#leopard writes

[leopardsnake-stories]

Blythe the Vampire

Summary: The adventures of vampire Blythe with her new, also vampire, roommates, Valentina and Gael. 

Genre: Victorian Fantasy, Vampire, Humor, 

Main Characters:

Blythe

Valentina

Gael

Prompt: 

1. “I’m pretty sure ‘Til death do us part’ means I get to interfere in your duels, dear.”

“Wait, you guys are married?”

2. “Are we enemies? Or are we just really awful at being friends? You tell me because I’m honestly lost at this point.”

Highlights: 

Vampires causing shenanigans

Victorian Era

Werewolves vs Vampires but petty

Hunters vs Vampires but not so petty

Annoying Neighbors

Dumbass immortal roommates

Status: Planning/ Outlining

[teddybeartoji]

18+ mdni; gn!reader

tiger!sukuna taking care of his kitty...

you squirm and twitch as his large, rough tongue runs up and down the juncture throat, the side of your neck, your jaw. your tiny hands push at his chest but it's of no use – he's just so much bigger and stronger than you. his tail sways from side to side and his ears keep twitching out of excitement; he can smell you, really smell you, and he can't stop grinning to himself – you keep trying to resist him while in reality... you love it.

his poor little kitty – overwhelmed by his need to simply take care of you:(((

the deep rumble, the low purr that reverberates through his chest is making you feel dizzy and you can't hold back the broken mewl that spills from your bitten lips. you feel his mean grin against your skin and it makes you try to push him off again. it doesn't work. when you try to fight him, fight his love for you – it only eggs him on further. his sharp nails dig into the soft meat of your waist as he lowers his hips, making you gasp when you feel his bulge rubbing against your heat.

claws sink into you and he's most certainly marks on your, oh, so sensitive skin; he uses his free hand to grab and turn your head to the other side as he licks and licks and licks – his saliva covers just about every inch of your neck and he just can't get enough. he holds your face in his big hands and he revels in the size difference... you're just so small compared to him:(( you don't even have a chance:(((

"stop... s'too much." you whine as you squirm under him. "'m clean now, kuna..."

that earns you a nip at your jaw.

he pushes you deeper into the mattress. he's nowhere even close to being done with you. he's only at your neck? what about the rest of your body? he'd rather have you crying from the suffocating weight of his overbearing love than to leave you like this – dirty and smelling like... well, not him. this is completely unacceptable!!!!

+ just had to show u guys this post that just lives in my head i keep thinking abt it...

[tcfactory]

Dumb SVSSS thought of the day: what if Mobei-jun is pretty damn young (14, not quite 15) when Shang Qinghua (20+however long he lived his first life) first meets him. And when he's relaxed and not in mortal danger (like when he's hogging Qinghua's bed) he's acting extremely childish, as emotionally neglected teenagers sometimes do. Just the brattiest of brats, somehow an unfortunate mix of 1. trained for deadly combat 2. already posessing very thorough education on demonic politics and rulership and 3. completely emotionally neglected and almost feral. Like. He's a lonely kid who very much needs a family connection and some hugs. He reminds Qinghua of some of the disciples An Ding gets who come from neglectful families, because getting their unwanted kids in a sect raises a family's prestige and there's a 'compensation' CQMS pays out to the 'gracious parents who give up their child' so it pays better than selling them to the slavers. (It's all just a ploy to make sure the people bring their kids there first, so there's less of a chance that they would end up in the clutches of demonic cultivators.)

So overworked, sleep deprived Qinghua ends up treating his demon brat the same way he treats the An Ding brats a few times. He can't help it! He knows that Mobei-jun will grow up to be like exactly his type, but right now he's just extremely little brother shaped (despite being really goddamn tall, what are they feeding young ice demons???) and Qinghua's brain just turns off the self preservation around him when he's tired enough apparently.

And Mobei-jun... Likes?? He likes this??? Nobody has babied him since the fallout with Linguang-jun when he was four, he's touch starved and needy for affection. The way his human expresses affection is not really the way he's used to, but it's still pleasant. It speaks to that shameful part of him that wanted to curl up and cry himself into oblivion when he was five and his father threw him out into the ice sheets and told him he's not allowed to return unless he kills something with his bare hands and then finds his way home.

