#treeheart

[herons-crossing]

therapist: 2023 Sprucewater and Hazelslip art aren't real, they won't hurt you

2023 Sprucewater and Hazelslip art:

(more old art below the cut IT'S VERY OLD N BAD)

notes:

heron of murky swamp is only heron now

otterstar's design is significantly different in these pictures

spiderfoot isn't a main character/protagonist anymore

mapleheart is now mapledusk

[cambriancrew]

We Willows have always had a strong connection to trees. We weren't born "Willow" - we chose that name for ourselves.

We remember being young and legally blind, and thinking trees were so much nicer to look at than flowers. Flowers were little blobs of color, but have you seen a spring blooming dogwood, all big and bold and white and pink? Even though we couldn't distinguish any branches, much less flowers, they were so wonderful to look at. And where flowers felt fragile and weak, trees felt safe and secure and strong.

We started tree climbing young, about seven years old. We climbed safe - we knew the rule, don't put your weight on any branch that bends more than a thumb length, never grab a limb thinner than your wrist. We were frequently dragged away from our books and sent outside to play. We had nothing and no one to play with and by seven felt too embarrassed to play make believe as that was only for "little kids" - so we climbed the tree in the backyard and daydreamed, and talked to the tree and imagined what it would say back. Pretending a conversation was okay, but pretending to be a pirate or whatnot was not. (Don't try to make sense of it, it's just how we thought.)

We saw Pocahontas around age 9. We really resonated with Grandmother Willow. It was partly a "I want someone like that in my life" and also a strong sense of "I want to be that person when I grow old." (Well, with our name change, we will!)

(As a teenager we laughed when our little sister declared she wanted to be Peter Pan when she grew up... :/)

We got glasses, finally, in eighth grade. (We had them very briefly in second grade but hated them.) One of the first sights that really astonished us was trees, especially when driving past and seeing how the view of it morphed as we passed.

We didn't discover the therian and otherkin community till we were in our 20s, and slowly came to understand ourselves - treehearted, willow dryadkin, forest spirit/spren.

One of our ways we combat anxiety and decrease the pain we feel from our physical health conditions is to "root" ourselves in our imagined tree form. (Pun fully intended.) We envision the tree of us extending past our physical form, branches starting at our shoulders, roots going down past our feet, or, if we're sitting cross egged, through our legs. As we breathe in, we envision energy flowing into us from the earth, rising up through our body/trunk and into our branches, and as we breathe out we let that energy leave out through our branches and arms and head.

It's grounding and centering and relaxing and beautiful.

I don't really have a point to writing this, nowhere to go with it. Just sharing, just being.

Be what you can't not be.

Do what you can't not do.

[cambriancrew]

Grandma and Grandpa were my technically-step-but-very-real mom's parents. My dad's parents were Grandpa [first name] and Grandma [first name] and when Grandma [first name] passed away and Grandpa [first name] later remarried, his new wife was just her first name alone.

My biomom's parents were always "my biomom's parents".

I'm looking forward to being a grandma at some distant point in the future at which point I will insist on being called Grandmother Willow and my childhood dream of being that character from Pocahontas will be realized. XD

I’m curious, you guys tell me how you distinguish between your two sets of grandparents when speaking (or how you did it as a kid). Was it always Grandma [Lastname] or Grandpa [Firstname], or did one or both sets of grandparents have nicknames? (Like Nana or Papa.)

[interstellarsystem]

Otherheartedness, Synpaths and Hearthomes – A Quick Rundown

We've seen some posts around like this for other subsections of the community, so we figured we'd make a 'heartedness one. This isn’t extensive, nor does it cover the entirety of the hearted experience–but it should serve as a general rundown of the community. This post has a PDF version that's going to be archived on our Neocities.

Terminology

Otherhearted:  – Synonyms: “Otherkith”A person with a strong connection to a species, character or other entity, usually defined by identifying "with", but not "as". More on what exactly this means later.

Concepthearted: A person whose otherhearted identity relates to concepts. (Emotionhearted, songhearted, timehearted, etc).

Facthearted: A person whose otherhearted identity relates to real, this-world people, places or individual animals. (Hearttypes including specific oceans, public figures/celebrities, specific animals, etc).

