#snow has ocd as well sorry I just have to make her ocd city cat. her and moth also both collect feathers

[nightly-ruse]

I’m sorry @spottyissleepwalking bc I know ur on a lil hiatus and this is out of nowhere and in top of that unreasonably long but I wrote PolyPO3 thing lol. It was actually just a test writing I started for my own au with Moth after Hawk’s death bc Leafpool leaves to go with Crow which hurts her a ton. But then I just started with a few cats as maybe a poly situation till I realized this is straight up ur au. Um so here sorry if it’s poorly written I’ve never posted any real writing things I’ve done:

A Dream Dappled in Light ; PolyPO3 Story Snippet

It was such a calm day, the air cool and breeze soft. The lulling sounds of the river a song to her ears. And yet a tension built in her chest like she’d scented a fox near camp. As she tilted her head up Mothwing saw the sky, bright but clouds dotted around, waiting for their chance to swoop in and cover the sun’s warm rays. These kind of days were as slippery as a pike. While they could taste great and feed everyone they could also turn and deal devastating damage to anyone around. She used to love days this nice but every sound made her mind turn and heart flutter. A belly of butterflies.

Saying that just made her taste bile. Butterflies could never be beautiful to her eyes. Not after she’d stumbled upon her brot- Hawkfrost’s corpse devoid of life covered in them. She remembered with a shudder running up and watching them all fly away to show her the stake through his chest. Ever since that day at the lake she couldn’t stomach seeing one without envisioning him.

He couldn’t hurt her anymore or anyone else. But it still stung without him. All her memories felt tainted, poison to think about. Moth just willed one day they’d go back to the nostalgia they used to be. But today wasn’t about butterflies or hawks. It was about Leafpool.

It was the dark moon. Where no light could shine through and peak at them. Leafpool told her she’d chose this night because she couldn’t stomach her ancestors watching her break the code in so many ways. Though Moth didn’t really get it she didn’t mess with it. It wasn’t her place to prod someone else for their beliefs just as it wasn’t theirs to ridicule her for not having any. Still she did find some annoyance at having to trek through the pitch black to try and find the blasted island where they’d planned to meet.

The island was rather bright with flickering fireflies across it lighting up the place. What could have been if he’d had his way, making this Riverclan’s. Her home. But that didn’t happen and it was now where all the clans would meet to share news and tales with each other.

Her pelt was dripping so she decided to sit and groom as she waited. It was only a bit before another cat pushed through the thick ferns across from her. A pure white cat with feathery fur and eyes like hail. Snowbird.

The Shadowclan molly came through and quickly met her own eyes, giving a regal nod before flicking her back foot to get a spot of mud off. Between the cats who’d all come close over a shared love for Leafpool Snowbird was her favorite. She was always very open, clear as glass, and knew how tell a snappy joke to keep the conversation smooth. While the two didn’t consider eachother mates they did have a friendly bond over the fact both held the normal Star based beliefs. And having come from outside the clans.

“Hello Mothwing. When did you get here?” The molly asked as she padded closer.

“Oh just a few minutes. It seems we’re both early as usual.” Mothwing said with a small chuckle.

“I don’t know why you ever dry your fur. It looks beautiful with water sparkling off it. Like dew in the early morning grass. Though being damp all day would be quite a pain especially with your long fur.” Snowbird said as she admired her friends golden fur. A bashful thanks was shared before they shared some small talk. Hearing the molly speak always calmed Moth down, her slightly different accent that was smooth as the calm waters was almost a lullaby to listen to. Her voice reminded Mothwing almost of her mothers though far more washed down.

The two were just talking about some feathers they’d found when the final cats pushed through the fern gate where the other three clans crossed through. A beautiful black molly with eyes like perennial blooms and crow feathers in her fluffy mane. “Nightcloud” Mothwing breathed out with a slightly flutter in her chest. While they were all close, she’d always had a small aesthetic crush on the beautiful cat. I mean how could you not? She was both sleek and fluffy with fur so dark it could blend into the night sky and eyes that blossomed from her black pelt. And her attitude definitely led to the great admiration she held for the cat, she was sassy and tough with a rough tongue and fight like a roar in her throat always there to startle those who only saw her as a pretty kitty.