So Shang Qinghua acquires a sticky, feral, demonic younger brother. He doesn't really mind as such, that's his blorbo and probably still his favorite person (and the reassurance that as long as he's Mobei-jun's emotional support human he's going to be kept safe is nice). But it really puts a lid on his non-existent dating life. Who would possibly date him now when they would have to contend with having Mobei-unlikely-to-ever-grow-out-of-his-stickiness-in-private-jun around too?

Yue Qingyuan. Yue Qingyuan would date him. He totally gets it, he has his own ill-tempered sticky little brother. Same situation, just with 95% less demonic energy and 80% more verbal sass. Shang Qinghua even ends up joking that they should set up playdates for those two. They are surprisingly effective.

What do you call it when you, your boyfriend, your little brother (feral cat, demon edition) and your boyfriend's little brother (feral cat, cultivator edition) are all cuddled up in a sleepy pile? Shang Qinghua isn't really sure, but it's comfier then it sounds, actually. Everyone appreciates Mobei-jun and his unshakably cool body temperature in the summer heat.

[skrunksthatwunk]

thinking about how eiji's a pole vaulter and how ash talks about eiji "flying" and how eiji's associated with bird imagery and how eiji's free (unlike ash) and how eiji comes in on a plane and leaves on a plane and how ash cannot fly, ash cannot be free, how nyc is ash's prison, and how ash is the leopard who dies climbing the mountain, unable to live at such elevation, how he was trying to reach the sky and be free but was always stuck to the earth, how he chose to die instead of climbing back down, how he chose to die where he could see the sky and hope and freedom almost like a bird with eiji's letter right in front of him rather than letting everything go wrong and ruin it once again, how eiji's a failed pole vaulter anyway, how a bad fall ruined his career and grounded him (physically and emotionally), how it took flying to america and meeting ash and needing to save him and skip for him to try flying again, how he landed hard and harsh and still the thought of that escape compelled ash to protect eiji at all costs because if he could fly that means something to him, even if he doesn't think he can fly, how eiji is the manifestation of his hope and how when he breaks and asks eiji to stay with him a while he folds himself over his legs and weighs him down and traps him and grounds him, how ash fights like hell to keep eiji alive not because he thinks he can be like him (hopeful, flying, innocent), but because he makes him forget the gravity of his situation, and so he can see eiji fly again. how he wants to see him escape. how eiji is a bird and ash is a wildcat and how ash never once saw eiji as prey. how eiji never saw ash as a predator. how it is eiji's naivete that first endears ash to him, how it is his freedom and flight and removal from darkness and his ability to leave that darkness that really roots eiji in ash's blood as something essential to him keeping on living in this hell of nyc. how it is that distance from the violence and that hope for the future that ash chooses to surround himself in as he dies. how ash dies in a dream because he feels more than anything that he can't fly like eiji, that he can never leave. how his violence is a part of him and will be forever, how it weighs him down. how he wants to enjoy the view from the mountainside rather than looking up from the ground below. as if they can both fly. as if he is with him up there and not grounded. eye-to-eye with what he can't have, seeing eiji's homeland: the sky. how he dies trying to reach the top because he couldn't take retreating and trying again. how ash, tired and tired and tired and convinced it will go on forever if he crawls back down the mountain, chooses to close his life deluged in eiji, in eiji's insistence that they can fly together, in eiji's hope for him and for them, in eiji's beautiful dream. how ash dies without trying to realize that dream. how ash, in dying, destroys it.

[vuelode-irbis]

[ID: digital drawings of various species of wild cats, made with tools that resemble markers and pen in a math grid paper. Each sketch is next to its reference photo, which is a bit transparent. From left to right and top-down, there's clouded leopard, only the head, which looks smiley to the camera; a sleepy jaguarundi, only its head, with a note that says "a mimir" (colloquial translation: eepy); a cheetah's head looking right into the camera, there's text below it that reads "¿Tienes juegos?" (translation: you got games?); two pumas: a mother with her cub, the mother looks to the right very concentrated, her cub looks up at her, seemingly smiling, and lastly, two snow leopards that look like they're laughing, the note over their heads reads in Spanish: "Mis amigos en clase riéndose de stickers que hicieron de ellos mismos" (translation: my friends in class laughing at stickers they made of themselves). End ID.]

Some silly felids to try out these new tools!

