#shadows of guilt

[residences-of-the-darkforest]

Shadows of Guilt: The Final Gift (part 3)

First

Previous

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“Surrogacy?” Bloodlamb repeated the news with a gaping mouth, sharing Leafcurl’s earlier surprise. “What did you say?”

“That I would talk to you first,” Leafcurl answered, settling in their shared nest next to her. She watched as the wind buffeted the trees outside. It was difficult to take much notice of anything though, not with the hundreds of thoughts racing through her mind at once. Her claws were working in and out of the lichen-leaf nest under her.

It was one of two nests they had. They lived in a  log wide enough to fit the two of them comfortably with space to spare, wedged in what must have once been a rockslide. One nest they had at the mouth of their den, meant for this purpose: to enjoy the scenery cozily. The other they had beyond the other end of the log, in an open space they had dug out of the landslide. That was where they slept.

They simply needed to pull the overhanging branches from nearby trees to cover the entrance. It cast the entire inside of the den in near-pure blackness. It had unsettled and frightened Leafcurl at first, but it became easier to deal with, and now it didn’t bother her at all. 

Bloodlamb, on the other hand, was very welcome to the darkness. She had, after all, grown up in the Gaping Maw caves, a territory that was far from where they lived now. Because of me, Leafcurl thought, feeling a fresh wave of gratefulness for her love. Bloodlamb knew how important Leafcurl’s family and home was to her, and how uncomfortable new things could make her, and was more than willing to stay with her close to Leafcurl’s family, even if it meant moving away from her own.

Leafcurl purred, thinking of all the times Bloodlamb had soothed her in the darkness.

You don’t need to see, she had said. Just feel me next to you. 

“You gonna say yes?” Bloodlamb asked, cutting into her thoughts and giving her a look.

“What? Uh, why?”

“Because you’re purring.”

“Oh.” Right. Their talk. The important talk. “What do you think?”

Bloodlamb was fiddling with a minnow bone between her teeth. “We’re both surrogacy kin, ain’t we? I have grandmothers, you, fathers.”

Leafcurl nodded. “Right.”

“My aunts 'n uncles never knew their father,” Bloodlamb went on. “Don’t know what he looks like.”

Leafcurl fidgeting with the leaves. “Sparktail and my papa were close friends before he had us with dad. We still see her lots.” 

“Hon.” Bloodlamb placed a paw on Leafcurl’s shoulder. Her face was solemn, taking Leafcurl by surprise. “They don’t know what he looks like,” she said again, and this time, the words sunk in. What if the same happens with these kits? Would they never know Leafcurl, never know her pelt, never able to pick her from a crowd? Would the only thing they would ever know her as be the cat that carried them for a couple moons? Sure, she and her littermates saw Sparktail often and referred to her as their aunty, but she had been friends with their fathers long before they considered having kits. Leafcurl, Larksnow, and Tawnyshriek were an entirely different story.

Bloodlamb went on. “Right now, they’re just a thought. But love, two moons of carrying? A moon of nursing at least? Would you be ready to part after that? Give them up?”

“They’re not meant to be my kits,” Leafcurl told her, and partly told herself.

“That don’t make it any less painful when they’re taken away,” Bloodlamb replied lightly. 

Leafcurl sucked in a breath. Was she right? She was silent for a long time, searching everywhere in her scattered mind until finally her racing thoughts were closer to organized and neatly packaged ideas. “Your aunts and uncles made your mothers happy, right?”

Bloodlamb grinned. “I like to think so.”

“I know my siblings and I made our fathers happy, and that they loved us and cared for us so much and so well.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I…” Leafcurl searched for a way to put it into words. “I want to allow someone else that happiness. I want to be the…the…”

“Miracle-maker,” Bloodlamb finished, eyes soft. 

“But I need you to be okay with it, the kits and the–the making the kits, and the whole deal.”