Just behind her was the less favored Crowfeather. While he was quite the perfect Windclan cat with his build and looks he always was incredibly unbearable. No fancy words or much good will he always killed the feel with some ruse words. She never got what Leafpool saw in him, especially not enough to consider being real mates with. Not even friends could seem to bare his rudeness as his few ones were pretty distant from him and always finding excuses to get away from him.

At last the cat of the night pushed through. Immediately setting her heart alive. She was pretty clearly nervous as her eyes looked to the ground instead of at the cats around. It took every ounce of energy in Mothwing not to go up and comfort her but she knew this wasn’t the time. And apparently some pretty big news was to be said tonight to the cats gathered.

At last she started, though as she spoke her paws rubbed her belly softly. “Umm so hi uh all my ma-mates. I just um have some pretty big things to uh share tonight that I can’t wait to say any longer. Um uh I’m, um I’m expecting.” The last words were much quieter but still everyone heard. Mothwing didn’t even think about the cats around her as her eyes widened. Barley noticing as she got up and walked forward to hug her true love. She felt a rumble in her chest as she purred. Visions of little paws trampoline her side, claws clinging on as she ran around with the kits on her back, small fangs chomping on her tail as they grew. It was like she transferred the dreams in her head to Leaf when she looked into her green eyes as the same light she felt inside shined back. Two other cats, Snowbird and Nightcloud came and and cuddled beside them as well as all the cats discussed the idea of kits to share. That was until a rough voice called from a bit behind Mothwing.

“But who gets them? I mean they can’t just be shared equally between four clans that’s a dung lucked dream. You can’t just rotate them across borders or else they’ll never find loyalty with a group.” Crowfeather scoffed as he stared at the clump of cats, the light she felt in her heart dimming like a crushed firefly. “And Leafpool you can’t believe everyone will just agree to such a idea especially as their atleast healer born on one side, not including Mothwing. Unless you want to be scratched down to a heartthrob healer I don’t know if you can even keep them.”

Those last words felt like a scratch to her own cheek and Moth held back from leaping straight at the feather brained tom. The cat beside her didn’t have as much strength as Nightcloud jumped over her and pushed him back a bit. Clear anger in her magenta eyes. “You vulture tongued, fox hearted, half rotted corpse of a cat take that back!” She screeched with rage, like a shadow had come to life to get the cat for being so stupid with his words. And from Crow’s sharp bristling pelt she knew he’d gotten a real shake.

“Night calm down! He’s right. We can’t have the kits be lost without any loyalty and you all could loose so much from this. I know we all want them, atleast most of us-“ she whispered with a hurt look to Crowfeather “But they can’t just live their lives between all of the clans. We need to figure out how to work this out before I start showing and how we’ll explain it.”

The island was silent as they all thought but the quick scratching of claws in the dirt made head turns to the quickly moving white molly. Snowbird was scratching some idea she’d had into the dirt and they all watched with curious eyes. As she sat back and looked down at her work, clear thoughts behind her eye, she looked up at them all. “We don’t know how many will be born or the real consequences of this whole relationship will be but I personally don’t care about any issues unlike some rubbish pelt. But we could rotate the kits across the clans until they themselves choose where they’d most like to be, or if they can’t choose one find a way to have them move between clans. That way no parent is cut from the kits and they have full choice on how this works.”

As she finished the light in all their eyes form before brightened back, almost brighter then before. Hope for them all to have a paw in their first litters setting the whole cats heart ablaze. All for one. Crowfeather still sat back as if his spirit was made of ice. They all rolled their eyes as he opened his mouth to speak once again.

“Your all blind! What mole minded plan this is! Psh and having worries about any consequences isn’t gross or whatever ‘rubbish’ means Snowbird that’s just having ambition unlike the rest of you. Personally I would trade my whole future for some kits between a ton of cats who clearly care about eachother more then they do me.” He said with a icy tone, bringing his paw up to lick at the end to show he isn’t bothered by any comments. While he may not know what rubbish is both her and Snow did and it described him quite well, stinky trash he was.