Fictionhearted: A person whose otherhearted identity relates to fictional characters, species or places. (Nightfuryhearted, Mariohearted, etc).

Planthearted: A person whose otherhearted identity relates to plants. (Treehearted, sunflowerhearted, etc).

Theriohearted: – Synonyms: “Animalhearted” A person whose otherhearted identity relates to animals. (Wolfhearted, bearhearted, etc).

Hearttype: – Synonyms: “Kithtype”, debatably “Synpath”The entity that an otherhearted individual identifies with.

–hearted: A suffix used to denote your specific hearttype. For example, a person whose hearttype is wolves would be wolfhearted.

Hearthome: A hearthome is a place–be it real or fictional–that a person has a deep connection with, often to the point of considering it a “home” regardless of if they’ve never been there in their current life/body.

Synpath: A thing someone identifies with and not as, used similarly to "hearttype", though there's nuances separating the two terms depending on who you ask.

Symbols

The otherhearted symbol or diamond heart was proposed by tumblr user aestherians in 2017, chosen by the community using a poll. The design features a ring interlocking with a heart, which converges into a diamond shape in the middle.

What Does It Really Mean?

“Identifying With”

“Identifying with” is a broad category that’s understandably, quite confusing. This explanation aims to make it a little more understandable, but this absolutely doesn’t cover the entirety of what “identifying with” can mean. “It” in the following points refers to a hearttype or potential hearttype, whatever that may be.

You feel like you “should have” been it, but you aren’t.

You feel like you “could have” been it, but you aren’t.

It is a part of you even if it’s not entirely “you”.

You feel like you will be it in a future life.

You believe that in another life, you are/have been it, but right now you’re not.

Your sense of self wouldn’t be the same without it as a part of your life.

It’s your ideal self, or a representation of it.

You feel at home around it or imagining being around it.

It’s the form of your daemon.

You believe it’s a parallel life of yours, but you’re not it right now.

It influences your identity in some way.

It’s a special interest or hyperfixation that feels tied to your sense of self.

You feel like it is a part of the same family as you.

You feel like it is, in a way, kind of almost you, but a little “to the left”--too distinct to be you in a literal sense.

You feel like you belong with it, but you’re not literally one of them.

It is a part of your identity in some way other than you being literally them.

A lot of the above points relate in similar ways to hearthome identities, but reworded to incorporate “it” as a place instead. Additional points for hearthomes include:

Feeling like you should be there.

Feeling like you were there once, and it’s left a mark on your identity.

That place holding a special place within your identity.

Feeling a “pull” toward that place.

FAQ:

How is this different from otherkin/therians?

A therian/otherkin identifies as their kintype, whereas an otherhearted person doesn’t, and will have a different type of connection to them. Think of the difference as “I am [kintype]” vs “[hearttype] is a part of my identity”. However, there’s plenty of nuance, grey areas between them, and these identities can even shift and become each other over time, so this is a general statement not accounting for those nuances.

Both things are still alterhuman, and no identity is “lesser” than the other–hearttypes can have just as much influence over a person’s identity as kintypes can.

Can hearttypes be chosen/voluntary?

Yes! There’s a divide between otherkin and otherlinkers in this way, but this hasn’t ever really been a need for the ‘hearted community to define or draw a line between.

What things can be a hearttype?

Anything! Generally, if you are currently experiencing it, the rule is that it can happen. You’re experiencing it, after all!

Hearttypes can be (but aren’t limited to): 

Animals, mythical creatures, plants, fungi

Oceans, forests, off-planet locations, buildings, fictional locations, other natural formations like rivers and mountains

People, real or fictional

Emotions, colours, aesthetics, sounds, seasons, songs

Objects, robots, machines, artworks

Book series, tv shows, movies, games

Do otherhearted people shift?

Otherhearted people absolutely can experience shifts, as can any other alterhuman and even non-alterhumans. Shifting isn’t a thing exclusive to otherkin/therians.

Is this different from a special interest or hyperfixation?

For some people, yes! We’ve seen many people (including ourselves) who experience these things with a lot of overlap. For others, no–they’re distinct things even if there might be some similarities.

Hearttypes can be the same thing as your special interest/hyperfixation, or they might not be. Sometimes hearttypes form spins/hyperfixes and sometimes it’s the other way around! It’s really up to the individual to decide whether these things are hearttypes or not–there’s no set default for this.