Bloodlamb thought for a moment, sucking in the side of her cheek. Was she going to say no? Leafcurl’s heart sped up. “Your heart is so pure. I just worry that you’re doing this for them even if it hurts ya. We haven’t even talked about birthing kits. Everyone knows it hurts worse than a Star’s bite, and the ‘process,’ ya sure you’re comfortable with that?”

Leafcurl considered that, thinking. “Well I wouldn’t enjoy it, but it’s not like I’m meant to. But I can handle it, both aspects. And…I don’t think I have to worry about not seeing them, not too much. Our families are close. We’re not, but–surely we’ll still see them lots. And I can ask to be a part of their lives, even if it’s small. Or maybe I can be a mentor, or volunteer at that place Fungichomp has.”

Bloodlamb licked the space between Leafcurl’s ears. A small gesture, but the strength behind it was more than enough to assure Leafcurl of her affection. “You sound sure. If you really want to, I’ll support ya. But give it some time, yeah? Sleep on it a few nights.”

Yeah, that was reasonable. Leafcurl smiled as her eyes met her mate’s. Bloodlamb could be so vicious and loud, swinging claws at anyone who so much as sneezed on her unintentionally, but with Leafcurl she was gentle, caring, loving. She didn’t have this talk for the sake of herself, but of concern for Leafcurl. And for that, Leafcurl thought that she had somehow fallen deeper in love, and she buried her chin deep in Bloodlamb’s side. “Can we sleep now?” 

Bloodlamb’s turn to purr came. She curled around Leafcurl, resting her chin on the brown cat’s spine. This wasn’t their sleeping nest, but it would do just fine.

===============

--Blood has a fluctuating accent!

--We get a peak at the wlw couple!

--Sparktail is mentioned so psst @elementaldeityoffood

--I am writing this when I am about to fall asleep so fingers crossed it came out halfway intelligible.

[milo03co]

I was born sick but I love it

[p4nishers]

SLIPPING THROUGH MY FINGERS ALL THE TIME I TRY TO CAPTURE EVERY MINUTE THE FEELING IN IT SLIPPING THROUGH MY FINGERS

[anxiously-sidequesting]

Big shout-out to the ocs and lore that depicts physical/appearance changes due to high concentration and uses of magic btw that shit is so cool. Whether your wizard's hair turns blue or straight up grows an extra arm due to the excessive amount of powerful magic they use everyday I eat that shit up. Bonus points if it's a rare/newly discovered condition or if your wizard is just straight up unrecognizable from arc 1 to arc 4. Bonus bonus points if the wizard gains a disability from it and has to learn to adapt to their new condition

[daily-hanamura]

[nepotune]

Let my kitty meow meow be happy challenge

[darkfluffydragon]

Shadow Milk's Corruption

In the AU (NAME STILL PENDING-), Shadow Milk Cookie doesn't get a physical form until later on. Until then, he occasionally possesses Pure Vanilla Cookie to have access to more of his original power and his abilities. However, due to them sharing the same souljam, there were some unintended side effects that neither were aware of.

The longer Shadow Milk Cookie remains in the same body as Pure Vanilla Cookie, the more their souls and minds blur together. It's a slow and subtle process since Shadow Milk Cookie wouldn't possess Pure Vanilla that often anyway. He can't torment someone if they're stuck in his mind. Pure Vanilla would find himself slowly gaining some of Shadow Milk Cookie's mannerisms, but he would see it as the effects of his controlled state. Shadow Milk Cookie would calm down a bit, in a way. Less erratic and manic, but still as eccentric as ever. He wouldn't notice these changes either, too busy with his new freedom from his suffocating prison. It would be why he decided to take over the faerie kingdom instead of burning it all to the ground. Occasionally, he'd act more like his past self.

The other four beasts would notice this change later when they're freed, pointing out that he's "gone soft". Some would blame it on Pure Vanilla, and wonder why Shadow Milk hasn't just taken the souljam yet.