“Alright Crow you can back out no one minds. The kits don’t ever have to see you as any father and none of us will mention your barley there paw in all of this. Go back to Windclan and cry about how Onestar keeps passing you up for deputy none of us like the sound of a screeching bird anyway.” Mothwing sliced with a look back at Leafpool. While she never saw what the molly ever could see in him she knew now that she definitely lost that love when he said he’d trade their kits for a higher role in the clans. None batted a eye as he puffed up his chest and walked back through the fern gate to go to Windclan. All the cats turning back to eachother to discuss any names or ideas of how to break the news, what clan they’d go to first, if they’ll come by Thunderclan to help with their litter’s birth. Talk of seeing them grow made all the cats giggle and laugh.

Mothwing hated to turn around as she saw the pinpricks of early early dawn. She felt such a push to stay beside her mates side. And she could see the same power struggle in Snow and Nights eyes. Leafpool seemed to be having a hard time pushing herself out of the cuddle pile they’d made for the night around each other. But all the cats had to go back to their clans. With licks on the ears and soft touches of the nose Mothwing turned around to swim back to camp. The whole paddle and trek back thinking of soft bundles beside her many mates bellies, kittens protected by her fur from the cold, teaching them to fish and catch fish or identify herbs. The butterflies in her belly weren’t so vile as she realized they weren’t to make her reminisce on the past but to expect the future and what it could hold. Smiling she pushed into camp as kitten played around her mind.

[tabulaclark-blog]

The not so glamourous side of Fashion Week. Part 2

Fashion week is over. Sorry, I meant Fashion Weekssss are over. New York, London, Milan, Paris and all the other ones around the world.

The perspective of comfy clothes, messy hair up and maybe a "grasse matinée" (French for "lie in", but literally means fat morning so long sleep or massive breakfast or both, understand what you want here, I take both) is heart warming.

Of course, fashion week is everything wonderful and beautiful the press is showing us. It is a fabulous moment where everybody from the industry is in the same city and can therefore meet, brainstorm, plan exciting shoots, stories, collaborations. It's a thrilling moment where we get to discover the outcome of designers' hard work displayed magically by their team.

What the press is not showing us is what fashion workers hide behind their colgate smile or their grumpy cat face: Fashion weeks are super tough! It's an extreme "no pain, no gain" challenge, both physically and mentally.

TRAVELLING:

Travelling from fashion week to fashion week means packing  and who on earth likes packing? Unconditionally happy people maybe, but I suspect those are medicated... maybe few OCD enthusiasts? And let's put that packing chore into perspective. We are not talking about a person who works and live in one city and has to pack for a well deserved holiday away. We are talking about a breed that travels often, has to look good constantly and has to look different everyday and maybe has to change twice (or more) a day.

Of course the traveling experiences and the looking good in nice clothes is enjoyable. No question about that. It's the planning ahead with weather and impromptu events options. There is no way you can foresee your state of mind and what you'll fancy wearing on day 6 of fashion week number 4. There is no comfort zone here. You have to plan outfits that will work with the moment and lobotomise your wishes, moods, envies, weather sensitivities because you simply cannot bring your whole wardrobe with you, it's too heavy! And you won't have the time to pick and choose on the day everyday anyway.

WEARING NICE CLOTHES:

Nice clothes don't necessarily mean nice to wear. You have the extreme case of those wearing uncomfortable heels, clothes that are too tight, spandex, push ups and itchy fabrics. Why would anyone chose to suffer, why would anyone choose sure discomfort for potential attention? That goes way above my head, I have no ambition to look like a post modern sculpture, not even for halloween.

All of my clothes, and all of my friends' and respected acquaintances' clothes are comfortable, fitted and soft. But they are far from being pyjamas and sleepers. Not even elastane jeans and converse. Anything that has class, anything remotely chic doesn't give you the warm feeling of hugging clothes. Long flowing dresses and cute leather flip flops being the exception but those are summery and no fashion week happens in august.