Further Reading:

Alterhuman Archive’s Otherhearted Section: https://www.zotero.org/groups/4956615/altarchive/collections/R9URWR67 A compilation of heartedness related writings from across the community.

Otherhearted-Culture-Is: https://otherhearted-culture-is.tumblr.com/ A culture-is blog for otherhearteds that’s turned into more of a general purpose otherheartedness blog.

A Short Guide for Questioning a Hearttype: https://otherhearted-culture-is.tumblr.com/post/717226958368489473/further-fields-a-short-guide-for-questioning-a A questioning guide to otherhearted identity.

[clangenwritingexperiment]

Moon 120

Saltears has become an elder. Their bad eye has become bad eyes and they feel more like a hindrance than a help these days so Hopstar has allowed them to retire. Oddspots still takes Saltears out for walks and beachside cuddles.

Shimmerfreckle's leg was injured by some twoleg garbage.

Redocean and Riversand have caught whitecough.

Pumpkindapple is breathing easy again.

Crestspeckle has brought home two kits. Sunkit and Mallowkit. Starlingclan ignores how the kits smell lightly of a different clan.

Shadowpaw, Lightpaw, Squidpaw, and Moonpaw have all become apprentices under Sleekrun, Riverfin, Sunnybird, and Hailleaf.

Brindlepaw has expressed interest in other clans and ensuring peace is held so Hopstar has made them the first mediator of the clan! Pigeonfleck and Riversand volunteer to teach Brindlepaw all they know about other clans and how to advise cats until they are ready to do this on their own.

Heavytail and Runningcrest have caught whitecough.

Hilltalon caught greencough.

Redocean no longer has whitecough.

Blizzardspots was found dead near the Snipclan border!

Lightpaw and Brindlepaw are trying to talk to Snipclan to get some answers.

Saltears tail has healed.

Mantisearsand Sloepelt caught yellowcough.

Sneezedazzle's broken bone is begining to look infected.

Riversand's and Runningcrest's whitecough is gone.

Springpaw, Fawnpaw, and Beetlepaw have been deemed ready to become warriors. Springpaw becomes Springmimic after their independence. Fawnpaw becomes Fawnfur after their intelligence. Beetlepaw becomes Beetleclaw after their energy.

Shadowpaw has caught greencough.

Moonpaw's leg was horribly injured by a twoleg trap.

Heavytail has been cured of their whitecough.

Sunnybird 'found' and brought back a kit to camp. They name the kit Chasingkit.

(insert image here)

Sneezedazzles broken bone is not looking very good.

Sungill caught whitecough.

Eggsong tried to confess to Treeheart but they were rejected. Eggsong then went to mope along the beach and caught yellowcough.

Peachwhisker is expecting kits!

Hilltalon is feeling much better.

Sloepelt has passed because of their greencough.

Lost and so far away from the cats they knew and loved, Frecklecry wonders if they will even reach Starclan.

Wolverinepeak has caught yellowcough.

Podpaw, Sardinepaw, Conchpaw, and Tumblepaw have all become full warriors of Starlingclan. Podpaw has become Podarch in honor of their spirit. Sardinepaw has become Sardineswipe also in honor of their spirit. Conchpaw has become Conchgleam in honor of their insight. Tumblepaw has become Tumblethud in honor of their resilience.

Buzzardpaw's broken jaw has healed well.

Shadowpaw is no longer coughing.

Whisperpeak is expecting kits!

Oddspots leg is feeling better. Weaker but better.

Sneezedazzle has finally recovered from their infection and broken bone.

Moletangle's leg was injured in a twoleg trap.

Buzzardpaw got into a fight with a rouge and was injured.

A badger attacked the camp! Cats scrambled to battle-ready positions to fend off the lumbering beast.

Hopstar, Wolverinepeak, Sleekrun, and Duckflow raced to defend the nursery. The four cats scratched and batted the badger's long nose whenever it faced their direction. The badger retaliated with a huge paw slamming down toward the cats. Wolveringpeak was unfortunately too slow and was hit full force by the terrifying paw. Duckflow raced forward with the fury of a shark and latched onto the creature's face. Hopstar and Sleekrun followed Duckflow's lead and launched themselves on the badger's back, clawing and biting wherever they could. With a single violent shake, the badger managed to dislodge all of them and bit down on Duckflow's belly.