[laurapetrie]

His gloved right hand was on her waist, their outstretched arms were interlaced, their eyes were gazing into each other's. The black of his tailcoat and the pink swirl of her dress combined, forming a kind of strange jewel. They were the most moving sight there, two young people in love dancing together, blind to each other's defects, deaf to the warnings of fate, deluding themselves that the whole course of their lives would be as smooth as the ballroom floor, unknowing actors made to play the parts of Juliet and Romeo by a director who had concealed the fact that tomb and poison were already in the script.

Giuseppe Di Lampedusa, The Leopard (1958)

[bihanapologist]

please consider snow leopard! bi-han, leopard! kuai liang and panther! tomas... they are so big and terrifying but i would want to pet them and stroke bi-han's fur even if he will eat my head after that. how silly it would look for the lin kuei warriors to see their grandmaster and his brothers as big cats...even more amusing to see them curled around your feet as you pet and stroke them.

while writing this, i realised tai lung from kung fu panda (who is a snow leopard) is likely really similar to bi-han. tai lung was a prodigy trained to be the very best in fighting, only to be denied greater power, which led him to a dark path, similar to bi-han. in this essay, i will—

[bonefall]

Super interested in how you plan to write Leopardfoot! I feel like both fanon and canon tend to make her into a sweet mom(tm) who’s super sad that Tigerstar is evil, very similar to how Goldenflower is usually treated. What’s her thoughts on Pinestar and him leaving? How did she influence Tigerstar? What are her political beliefs?

Society has progressed past the need for sad moms who stare tearily at their evil sons and boohoo about all the murder. It's MOTHER AGENCY TIME

BB!Leopardfoot was FEROCIOUS. Her father was the indominable Adderfang, and he taught her about the importance of honor and glory. When Tigerpaw was given to Thistleclaw as an apprentice, she was proud of it. It felt perfect to her-- that her father's apprentice was now her son's mentor.

For his brief rule, she supported Sunstar completely. It helped that he came after the disastrous and embarassing exit of Pinestar, which ruined the legacy that she wanted him to give her son. Pinestar was a damn coward and a codebreaker... and she assured Tigerkit that he was more HER son than his.

She even gives him a life, for Legacy, in defiance of StarClan

She was friends with Bluemoon for a time, but after ascending to StarClan, she learned about the Forget-me-nots.

This changed her opinion of her. Leopardfoot supports Thistle Law, STRONGLY so.

She supported THISTLECLAW when he tried to forcefully void the Queen’s Rights. If Bluemoon hadn't broken the code, then what did she have to hide?

She backed off when Thrushpelt leapt to her defense though, "She didn't reveal it because she doesn't love me are you happy now??"

Leopardfoot: *awkwardly turns away feeling like an asshole now, tea SPILLED, her friend's dirty laundry EXPOSED, thought she was crusading for the law but she just dug up drama*

Towards the end of Pinestar’s reign, he was getting exhausted. He wanted peace. Leopardfoot wanted kittens around that time, and figured that there was no better cat than the son of Oakstar, architect of the infamous Crusade Era.

If Pinestar had no children, a glorious bloodline would have died out. She wanted it for her kits. Pinestar agreed on the condition that he would be their Mi, which she happily accepted.

So when Pinestar left, she jumped into the nursery to take over and had to explain to her kits where their Mi went.

She drove it home to them that he abandoned everything, because his weakness took over. They would never be like him, she promised.

Mistkit died very young. Nightpaw made it to apprenticeship before she also succumbed. Tigerclaw remembers very well how hard it was to lose his sisters.

Leopardfoot herself was taken shortly before TPB, in Spottedleaf's Plague. Her death causes Tigerclaw to have a bit of a moment.

After the trial in Bluestar's Flowers, Leopardfoot leaves StarClan along with a bunch of other Thistle Law supporters, including Thistleclaw himself. She joins the BOTTE at the end of OotS, fighting to the end with her son.

She misses him a lot, and remains in the Dark Forest to the current arc. She chose her path; and has the dignity to walk it.

She does miss StarClan sometimes though, and will tell you stories about it if you ask.

In terms of demon friends, she's somewhere in the clique between the harsher and softer spirits.

She dislikes Morningstar, Cloudberry, and Ryewhisker on the softer end, and has come to resent Thistleclaw and Finchflight on the other, but likes Darkstripe, Leopardstar, and Silverhawk.

Gets along with a range of "mid" level demons.

