#you also want lots of fur because it will keep you warm when its cold as fuck

[bigolechompers]

as someone who has grown up in weather on the slightly colder side i have a pretty good idea what one might want to wear when it gets cold as fuck and what sort of things someone who lives in a cold as fuck area might wear

but i have no idea what constitutes as sensible wear in a hoot as fuck area like what the hell do you wear and why??

[mononijikayu]

immortal sukuna who — in your first life (2).

immortal sukuna masterlist

the first time immortal sukuna discovered snow was when he was a young boy holding at his mother's skirts.

immortal sukuna did not know what he was looking at, but all he could see from the vast expanse was a blanket of white on mountain's edges.

it was all too cold for immortal sukuna's body, to the point where he could no longer feel his lips, nor the movement of his eyes.

immortal sukuna could not remember why his mother had brought him in the cold mountain in the first place, but all he remembers is her desperate eyes.

from then on, immortal sukuna's experience with winter was that of cold loneliness and bleak memories from that bleak mid-winter.

his first winter with you was a different experience for immortal sukuna, one that he'd never lived before.

you lived in the deep forests, but snow continued to fall as heavily as it did in that mountain. yet it was warmest immortal sukuna had ever been.

you smiled at him as you told immortal sukuna to sit down, enjoy the stew you had cooked while you added firewood into the bonfire.

he'd never really had this sort of comfort before, that immortal sukuna had thought a lot.

for he had lived alone most of his life, at least what immortal sukuna remembers.

all those winters have been triumph by this one, as simple and small as it was to most. but it was everything, it was the world to immortal sukuna.

immortal sukuna likes to think that it was because of you. it was because of this humble stew in his arms, the smile on your lips as you breathed upon the fire to life.

you walk towards him, with a smile on your face. "come on, sukuna. eat. you need to keep warm, hm?"

immortal sukuna did not know what to say. for all your warmth was enough to keep the cold at bay on its own.

immortal sukuna gives you a small nod, which makes your smile go wider for him, reaching your beautiful eyes.

immortal sukuna thinks that your smile reminded him of a crescent moon, guiding the world with your tender light.

"sukuna, do you know what the color of snow was?" you asked him with a tender look.

immortal sukuna shook his head at you. what an odd question. but it was also a good one. what was the color of snow? was there even one?

"no one knows." you tell him in response, laughing. "because it's forgotten what color it was. well, at least that's what my mother said."

immortal sukuna thinks he could replay the sound of your laughter for the rest of his life. because it was so beautiful, so pure.

you were the purest thing immortal sukuna had ever known in life, almost as pure as the driven snow.

"if you're done eating, let's go outside." you whispered to sukuna, grinning from ear to ear. "let's go play!"

immortal sukuna blinks at you as you rummaged through your belongings and came towards him, wrapping a red woolen scarf on him.

"keep warm today, okay?" you say to him as you finished wrapping it up safely on sukuna's neck. "i don't want you getting sick."

immortal sukuna does not know what the color of snow was, perhaps no one will ever know in this life.

but as immortal sukuna saw you running around in your fur boots, enjoying the enchanted snow, he thinks that this is it.

this is the color of snow. you. you were the color of snow to immortal sukuna.

for the rest of his immortal life, immortal sukuna thinks nothing comes close to this coloring his life.

the color of snow may have been forgotten and never be known again. but to immortal sukuna, that was fine.

because as long as he remembers you, immortal sukuna will remember what snow truly looks like, what it feels like.

[justporo]

Headcanons for Astarion and Tav spending winter time

Aight, writing for the fluff challenge has me thinking about this a lot, so why not exploit it some more, eh? Some of these are/will be used in the drabbles plus more stuff. So, here we go:

Does Astarion like winter? For sure not, this vampire is made for summer time, elegant summer clothing and also... a beautiful summer tunic on his partner is just so much more beautiful than all the winter clothes (and easier to take off, he has a point there)

You can convince him though that winter time has its perks because there's so much more cuddling and who really wants to get out of bed when it's that cold outside, right?