Freezespots, Honeymurk, Skyback, and Thunderpaw crowded the entrance the the medicine cat den, hissing and spitting and warning the badger away from their den and its vulnerable inhabitants. The badger lashed out at the medicine cats catching Freezespots on the side of their head causing them to go scattering to the other side of the camp. Skyback hissed in furious defiance and laid down vicious blow after vicious blow on the creature's sensitive nose. Sneezedazzle, who had been in the den that morning to have their leg checked over again, came bursting out yowling and slashing their claws against the badger's thick hide until their leg suddenly gave way and they collapsed. As they struggled to stand the badger was driven back by the still hissing medicine cats and they were squashed under paw. Hearing the crunch of bone coming from behind the badger Honeymurk broke formation to possibly drag the injured cat out of the badger's way when they retreat only for the badger to snap at the unsuspecting medicine cat catching their leg, tossing them up and then catching their head in their jaws.

Hopstar yowled a battle command to the remaining cats and they all pulled themselves into a battle formation. Small-statured warriors ducking under the beast's belly and clawing from there. Warriors with the longest legs and most powerful haunches lept onto the badger's back to bite and scratch where they could. Then Hopstar and Crookedbraken rushed the creature's face and scored their claws over its eyes, nose, and lips. With one final furious roar, the badger stumbled backward, turned around, and ran for the dunes. Starlingclan raises their voices in celebration. They had won! but not without their own losses.

Ploverspeak, Hilltalon, Conchgleam, Willowbeetle, Wolverinepeak, Crestspeckle, Duckflow, Honeymurk, Eaglepaw, Sneezedazzle, Pigeonfleck, Weedpaw, and Freezespots remain still and cold on the camp floor. Never to wake again.

[mediaevalmusereads]

Bea Wolf. By Zach Weinersmith and Boulet. First Second, 2023.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Genre: graphic novel

Part of a Series? No

Summary: Listen! Hear a tale of mallow-munchers and warriors who answer candy’s clarion call!

Somewhere in a generic suburb stands Treeheart, a kid-forged sanctuary where generations of tireless tykes have spent their youths making merry, spilling soda, and staving off the shadow of adulthood. One day, these brave warriors find their fun cut short by their nefarious neighbor Grindle, who can no longer tolerate the sounds of mirth seeping into his joyless adult life.

As the guardian of gloom lays siege to Treeheart, scores of kids suddenly find themselves transformed into pimply teenagers and sullen adults! The survivors of the onslaught cry out for a savior—a warrior whose will is unbreakable and whose appetite for mischief is unbounded.

They call for Bea Wolf.

***Full review below.***

Content Warnings: mild violence

Overview: I was totally unaware that this book existed until my dissertation director sent me a copy out of the blue. As I was in a reading slump, I decided to pick it up right away, and to my surprise, I found it not only to be a fun retelling of Beowulf, but a very smart, educated retelling with energetic art and a wealth of humor. Weinersmith clearly understands the appeal of the original poem and Boulet is clearly invested in creating art that is both eye-grabbing and well-composed, so for those reasons, this book gets 4.5 stars from me.

Writing/Art: Weinersmith's writing took me by surprise in the best way. From page 1, every line of this book is an imitation of the original poem, using alliteration, kennings, apposition, and other medieval literary devices to craft a narrative that is both incredibly smart and funny. I particularly loved Wienersmith's creativity when it came to apposition and alliteration; not only did he use evocative imagery, but he managed to make the rhythm and meter feel poetic. If i had any criticism, I will say that I noticed Weinersmith reused some images, but honestly, I was so impressed by the sustained style that i didn't much care.

Weinersmith's writing is complimented by Boulet's unique and stylized art. I loved the exaggerated facial expressions, the energetic lines, and the bold use of blacks, and I especially loved that no page felt half-assed. Too often, I've found that some graphic novels simplify their art too much for my personal taste; with Boulet's art, I didn't feel like the pages were rushed or details were left unfinished. Instead, I felt like there was always something interesting to see, and I loved looking at each page.