So yes, despite extremely well engineered high heels swapped for ballerinas when you have to walk, you do have blisters. Sometimes you get blisters just because the weather is damp and you walk around a lot, even in flats. You don't need to do fashion week to know that.

Weather is a bitch! It can be spring in the morning, autumn for lunch, summer in the afternoon and winter at night. That's the worst scenario as you move around whilst it's hot, you sit at a terrasse for lunch thinking you'll finally enjoy the weather but BAM, it's cold and there are no sit inside anymore, then you rush for meetings and shows in the heat. Finally, you go for an event at night in that nice little dress you had planned and you'll feel as frozen as the Snow Queen but no kids will love you for it.

All this drama may get on your nerves if it's your 1st fashion week but soon, you just don't care. You just don't feel anything. You just disconnect your hot / cold / sensitivity neurones. You just suffer in silence.

MEETING FABULOUS PEOPLE:

The fashion industry is international, with models, photographers, journalists, stylists, hair and make up artists, art directors and designers from all around the world. And as I said, fashion week brings the whole industry in one city at the time, especially Paris, which is a plus point for me as lately, I have had only time to do this one.

So that gives me 9 days to organise and kick start my whole semester of work to come and meet everybody I want / need in between shows, presentations and events, and I can't wear my running shoes to achieve this marathon.

By the time I am facing the fashion director, the editor in chief, the designer I want to work with, I have had to make the same intro about a zillion time before and I risk going into a powerpoint presentation mode which will for sure kill my attempted fabulous factor.

As if that wasn't a challenge already, I am facing people who are on their 4th fashion week in a row (New York, London, Milan and Paris are back to back) so they are probably jet lagged, they have met more people than their brain can process and they may not even remember their own name.

EATING DELICIOUS FOOD:

Eating? When? The only lunch meeting I had turned into a bloody mary for her and a carrot juice for me (I know, how healthy of me, right?). Service takes too long when you have half hour meetings back to back in different locations.

Aside from an insanely early consistent breakfast, feeding is limited to your own provisions (I carry dry fruits in my bag) and canapés at parties and let's talk about those canapés. There are more and more parties / events that offer no food at all and only serves champagne. Please don't even start mocking me here, I hear you with your "awh poor baby, champagne only". 9 days without real food, I am hungry and therefore angry. And when canapés are indeed served, you can't just make a dinner out of it. How ridiculous would you be sitting by the buffet and devouring each spoon you can reach?

The complete opposite of my experience can happen too. There are those who have morning meetings which turn out to be unannounced breakfast meetings where large amount of delicious food is served, yet they already had a breakfast at their hotel, then they'll have 2 lunch meetings, one at noon and another at 1pm, in the evening they'll attend an event where canapés will be served and finally they'll have two sat down dinner, one at 8 pm and the other one at 10 pm. I am not exaggerating, I heard it from the horse's mouth (guess she felt like a horse by then end too)

SEEING BEAUTIFUL THINGS:

Issey Miyake, chiffon, Palais de Tokyo, jersey, red, lace, Chanel, avenue Montaigne, silk, cotton, layers, Martin Grant, wigs, feathers, Tuileries, purple, Vogue, yellow, orange is the new black, Dior, gold, shoes, gothic, leather, Kendal Jenner, Rochas, stilettos,Yazbukey, organza, corset, Première Classe, pastel tones, motor bikes, Elie Saab, bags, alligator, nude, Little Shilpa, le marais, Zoe Chicco, Le Costes, ...

By the end of fashion week, your brain is like a desktop on which you saved all your favourite images without putting them in a folder. The quantity is such that your head is spinning. Actually, it's like going to a film festival and watching several films in a row. You remember each detail of each film but you struggle pairing actors to situations.

Time to pull your socks up and play linking game: Red dress ➔ by ➔ Yohji Yamamoto ➔ seen at ➔ Hotel de Ville. And in case of total black out, Vogue is there to the rescue.

Bottom line, neither of this is a drama. We wouldn't do it if it wasn't worth it and every bit of madness is more than bearable because in the end we work for a fascinating industry and we are thankful to be part of it, however little or huge our impact may be.