In particular I imagine she hangs out with Darkstripe a lot. Taste test buddy, he asks her to try his experimental recipes because she's honest but not mean. One of the few Thistle Law supporting cats he hangs out with after the double-death of Tigerstar.

He calls her Lefty. Her official nickname is "Left" but he calls her Lefty.

(Clanmew: her name is Saorpwyyar. Others call her Saopr. He calls her Sapyy.)

Her mom and dad Swiftbreeze and Adderfang are here too, following Thistleclaw like she did, but she's been minimizing her contact with her dad. She feels like she is owed an apology somehow but also doesn't have the emotional intelligence to know that it's what she wants.

She just knows that she feels really bitter talking to him, and that's unpleasant.

She used to be VITRIOLIC with Pinestar, who is also here, even going after him physically when he chose to join in with the Dark Forest trainees. But now... honestly so much shit has happened, she just doesn't like seeing him. She wishes he wasn't here.

I write her being very dignified. She doesn't like to admit publically she was ever wrong and speaks with confidence, quietly backing off and not wanting to speak about her mistakes. She loves her children and her family, but explores the world in a very "self-centric" way, trusting her feelings and personal judgement over anything logical.

A reactionary sort of person, if that makes sense.

Her Land Mar has to develop over time because she is an ex-StarClan migrant (damned souls get theirs instantly after judgement), but it's called the Fence Cliff. It's a picket fence that blocks off a sheer drop, making a sharp turn down the cliff face and acting as a walkway. Follow the fence down the slope, and you can access the Dark Forest's town biome.

[satoruxx]

YOUD CONSIDER WRITING A SEPARATE TIGER!KUNA??? Omg- no rush on that if you ever get the inspo but literally reading your stuff makes me wanna write hybrid fics but I have no experience with them. Your writing is delish!

LMAOOO HI NONNIE !!! i meannnn idk if i’d have enough ideas to make it a full blown fic/series like wolf!toji but yeah why not??? i will say sukuna is not as far up my faves list as toji is (can’t forgive him for satoru mhm) BUT sukuna is stupidly hot and tiger!kuna sounds so silly and fun so maybe i’ll write some lil drabbles or smth??? idk i’d definitely need random inspo or ideas lol

but i will say that tiger!kuna is NOT uncommon !! there are many authors on this app who’ve all generally deduced that sukuna would be a tiger and have written things for him so i would def recommend looking at them (staring at user teddybeartoji with hearts in my eyes mickey if you see this ily)

also NONNIE BABE you should write it !! wolf!toji is quite literally my first hybrid fic ever so i don’t think you need experience to start writing things ??? just write what you love it’s so much fun :333

thank you for dropping by lovely !! smooching you many times i’m so glad you’re enjoying my writing :33 if i write any tiger!kuna you’ll be the first to know <333

[redlilith5]

PJO X DC

Duke Thomas would like to know which god or goddess he had pissed off to warrant the current situation. After his mother and stepfather were attacked by the Joker, and the whole We Are Robin event, Bruce became his legal guardian/adoptive father. Problem is that he isn't entirely without family, quite the contrary, he has too many family members.

Duke Thomas is a demigod.

Son of Apollo.

One of the few children of Apollo that had survived both The Battle of the Labyrinth and The Battle of Manhattan. Events that are known to have made the Apollo children almost extinct. He also happens to have the rare minor ability to control shadows thanks to being conceived during a solar eclipse. Though being a demigod brought a lot of problems like the one he has right now.

He usually goes to Camp Halfblood for the summer to be with his other side of the family. His mortal parents would make it a trip, go to the beach, visit museums, parks and eventually they would drop him off at camp. It helps that Gotham disguises his scent long enough that monsters don't bother him on his way to camp.

Problem was they weren't there this time. Instead he was with a mortal family that happens to be the best detectives in the world and don't know the concept of privacy even if it hit them in the face. They would probably hit it back if that happened.

Of course Duke had to forget about it and only remember a week before that he hasn't told his adoptive family about any of this. Worst part is that he remembered after having done a double patrol, done finals exams and haven't slept for more than 5 minutes in the last 48 hours. This unfortunately led to him making a terrible choice that at the moment sounded like a great idea. That should have been his warning.

Duke in his panic decided to contact camp but couldn't find a drachma. After tearing his room looking for one he remembered that he lives with rich people now. And rich people has expensive wines. Duke has access to the best offering for a certain God.