Astarion will however use every given opportunity to make a fashion statement - expect beautiful but dramatic, winter cloaks with fur, elegant gloves, winter tunics with beautiful embroidery (although he might enjoy just throwing on a sweater at home - especially if you had it stolen before and your scent still lingers on it)

Also winter festivities were mostly hurtful reminders this far, but now? With you by his side, he will enjoy them a lot more

Also: let's not forget that it may be cold outside but the nights are much longer and give you more opportunity to be out and about

He sneakily hangs up a mistletoe somewhere in your place and waits like a predator to assault you with kisses every time you catches you under it; "Astarion! This is the tenth time today! You know you can just ask me for a kiss, don't you?" "But darling, where would be the fun in simply asking? Isn't it so much more romantic when pure chance makes us meet here under the mistletoe time and again, my love?" "It's not chance when you keep lingering under it, Astarion!"

He enjoys decorations a lot more than he'd care to admit, he enjoys when your place smells of fresh pine from wreaths and other stuff you've put up and he likes the cosy atmosphere all the spread candles are creating for the two of you cuddling up while a snowstorm howls outside

Speaking of: expect Astarion to become the embodiment of a cuddly cat during winter time; he'll snuggle up with you under some blankets, in front of the fireplace, maybe with a nice book to read and a mug of mulled wine to enjoy

Astarion will also make sure you stay appropriately warm: no matter if he buys you a wooly sweater or makes you a nice coat himself; "My love, I'm cold enough for the two of us, you don't need to take on this quality of mine."

One more thing he absolutely loaths is: snow; he doesn't get it

Sadly you also can't change his mind by throwing snowballs at him - oh no! This will only cause him to show you that his rogue skills make for very good aiming and you'll soon both just be completely frozen; but it's worth it because you could swear you heard him laugh and see him smile despite him proclaiming this all childish

Once he figures you are very much into all of this, he puts some more effort into it - he wants to see you happy; every time Astarion goes into the city and walks across the winter market, he'll bring you something: maybe something sweet, maybe a small piece of decoration - you feel very appreciated, you just hope he paid for that stuff and didn't just steal it; Astarion is elusive on the matter

The most important thing for him though is that he gets to spend winter time together with you - with all the gifts and challenges it may bring

Tag list: @spacebarbarianweird @sunfire-ancunin @tragedybunny @dependsonthedream @tallymonster @magazzne @micropoe10 @aoirohi @my-bunny-prince @lumienyx @fayeriess @azukiel @darlingxdragon

[b1asho]

Round one of the species introduction!!!!

Prectikar Master Post:

Here's some info on them, and if you want to see some other drawings I've done of them (albeit some occasionally older n crustier ones), check out my deviantart: https://www.deviantart.com/blasho

Anyway:

Prectikar are a large sentient species, usually standing at around 8-9 feet tall when fully upright and weighing anywhere close to or upwards if 1000 pounds

They are covered in feather-like fur (or is it fur-like feathers? They're occasionally branched like feathers, and all have quills, but some are more hairlike) due to the cold climate they evolved in, though length and thickness of it now varies by region.

They are omnivorous, and while they have many traits to help them hunt and kill, most of their diet tends to be plants.

Originally rush-down predators, they use their considerable strength to move in quick bursts and their specialized tusks to either ram prey to death or gouge into it as they grapple it.

Their jaw strength is also insane,with their skull actually sacrificing brain space in favor of it, which helps them eat pretty much anything they come across. They pay a lot of attention to food and cooking because of their high calorie needs and very sensitive nose/tongue.

They have manganese as an oxygen carrier is a result of the scarcity of other metals in their environment and potentially because of its general affinity for oxygen.

This causes their blood to be an amber/orange brown and shades of pink depending on its exposure to oxygen.

Through a network of cooperative bonding and other adaptations (like better oxygen retention in muscles and the easily carried size and longevity of the molecule) they’ve managed to bring this manganese transport molecule close to hemoglobin in terms of effectiveness, though they can also make use of manganese’s catalyst properties to temporarily push it to bring lots more oxygen to their tissues at a time (used for short bursts of speed and strength that allow them to take down large prey and plants for food).

their large body size (selected by their colder environment) lets them use their own high body heat to keep the O2 fixation and liberation going in their highly effective lungs.

An extensive understanding of their internal chemistry is unknown (aka gatekept by their colonizers/"uplifters" who ill get to later) but it seems like they also have a network of bacteria in their body just to manage the more reactive and damaging oxides that form, and to remove/convert the spent manganese into connective tissue and aid in bone maintenance.