[slimeshade]

I missed dragon appreciation day, so I'm late with... this concept

[iguessitsjustme]

No YOU'RE crying over a sibling relationship ruined by a mistake and an accident. YOU'RE crying over Night trying everything in his power to be better. To be the brother Day always wanted and failing, failing, failing because nothing he does can change what has happened. YOU'RE crying over Day knowing it's an accident but still unable to forgive. YOU'RE crying over Night reaching out to their dad for the first time in years because he was so racked with guilt but he couldn't let Day or his mother see his tears because Day needed the attention and love at that moment. YOU'RE crying over Night letting himself be Day's punching bag because he blames himself and will never forgive himself for what happened. YOU'RE crying over how Night is going to react when he learns that Day's sight is completely gone. It's definitely not me crying nope.

[yashley]

“After Eddie went missing, I didn’t want anyone to have to suffer through that anymore. I wanted to find answers.”

[residences-of-the-darkforest]

Shadows of Guilt: The Final Gift (part 2)

Previous

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“Surrogate?” Leafcurl repeated, astonished.

Larksnow and Tawnyshriek were facing her, paws shifting on the ground. “If you don’t want to, that’s alright,” Larksnow began. “We’re not in a rush.”

After the couple had moved into their new home and Larksnow confessed to wanting kits, the couple had had a long discussion. Once some things were decided–where the safest place for the kits would be, what great fathers they would make, the names they would pick–they knew that they had to pick a she-cat to carry the kits for them.

Leafcurl and her sisters had come to mind quickly. She and Larksnow had talked many times in the past before, but that was more due to their families' closeness than their own. They were more acquaintances than anything, and that was just fine with him–being less close with whoever would be their surrogate would in his mind make the…process…less awkward.

However, their weak bond could also mean that Leafcurl wouldn’t be willing to go through the trouble of carrying and birthing kits just to give them up. He didn’t blame her for that, but it did make him worry that they would be spending a long time searching for the right cat. They had sought out Leafcurl in particular because of how kind she could be. Personalities are, for the most part, taken from those who raise you, but if there was even the slimmest chance that their kits would take after their mother, they wanted that mother to be a good cat.

“I…never thought I would be asked this,” Leafcurl admitted, feeling numb and dumb. “I’ll…” She had to be smart, even if right now she was too stunned to think clearly. Her mate. Right. She had a right to the decision. “I’ll need to speak with Bloodlamb.”

Tawnyshriek dipped his head. “Of course. Take all the time you need, we understand it’s a big ask.”

“Okay.” Leafcurl nodded, though there was no real reason to. “Okay, I’ll talk to her. We’ll give you our answer in…uhm…”

“Just come and find us,” Tawnyshriek suggested helpfully. “Whenever you’re ready, if you ever are. Just…don’t feel pressured into this.”

Leafcurl nodded, this time in response. “I won’t.” Then she smiled. “Thank you for considering me. It’s an honour to be chosen for such a big step.” And it was. The surprise was fading now, melting into a warm, soothing joy. Saying her farewells to the toms and walking home, she realized, more sure with every step, that she wanted to say yes.

==================

--We are now introduced to the to-be surrogate! It's Leafcurl, a SmalljumpXBasiltooth baby! She was named after Smalljump's mother, Curlear, and is the closest to Small (she's a daddy's girl).

Leafcurl herself was a surrogate baby. Her bio mother was @elementaldeityoffood 's Sparktail!

[carnation-damnation]

Is it really miscommunication if there's no communication at all?

[hypogryffin]

side-by-side

[zipadeea]

I see people talking about how Poppy is obviously Sotoria reborn, but not enough people talking about how Attes has a horse named Setti...and has dimples...and has sworn to protect Sotoria's soul in her next life...and can turn into a HAWK.

[torturedpoetemotions]

NOW COMPLETE.

(Little slightly spoilery graphic under the cut)

[endlesstimelines13]

"He blames you"

Dialogue (becuz i know my handwriting sucks)

"Our relationship is...tough"

"After the truce, I've tried.."

"To mend our relationship"

"B U T"

" It mocks me"

That..THING keeps whispering, telling me that Nightmare will never forgive me"

"He will never forgive you"