After sneaking around and taking some extremely expensive wine in the dead of night he makes his offering, explains the situation and prays for help.

Soon he wakes up from the floor to see the wine is gone and before he can process the thought one of his siblings is talking/screaming while dragging him to one of the living rooms. He doesn't understand anything there saying with how fast they are talking but once he gets inside the room he understands what all the fuss is about.

In front of him is Dionysus talking with Bruce Wayne while drinking diet coke.

"Well if it isn't my nephew. Took you long enough to get here. Aren't you supposed to be a morning person?"

.....fuck

[dirtytransmasc]

I need more selkie theon (and asha. I just think that would be a vibe. fuck the greyjoy sigil being a kraken for a moment and let them be seals) content.

like the opportunity to have theon's coat taken by ned when he's made his ward is right there and it is perfect and beautiful and tragic.

and you could build on that depending on the version of the selkie myth/story you're going off of (I personally love the song of the sea version of selkies for story writing). maybe he can't talk without it, maybe he gets sick, maybe his voice has magical properties of sorts.

I have this one concept in my head that I don't have the time to write, but it goes something along the lines of theon getting sick after years away from his coat and the stark kids have to find his coat and drag his slowly dying ass to the bay of seals (cause y'know bay of seals and theon's a selkie so he'll turn into a seal... I thought it was creative).

also, in a lot of versions of selkies, when they get sick, their hair turns white, which is on brand for theon. they're also pretty, their stories are typically soaked to the bone in tragedy, they're normally held captive/tortured, amongst other things, which are also very on brand for theon.

and maybe you get some selkie to selkie telepathy of sorts, so when theon finally enter the water a seal again, asha books it to come find him, cause its been years since she's been able to feel him (I'm soft for them, I will create the most improbable and ridiculous scenario's to bring them together and for them to have soft sibling moments).

all and all, theon being a selkie is something I need more content of, please and thank you.

[leopardsnake-stories]

Oh shit! As soon as I have a title, a new WIP will be added!!!

[teddybeartoji]

snow leopard!gojo, who pounces on you in the early morning, brushing his nose against yours. he nips at the soft skin of your cheek and then at your earlobe, giggling to himself as you begin to stir under him.

cracking open your eyes, you're met with a giddy big cat. his tail can't stop twirling around – he's just so excited. he bumps his nose into your again with a big grin before pulling back and situating himself onto your lap. he's so cute.

he thinks you're cute, too. all sleepy and comfy and warm. he watches you rub the remaining sleep from your eyes with a yawn and he wiggles his hips on top of you, diverting your attention back to him. he points to the window with way too much enthusiasm and he revels in the way your eyes widen at the sight.

big snowflakes dance in the air and it just looks so beautiful. no wonder why he's so revved up. the light from outside illuminates the whole room and you take the moment to admire him. his pretty crystal-blue eyes are glued to the window; snowflakes swim in the pupils and he's perfect. white hair and white eyelashes, he looks like a proper snow angel. his dark fuzzy ears twitch and a smile makes its way onto your face.

his tail swings by you and you grab onto it gently. it's so soft. you let it swirl around your hand and fingers and now he's staring at you. his lips are so pink and so are his cheeks. and the tip of his nose. he's extremely excited.

so, you usher him off with a laugh, ordering him to put some warm clothes on while you do the same.

he doesn't need as many layers as you do and he thinks you look absolutely adorable all bundled up like that. he fake-bites your nose just before stepping out, making your face scrunch up with a laugh. pulling on your gloves, you rush after him. his eagerness is rubbing off on you, there's no fighting it. he looks so happy and that's making you happy, too.

satoru doesn't waste a second before diving into the snow. he literally dives in head first and you stare at him in shock. his head pops back up and he has the most beautiful smile on his face. he shakes his head like a wet dog, making the snow fly everywhere. his eyes lock onto you and you know what's coming. backing up with a nervous laugh, you try to escape your boyfriend but you can't.

his giggles echo over the street as he tackles you into the ground. soft snow breaks your fall but it doesn't really matter because the only thing you feel right now are the butterflies in your stomach. he's so close. his whole body rests on top of you and it's nothing new; it's ridiculous, how he still has this effect on you. he brushes a few stray hairs from your face and his breath fans over you.