Plot: This book is a retelling of the Beowulf poem from the opening lines to the after-party following Grendel's defeat. Unlike other retellings, however, this book reimagines the Danes/Geats as children and their foes as teenagers and adults, with Grendel being reimagined as an uptight, fun-hating adult named Mr. Grindle.

There's a lot about this book that is quite clever. I loved, for example, that Heorot was reimagined as a treehouse and the sounds of the hall involved junk food, loud music, staying up past bedtime, etc. - all things parents and adults oppose. I also really loved that the kids had their own "monarchy" with kings/lords that distributed toys and treats to the worthy. It felt simultaneously like I was reading a retelling and that I was thrown back into the parenting style of my childhood, when kids were more or less left to create their own (unstructured) fun.

But what made this book enjoyable for me was that it included scenes that other Beowulf retelling tend to cut. For example, the first few sections of this book tell the story of Carl (Scyld Scefing's child counterpart) and how the crown passed down to the current king, Roger (Hrothgar's counterpart). I also loved that this book included scenes such as Bea Wolf's fight with the sea monsters, the retelling of Heidi's excursions (meant to reference the heroism of Hygelac), and the praise song that lauds Bea Wolf alongside other child legends (which corresponds to the Sigurd legend sung by the scop). As a medievalist, I loved all the nods to the original poem, and I felt like I was reading a retelling by people who knew and understood the epic, not people who wanted to get rid of everything except the monster fight.

Characters: The characters in this book are charming and delightful, in part because of Weinersmith's creative reimagining and in part due to Boulet's superb design.

Bea Wolf is memorable for her incredible bravery and the fact that she wears a stuffed bear on her head. I loved that she was unafraid to stand up to Mr. Grindle, and rather than seem prideful, she came across as having that child-like confidence that nothing could possibly defeat her.

Mr. Grindle is also memorable in that he's portrayed as having a magic power: to age kids up with a single touch. In my opinion, this power feels threatening and it feels especially dreadful because kids essentially view adults as some other species. The fact that they view teenagers and adults as "old" gives them a kind of Peter Pan attitude, so Grindle's aging powers feel particularly loathed. Moreover, Boulet draws Grindle as a balding, bespectacled, lanky (yet round) man whose obsession with bland things (flossing, stocks, etc) contrast nicely with the kids' chaos.

Supporting characters are likewise memorable for the way they reference their medieval counterparts. I loved that characters such as Sceld Scefing, Hygelac, Unferth, and Aescere were reimagined as kids, as well as fabled kid heroes that are seen as legends among the children; having such a wide range of child characters made the world of the story feel a bit richer.

TL;DR: Bea Wolf is a delightful, smart, and funny retelling of Beowulf that reimagines the fight between Beowulf and Grendel as a struggle between children and adults. This retelling stands apart from others due to the deep love the writer has for the original poem and the bold, energetic art that the artist uses to convey action and emotion; by incorporating literary techniques from the poem (such as alliteration, apposition, kennings, etc) and filling each page with beautiful, stylized art, this book is sure to be a favorite amongst medievalists and other readers who appreciate clever, creative adaptations of literary classics.

[tastebuds1]

Bea Wolf – March 21, 2023 by Zach Weinersmith (Author), Boulet (Illustrator) A modern middle-grade graphic novel retelling of Beowulf, featuring a gang of troublemaking kids who must defend their tree house from a fun-hating adult who can instantly turn children into grown-ups.

Listen! Hear a tale of mallow-munchers and warriors who answer candy’s clarion call!

Somewhere in a generic suburb stands Treeheart, a kid-forged sanctuary where generations of tireless tykes have spent their youths making merry, spilling soda, and staving off the shadow of adulthood. One day, these brave warriors find their fun cut short by their nefarious neighbor Grindle, who can no longer tolerate the sounds of mirth seeping into his joyless adult life.

As the guardian of gloom lays siege to Treeheart, scores of kids suddenly find themselves transformed into pimply teenagers and sullen adults! The survivors of the onslaught cry out for a savior―a warrior whose will is unbreakable and whose appetite for mischief is unbounded.

[cambriancrew]

As a literal willow dryadkin and willow treehearted person, my system is the only system allowed to be willogenic! /jk

willogenic systems are actually culturally appropriating willow trees. yeah. the trees told me.

.

