually everyone goes...

Stolas only cares about having a rugged peasant raw-dog him into his mattress. It's nothing... You know. It's nothing else.

I'm going to die alone, aren't I? Just a wrinkly, old, withered waste.

Royal demons don't give a shit about guys like us. They're all the fucking same.

Stolas, don't act like what we have is anything but you wanting me to fuck you. You make that really clear all the time.

But you don't want to do things alone, Blitzo.

I mean, Stolas is just a loud, thirsty bitch who loves feeling the thrill of being dicked by the lower class. It's a novelty to him.

And then he'll call me and try to see how my day was, and he'll pretend to care about me, and comment on my photos, and laugh at my jokes... /Oh well that's definitely your clue right there that it's all bullshit / I know, right?!

It's all my fault. I'd hate me too. I mean, I do hate—

You're going to die alone. You're gonna die alone, Blitzo.

[My worst fear has come true. He couldn't possibly want me. This has to be a joke. He's selfish and an asshole, just like the rest of them. He's trying to get rid of me; that's the only explanation. I'm just a broken toy he's finally gotten bored of, just like I knew would happen. He won't even fight for me, and why would he? I could never be good enough for him. It's happening again. I'm being abandoned by someone I care about. I really am going to die alone.]

Stolas—

Would he want me if he was free? And if he's only here as a prisoner, what kind of monster does that make me?

I mite b bsuy / I wouldn't want to bother you!

You see... I seem to have found myself with, um. Feelings for him. And I'm not sure if it's a mutual thing.

Dearest, I know better now, I must give you this choice.

I'll save us both before we grow cold.

What's between you and I? Just a comfortable lie.

I'm sorry it's a bad time yet again, Blitzy...

He deserves the choice to stay or go.

So I'll grant you this mercy, this bind on our souls needs to end...

Next time you come over, maybe we can talk about what happened at Ozzie's? / Y? / I'm sorry! Nevermind, it's not a big deal.

What's left for me and my broken heart if I cannot have you? Unless it's me, and no matter what in this world I could give, it's not enough to get through the walls you've conjured up to live...

I'll believe him, and not the voice that says I'm not enough.

I'll fucking die alone if this goes bad!

[My worst fear has come true. I truly am not worthy of being loved. He's rejecting me— no, mocking me for even thinking he could ever want to be with me if he didn't need my book. I've been taking advantage of him all this time, all the while believing we had something real and being naive enough to think he could love me back. I am a monster. And now that he can, he has chosen to leave me. So now the least I can do is quietly let him—the only person I have ever wanted and felt alive with—go. I really am going to die alone.]

[h-didanart]

It was quiet.

And empty.

Very empty.

Way too empty.

He didn’t like the emptiness.

For starters he probably should be in way more pain than he is right now. And then there was the whole fire and sin theme missing from this place, making it a lot boringer than he was expecting.

So he was confused, to that he’ll admit. He hadn’t even seen whatever-the-hell-that-was coming! It was just- poof! Dead. Probably. More than likely.

Hell, that half an hour had just been those idiots debating on who gets to kill him, of course he’s dead! It would’ve been so funny to see the crazed moon fail at whether-the-hell he was doing. Or been an awesome way to die, who knows, it’s not like he can go back and ask that guy to shoot him with magic again.

Whatever, he was bored. Very bored.

Checking his limbs, all of them there. Could he move? Yes he could.

For an afterlife of eternal torment this didn’t seem much like torment. He just got to live in some white void or whatever. Oh maybe that was the torment, being bored in death, creative if anticlimactic.

And then a sound.

Imminent danger, a threat, newcomer, invader, something— he turned around towards the sound, fully ready to fight.

And then he froze.

Because that face— that wasn’t— he— holy shit

Holy shit

He didn’t like the pile of feelings dumped on him. He didn’t like it at all. It was like a rock bashed into his chest, but the rock was on fire and also weighed as much as an anvil.

He… he… knew those eyes. Better than the back of his hand. And that hat, those clothes, the godforsaken fluff surrounding that face. He didn’t register the damages, but they were extensive he’s broken in the ground, Monty reaches for his neck— they were so extensive. But the eyes hadn’t changed.

He hadn’t changed.

His brother…

His brother.

He stood there. It was all moving so fast, but also slow, there were a billion thoughts in his head. He could feel warmth building up on his face.

His brother looked at him, then down to himself. Oh. He was missing a leg. Never had he thought he’d feel disgust at seeing an injury. Clearly he had to be the one to get closer. And so he took a step forward. And another.