"you're so pretty."

his voice is gentle, the syllables falling from his lips just like the snowflakes outside. slow and full of love, ready to engulf you completely in them. there are stars in his eyes as he stares down at you – dainty flakes adorn his hair and his cheeks are redder than ever. he's perfect.

he presses a quick kiss to your lips and then he's already scrambling off of you, leaving you in the pile with a flustered expression. when you push yourself onto your ass, you see him rolling around in the snow and you can't surpress the loud laugh that creeps up your throat. his head whips towards you and he gives you another bashful grin. your heart feels so full.

satoru is laying down on his stomach and he's wriggling his ass like a real cat. he looks silly (and so fucking cute). his big crystal eyes stare at you over the snow pile and your cheeks hurt from smiling. he plays his part in being a big bad predator and he lunges at you again, proud of the sounds spilling from your lips. you spend another fifteen minutes by running away from him. by throwing snowballs at him. by getting tackled. by laughing so hard that you almost piss yourself. and by getting kissed stupid. he can't keep his hands away from you for more than a minute and you couldn't be any happier.

[hyper-lynx]

Two Cats Attend the Blue Moon Ball

Chapter 1: Dusk

Featuring @wizblr-blue-moon-ball's Lurien and @flowers-the-sun-witch, along with Hemi and Liam of course. This is the first chapter of probably several that I will make for some of the prompts. Character appearances will vary and can be removed on request!

A calm wind blew over Wizard Island Island’s coastal region, bringing a mild warmth over the old stones and dozens of pointy-hatted towers dotting the landscape. The sky was overcast, but it was clear despite this that the sun was near the horizon. The shimmering line of the ocean adorned the horizon. Along a path of well-trodden cobbles, the air bent and tore, until, with a burst of chromatic power, two felines landed onto the earth. Hemi, wreathed in the gentle fabric of his deep indigo dress, felt the lukewarm air suddenly about his legs until the dress behaved itself. The emblem of the moon was dim in the low light, but still plainly visible. Shortly behind him, Liam practically flowed out of the rift. His gown had the general design of the lunar hibiscus -- pink and, in Hemi’s opinion, somewhat bulbous, but still quite elegant. He held the corners of the dress in a way that suggested he had experience landing from a dimensional vortex in such attire. Once both cats exited the distortion, reality was quick to mend itself.

“Aha, we’re-- um.” Hemi looked around, then let his head tilt. “Where’s--”

They stood at the long-forgotten gates to a property that was seemingly completely absent. There was not a trace of any building -- in its place, an immense crater marred the landscape. The only thing that remained was a tarnished silver archway and a few mana crystals that poked out from the ground at the edges of the place.

Liam gasped. “Did something--?”

“Impossible. If something this big was -- gone, I’d have heard about it. Besides, that gate… must have been abandoned for a hundred years.” Hemi closed his eyes and tried to visualize the route on the invitation he’d been given, but he was certain it led to this general area, and there shouldn’t be any other large estate in the vicinity. Were all his days of anticipation really --

“Oh--! Hemi, look!”

Hemi opened his eyes to the sight of what looked like an angelic being descending through the clouds. He plummeted rapidly and then came to a sudden stop in the air just beyond the gate, not displacing any air or showing any discomfort in the process. An elf with radiant wings, blue into yellow, clothed in shining white silks. Despite his short stature, the elf had a golden power behind his eyes that commanded respect. The emblem of the Blue Moon shone in iridescent stone, adorning his crown.

“Greetings! Hyperlynx Hemi, I presume?” The elf spoke with a quiet tone that nonetheless carried through the emptiness. “I see you’ve found our ‘back entrance’.”

“Oh--! Um, hello, sir--?” Hemi stammered in response as both cats approached the gate.

“Lurien is fine. In any case, I’ve arranged transport for you and your partner. Please proceed through the gate.”

Hemi tilted his head to the opposite side and gazed into the spiky, terrifying chasm just beyond the rusted passage. “Um-- I ah, don’t have any flight spell active…” He glanced at Liam, who shook his head silently.

“That’s fine, sir. I assure you there are accommodations for all creatures at the Blue Moon Ball.” He looked down at some kind of brass handheld timekeeping device. “Although, I would insist you move swiftly. The event will be starting momentarily.”