[theresajanday-blog]

Have you made your wreath yet ?? Join me for a wreath making workshop with a difference !!! You can do this at home there’s a download to tell you exactly what to do , that you get when you sign up book your ticket go to my Eventbrite link https://www.eventbrite.com/e/christmas-wreath-making-vision-board-tickets-433513910777 Check your email for your download Gather your things, set your date, watch #workshop , have fun #creating and #manifesting Working with the #subconscious A #Visionboard with a difference Make this about you or or time with your #family you decide Love and blessings Theresa Xxx #loveAuthenticme #naturefanlovelivelead #TheresaJandayTreeHeart #TheresaJandayArtist&Designer #TreeHeart PS if you would like a printed version of your workbook contact me directly as all my merchandise is currently being updated so it is vegan friendly using #vegan friendly printing and inks that are #sustainable and good for the #environment Otherwise The workbook you can access via online Inc so you don’t have to use your printer ink Xxx https://www.instagram.com/p/CmEHX6as_tT/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[tommymila]

Rustic Wood Tree Heart Photo Wedding Invitation

Read More

Tags #weddingparty #rusticwedding #zgroupon #romanticwedding #treeheart #carvedhearttreewedding #treewedding #countrywedding #outdoorwedding #photo

[mzindependent87]

Did a little painting the other day ♥️#heart #treeheart #moon #rainbow #heartovermoon https://www.instagram.com/p/ChwVmWpOA3U/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[spinnysocks]

THE DAUGHTER (her name is Treeheart and her dad is called Dryclaw btw) JUST KILLED ANOTHER CAT OH MY GOD!! SHE'S KILLING ANYCAT SHE DOESN'T LIKE?!

playing a clangen namesake challenge.. Why is this random former loner so ambitious that he killed the leader's close friend, Why does he have eight outsider kits, Why did his daughter kill the leader's mate, and Why did my leader make him deputy. /rhetorical

what the fuck is going on this is supposed to be a lineage challenge but i've had more murders than any other clan already????

[twystedrootstrees]

I didn't realise I could have shared this photo with you last week - always a fun moment when you realise there are multiple messages in your inbox and haven't had any notifications for them. 😳 Apologies to everyone who thought I was ignoring them. Honestly I wasn't 🤦‍♀️ Anyway ... I'd been asked if I could make a crystal heart tree for a 15th anniversary and here it is! Made with ivory coloured and silver plated copper wire and lovely crystal quartz gemstone chips. Congratulations on 15 happy years together and wish you many more to come ❤ Happy Friday everyone! . . . . . . #twystedroots #15thanniversary #weddinganniversarygift #crystalanniversary #crystalheart #whiteandsilver #heartshaped #treeheart #hearttree #feelingthelove❤️ #giftideas #handmadewithlove❤️ . . . Photo description: white and silver heart shaped tree sculpture with clear quartz gemstone chips. Background is a misty grey effect. Twysted Roots logo is in the bottom right corner. https://www.instagram.com/p/CCwDS_jl6Jy/?igshid=1cs4kbej9miz9

[clangenwritingexperiment]

Moon 95

Pepperbuzz and Splashtooth already love their two kits. Sure they were only just born but they know that those kits are the most perfect kits ever. Their little Riverkit and Weaselkit.

Treeheart is expecting kits!

Willowbeetle brought three new kits to camp. Jumblekit, Hyacinthkit, and Heavykit.

Oddspots was seen fighting and arguing with a loner. When asked about it later They grumpily told everyone that "It was nothing. They were nothing. Don't worry about it." before slinking off to their nest.

Petuniapaw, Turtlepaw, and Spottedpaw are deemed ready to become warriors. They are named Petunianight, Turtleripple, and Spottedstripe.

Flutterbuzz and Crookedbracken tried to chase a fox away from some prey but the fox fought back and managed to catch Flutterbuzz's leg in its jaws. They quickly gave up the scuffle after and CrookedBracken helped Flutterbuzz to the medicine den.

In an attempt to catch an octopus, Dolphinfade got bit by the thing instead and suffered a beak bite.

Spottedstripe saved a cat that was being chased by a dog but got injured in the process.

Dolphinfade's beak wound has become infected.

Sungill tried to confess again TWICE in the last moon but was rejected both times.

Redocean caught whitecough.

Ratpaw has become Ratdrizzle and was celebrated for their leadership.