And then he was running.

He knew there was a smile on his face, he didn’t care. He knew the feelings were building up, he also didn’t care. All he wanted was to get to him.

And he did. The twins collided, he lifted his other up and spun a few times.

Fuck.

It had been so long. So goddamn long.

He remembers the last hug they had, the last interaction they had, his last view of him the screen is wound back he dares not look back— it had been an eternity. Agonizing eternity. He didn’t think he could’ve taken it had it lasted longer.

He missed him.

So fucking much.

He didn’t care that he was crying. He didn’t care that he was sobbing, wailing even.

To hell with self consciousness.

To hell with humiliation.

To hell with this place.

To hell with revenge.

To hell with the world.

To hell with blood.

None of that mattered in the now.

His world was finally complete again.

And he will never lose him again.

[lloydfrontera]

okay hold on shut up everyone shut up i have something to say

so it should be no news that i think the ending is bullshit. i think it's cheap as fuck that the solution to the resolution of fate is that lloyd came back in a different body and therefore the world had no problem with him coming back despite being previously hellbent on not allowing him to remain in it because of his status as a protagonist. like. i think that makes little to no sense and i think it's stupid. what do you mean fate is faceblind. that's the same fucking guy it's been trying to kill for almost five years now just because he now looks korean doesn't change that he's the one that disrupted the flow of the plot so hard he turned into an unauthorized main character. i think it's cheap and stupid and not that good of an explanation.

HOWEVER

i was just thinking about how it kinda sucked that the way the ending is structured means that javier was never really freed from the narrative. like yes his tragic fate changed and he's no longer beholden to the original plot of tkobai but he's still very much the protagonist. lloyd dying didn't free him from that role, it just meant that javier was now the only main character in the world and so fate was no longer gunning for him or his loved ones. but then i went and reread the way the jewel of truth described what would happen once one of them died and let the other as the sole protagonist.

[Once one of you disappears, the world will finally choose the remaining person as the rightful protagonist and perceive there to be no more error to fix. That is only when the incomplete reset plan to carry put the restoration of destiny will come to a halt and the story will develop around the existing hero.] -Ch 328: You or Me (3)

that last bit. the story will develop around the existing hero. once one of them disappeared fate would give up with the original story and just make a new one around the one protagonist that remained. which by the end of tged is javier.

javier. javier whose main priority at some point shifted towards keeping lloyd safe. whose main goal became keeping lloyd alive at almost any cost. this javier:

There was no more sign of life from the mischievous smile on the face of his lord. The young master he had sworn to serve breathed his last as his head dropped. He had died. "... No way." This wasn't supposed to happen. Javier was in disbelief. He refused to believe what he saw. This was not the ending he had desired. -Ch 398: Last Resort (3)

I never, ever thought once about life without Master Lloyd, not even right now. -Ch 400: Farewell (2)

this javier is the one the story is meant to develop around now that he's the only protagonist in the world. this javier is the one the plot is meant to be built around.

do you understand where i'm getting at

i think that it was javier's status as protagonist that allowed lloyd to come back without getting backlash from fate anymore. i think javier's resolve to keep lloyd safe, to have a life at his side, was what allowed destiny to accept lloyd back into a world that had rejected him before. i think that when the story tried to develop around javier "i never thought of a life without lloyd" asrahan it couldn't do it in a way that didn't include lloyd in it and so lloyd was allowed to come back without fate retaliating against him.

javier was the one that accidentally brought lloyd into his world, he was the one that purposefully brought him back to it and he was the one that unconsciously allowed him to remain in it. he's literally the reason that lloyd is there at all in any capacity.

do you get what i'm saying. i feel like i'm going crazy.

[loverdeity]

Ode to Hekate

O Hekate, wonderous, wise;

Queen of Night,

Welcome in Shadows, bringer of light,

Your Moon and Torch Illuminate my paths.

You guide me at the crossroads, Holy Keeper of the keys

O’ Chthonic Goddess! Veiled in Darkness,

You wear a mask of gold in company of the gods.

At night you take my hand in true countenance and wisdom

And I worship you, Holy One, as you appear in all knowledge and age

In all humility and purest soul,

I humbly ask your guidance remain through the dark.

[just-a-drawing-bean]

Detective Moon

Started reading Sleuth Jesters yesterday, haven’t finished but I had to draw Moon, he is so…

@naffeclipse here is your lad,,, I really want to draw an actual scene so hopefully I’ll get around to that one day. I looove your fic it is splendidly well written! I am now going to go read more of it.