Hemi huffed softly and looked to Liam, who took the lead. Liam gathered his gown about his feet and cautiously stepped through the gate. He half expected the world to suddenly burst into light and color around him, but no such thing happened. Instead, his foot met with a soft resistance, an invisible surface. It felt a bit like walking across a mattress. Seeing the leopard defy gravity, Hemi followed suit.

“Impressive spell, but where is--” Hemi was cut off when the platform was suddenly thrust skyward. The earth fell away, and waves of amber light emanated from the invisible surface above them as it blocked the wind. Lucien cracked a soft smile -- the emblem across his chest shimmered softly as the three beings were brought up. Even the clouds broke around the barrier above them, until--!

The sun, from its place ever-lower on the horizon, lavished golden light across a wondrous skyscape. A great layer of clouds the size of mountains formed the base, speckled with tiny sections of floating stone -- likely pieces of distant floating islands that came in the wind across the sea. Beyond the shelf of clouds, the light glinted on the water. Above it all, though, a grand estate was situated. The main island consisted of an immense floating mansion. In a way, it was almost more like a town  -- the lower section was something of a hull, with docking ports for flying ships and tiered gardens protruding from openings in its sides. Atop, the mansion sprawled across a massive expanse of once-natural earth, with what must have been hundreds of rooms and halls. Near the center, the peak of a wizard’s tower wis visible, adorned with the same lunar emblem.

Lucien watched the two cats take it all in as he platform moved in a grand circuit through the air above the venue. “Sunset really is wonderful at this altitude, isn’t it?” He noted. The light cast off everything, and the shadow of the floating manor lengthened forever across the clouds. Hemi took a moment to glance down at Liam, whose eyes were literally wide with wonder. 

Their dutiful invisible chariot let them down in the plaza just before the main gates. It seemed nearly everyone else was already somewhere inside, since this courtyard was otherwise occupied only by a trio of gnomes who seemed to pay the cat-men no mind. Lucien directed their attention to a statue of a human woman, depicted 20 feet tall in marble stricken with veins of some shimmering blue mineral. Water flowed from small slots below the woman’s feet into small channels that fed this section of the gardens.

“This is the original owner of the manor, Mistress Areth Lunacai. It’s said she discovered the arcane properties of lunar sapphire, and therefore mastered the art of permanent levitation. In her time, her genius was not recognized, so she wrested her family’s estate into the skies, where it still remains.”

“Wow…” Liam looked up at her. Hemi, however, was already distracted by looking at the venue itself. As the light of dusk began to fade, Hemi crossed his arms over his chest.

“Lucien, sir?” He interjected. “Are we late for-- anything?”

Lucien raised an eyebrow. “You accuse me of being late to my own ball?”

“Um--! Well, no, I--”

The host smiled. “No, it’s understandable. You are actually somewhat early. While most attendees have made their way to the main hall and its waiting rooms, the formal schedule will not commence for half an hour at minimum. Plenty of time, no?” Hemi nodded and looked to the side. He thanked the gods for the impenetrably thick fur that hid his now-red cheeks from view, then took a deep breath. There was no great rush. This was an event for fun, after all. The sleepless night before preparing… the weeks of anticipation… It all led to this night, where everything was arranged for him. He walked closer beside Liam.

Lurien turned over his shoulder, towards a figure in a blue dress who had appeared amidst the gardens. “Ah, I see a new guest has arrived. Excuse me.” Lucien bowed and began to gracefully stride towards the newcomer.

“Hey Hemi, do you want to go meet them? The person over there, I mean?”

Hemi looked to the newcomer, then back at the red wisps of frozen clouds high above. “I think I’ll watch the sunset for now. You go ahead -- we’re all going to the main hall anyway, right?”

Liam nodded and followed Lurien’s path through the gardens as quickly as he could without letting any dirt get on his outfit. By the time he arrived, the host was already leading the other person back up a scenic route along the terrain’s edge towards the fountain. Their long brown hair -- adorned with red flowers -- was tied into a set of four pigtails that dangled about elven ears and onto the shoulders of a truly cute blue dress, tied with a red belt bearing a once-live sunflower. They looked up at the approaching beastman with only momentary confusion. Lucien, without even looking in Liam’s direction, nodded. 

“I’ll allow you two a moment to become acquainted. There’s a matter I’ll need to attend to.” Lucien announced. A moment later, a great eagle flew dangerously close to the edge of the island and began circling the courtyard. Lucien sighed and, with a subtle movement of his wings, lifted off to redirect the bird’s rider.