Spottedstripe has died from their claw wound.

Hailpaw becomes Hailleaf in honor of their valor.

Sloepaw caught greencough.

Mantisears is madly in love with Flutterbuzz but Flutterbuzz is madly in love with Crookedbracken who is also their mate and Crookedbracken only has eyes for Flutterbuzz.

Oddspots, Garlicclaw, Pigeonfleck, Petunianight, and Hemlockpelt all kill a fox together with Garlicclaw leading the charge.

Duckflow is expecting kits!

Saltears recovered from whitecough.

Flutterbuzz has died from their mangled leg. Crookedbracken is devastated. It was their dumb idea, their idiotic plan that got them hurt in the first place... and now they are gone...

Dolphinfade confessed to Hemlockpelt and they have become mates. Sungill growls under their breath in private.

Treeheart gave birth to five kits! Rabbitkit, Pumakit, Bearkit, Pheasantkit, and Gardeniakit.

Treeheart nervously grooms their kits. They aren't ready for this! or at least they weren't ready for this many! How can they take care of them all! How can they keep an eye on all these kits! Pepperbuzz licks their cheek and reassures them that the whole clan will help if they ever feel overwhelmed. Even the normally cold Duckflow lays their tail reassuringly over Treeheart, silently promising support and care.

Primwave has caught whitecough.

Redocean's whitecough has progressed to greencough.

Daisyfin and Clamtrail have become mates!

Freezespots is expecting again. They know they might have to find some way to stop this from happening or else they would be found out by the rest of the clan.

Duckflow and Hawkbit are busy fussing over their three newborn kits. Dewkit, Deltakit, and Sablekit.

Whisperpeak went out on a walk and caught greencough.

Hawkbit's tail was injured by a fox.

Redocean has recovered from their bout of greencough.

Hailleaf caught yellowcough.

Sloepaw is excited to begin training again. Their chest feels and sounds much clearer than it had in the past few moons.

Wolverinepeak joins the elders den.

Rabbitkit died of yellowcough. Treeheart takes it personally, no matter what the medicine cats say.

Fleckpaw has been named Fleckrustle.

(oops. I accidentally skipped a moon...)

Rabbitpaw becomes Rabbitsoar

Flaxkit, Quietkit, and Frecklekit become apprentices to Nimblerise, Sungill, and Lilacchill.

A kittypet has joined the clan. They change their name to Vestapelt.

[cambriancrew]

Thank you. That's really encouraging :)

One of my favorite authors, Diane Duane, did the "oops I screwed up let me fix it" thing with A Wizard Alone, which has an autistic wizard. The original version had very outdated information on autism, and the autistic wizard used wizardry to separate himself from his autism. The updated version actively counters misinformation and has the autistic wizard actively choose to remain autistic even though he has the opportunity to change that. And it's now our favorite book in the whole series (though A Wizard's Holiday is a very close second. OMG THERE'S A TREE WIZARD. LIKE A LITERAL ALIEN WIZARD WHO IS ALSO A TREE. HUGE love from our treehearted self.)

If the amazing DD can do it, so can we

Still gotta write the thing first. And we have the dragon and boy story, rewrites of the first Cord of Three book, and our memoir to also write. So many projects. So little time. So many of us to work on them. :)

So we were talking about our plurality-heavy story series elsewhere, and how we have so many forms of plurality in it - not just the oops-I-summoned-my-dead-friends'-souls-into-my-body Chosen One(s) main characters, but also multiheaded dragons, shapeshifters that contain the essences of creatures and people they copy, a healer with post-traumatic DID who helps the Chosen figure out their new living situation, and also "classic" demon possession with a zombie twist, except some demons work hard to help their system and to overthrow the Big Bad.

I'm anxious a bit about that last bit though. Even though it's not ALWAYS bad, there's definitely ones where it IS bad, including with the Big Bad. I don't want it to accidentally villainize spiritual plurality or demon headmates.

I'm also, since talking about is and really thinking about it, itching to write a short story/novelette about one of the demons who works together with their system. We're definitely going to be trying to model healthy integration (no not that kind of integration) into a pre-existing system, healthy boundaries within a system, and more along those lines, but I'm still really anxious about it. Can anyone give us some encouragement or advice on how to Not Screw It Up?

[tanglestitch]

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