“Oh gosh!” The witch put a hand against her mouth and giggled.

Liam shook his head. “Some people…” He turned his attention back to the immediate environs. “Well-- ah, greetings!” Liam gave a curtsy. “My name’s Liam.”

The witch returned the favor. “I’m Flowers, the Sun Witch. It’s nice to meet you! I like your dress.”

“Thank you~!” Liam twirled around a little. “Yours is very cute.”

The witch smiled, but didn’t reply verbally. The two watched for a moment as the now distant eagle followed Lucien -- from this range, a point of light -- towards the arcane beast stables on the lower levels. “I’ve not seen a dress of that style in a while. Lunar hibiscus, right?” Liam’s head tilted slightly. “How did you--”

“I don’t call myself ‘Flowers’ for no reason. The color’s pretty accurate, too. Though, those flowers are pretty rare on the island…”

“Ah, I’m not actually from here. I’m not even properly a wizard -- that title belongs to my partner. I’m his plus-one.”

“Oh!” Flowers looked along the rim of the floating landmass. “Is that him?” She pointed out Hemi, sitting alone on an outcropping, watching the redness leave the sky as night took over.

“Yeah…” Liam put his hand behind his head. “He’s a little shy. I’m sure he’ll warm up when things kick off.”

“Flowers nodded, then tapped her foot. “I hope the host is back soon… I hope everything’s alright with the bird situation.”

As if on cue, on a beam of light, Lucien appeared next to the two guests. “I apologize for the wait, Mx. Flowers. I hope you’ll forgive  my cutting your tour short for the moment, as the floor will open momentarily. I suggest you both make your way to the main hall and meet some more of the guests in the meantime.”

“Ah-! Of course, thank you.” Flowers began to walk down the garden path towards Hemi. Lucien, apparently satisfied, vanished into light.

“Um--” Liam trotted after her surprisingly quick gait. “The fastest path is to the right.”

“We need to collect your partner, don’t we?” The sun witch glanced back at him. “Besides, I need to compliment his dress, too.”

By the time they arrived, the sun had completely set, so Hemi was just staring off into the swirling expanse of the clouds below. His ears were somewhat askew-- when Liam approached, they swiveled to face him.

“Hey, we’re supposed to go inside soon.” Liam let a gentleness into his tone.

Hemi stretched and stood. He used a quick gesture to disconnect the dirt from his dress’ fabric, so it became fully clean in an instant. When he turned around, he started at the sight of the witch who accompanied Liam.

“Oh--! Um--” Hemi gave a clumsy bow. “Hello-- I’m sorry, I didn’t notice you.”

The witch extended her hand. “I’m Flowers. What’s your name?”

“...Hemi.” He said, and shook her hand with his paw. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“You as well. I like your dress~!” She told him. Hemi’s ears flipped, but he smiled in response.

A latch sounded at the main door. “Ah, it seems it’s time to enter. Have a wonderful time, you two--!” Flowers curtseyed again, and was off.

Liam looked at Hemi with a soft grin..

“What? I was surprised…”

“Nothing, nothing.” He took Hemi’s hand. “Another adventure, right?”

“--Right.”

The two cats proceeded towards the gathering group of wizards and the great oaken doors. The blue moon shone bright overhead.

[lowkeiloki]

hear me out

if given more time (and better circumstances) skipper would adopt hunter so fast, tell me he would take a look at this sassy lost child that said "screw the natural order, i like squids" and wouldnt be like "my kid now." he would see resemblance between her and private and it would be so over for him

[artist-issues]

They sure do use the word “stay” a lot in Tarzan.

Kerchak says baby Tarzan “can stay, but that doesn’t make him my son.”

Terk tells kid Tarzan that if he wants Kerchak to like him, he has to “stay away from him.”

Later Kerchak tells Tarzan to “protect this family, and stay away from them.”

Then of course you’ve got Tarzan asking Jane to stay, telling the baby gorillas that “Jane stays with Tarzan,” and Professor Porter saying he can’t help but feel that Jane should stay. And actually I think those are the last words in the movie, “Jane stays with Tarzan.” (I mean…spoken in Gorilla language.)

I don’t know why yet but there’s something to all that. Something’s cookin’