They have higher calorie needs from keeping up the body temp and recycling/removing all that stuff, alongside just being big in general. Alongside a lot of sleeping, they also basically just eat all the time (compared to other species) to compensate, though their mammal-like fat retention and other metabolic adaptations for scarcity mean that they can handle long periods without resources(though this causes increasingly compounded problems for them)

Some other downsides include low tolerance of changes in oxygen levels (particularly low) and temperature levels, and poor adaptation to environments outside of their biosphere/without all the microorganisms since these things upset their delicate balance.

(part of why so many tribes were nomadic was/is to chase temperate and ‘warm’ seasons, even though to us that’s still cold. Prectikar living in human dominated areas often just take a lot of supplements with beneficial bacteria in them to cope with thr lack of that in their environent, and any food printers need an 'ink' cartridge containing these things or else theyre basically useless.),

They also experience faster general wear and tear from having constant complex and intensive chemical reactions(sometimes with dangerous chemicals) going on in their bloodstream and tissues.

( I’m not a biochemist, so if there’s any glaring issues with this then just explain it away to yourself with ‘they have a gland for that’ or ‘just don’t think about it actually’ which is what I did. I just wanted the fun color with a metal that can reversibly bond with oxygen :). )

They have one nasal passageway for smell/air and a second, bigger cavity for just vocalization (which they can’t breathe in from as easily).

This second cavity is between their first set of eyes, and has a phonic lip structure inside to produce higher pitched sounds.

The upper nasal opening has muscled nostrils that act as lips to further help control sound. The noise coming from here sounds very high to them, but to us it sounds like a nasally human voice, broken uobhere and there with squeaks, buzzes, and clicks).

They can pitch this nose voice very high, closer to dolphin-like clicking noises but not quite echolocation level.

Their throat vocal cords by their air sac are very long and thick, used for making very deep noises that carry long distances.

However, the vocal control they have through their mouth is very poor due to this and the inarticulate lips and tongue they have, and due to the more limited air they can bring in and out of it, so when speaking only through their mouth they sound a lot like seals or dogs and can only really go in short bursts before having to refill the sac.

Most of their languages are spoken with the nose and mouth sounds in tandem, where the high and low mix to make a more even sounding voice.

It’s fairly easy to understand them, but nearly impossible for us to truly speak any of their native languages, and if they wanted to they could also just start making sounds we cant hear.

They see it as strange that humans and other species speak with a single tone without difficulty.

The red flaps pictured on the drawing of their mouth and nasal passages can be moved to seal off the passage and direct airflow elsewhere.

The big red one in their throat acts as a “diaphragm” to fill and empty the air sac (which is left over from when their digestive and respiratory tracts were more connected like ours, but time in the water heavily shifted it to a more ‘blowhole’ type outline to help them breathe and vocalize from the surface).

The other flap by the air sac and its vocal cords moves upwards to block off the digestive tract whenever the mouth or nose is opened to allow air to be drawn in by this diaphragm.

The two red flaps making a pinched shape can move independently or with the other red flap, but never at the same time with each other. The main airway is always separate from the digestive tract, though the flap to the middle, non vocal nasal passage can be moved so that it’s a part of either the vocal nasal passage to draw in air or the air sac part to act as another resonance chamber.

Air can be drawn in by the diaphragm via open mouth and through the nose via open top red flap at the same time, and can be released at the same time, resulting in their near continuous double speak sound they use for their own language.

Their characteristic large tusks are retractable and housed in a cone-shaped bony socket on the side of their jaw.

A muscle is attached to the bony root of the tooth, and pushes it out. As it slides towards the front of the mouth, the cone socket narrows and wedges a protrusion on the tooth into a hole in the socket, and then the muscle stiffens, locking it in there.

When the tusk retracts, the muscle quickly jimmies the tooth forward then draws it back to get it out of the hole, and then pulls it back into the wider part of the socket.

This is mainly because their tusks are ever growing (but very slowly) but not great at self sharpening, and are their main weapon in self defense and hunting,so it seems this just happened to keep them safe.

If a tusk is broken, as long as it was not cracked at the root, it can be regrown with extensive time in the socket, but otherwise they stay safely stowed in da socket where the majority of its sharp edge can stay protected from chewing and other mouth stuff. Tusks won't start growing in until their teenage years.

They are primarily bipedal/ quadrupedal and switch between the two occasionally.

Knuckle walking helps distribute their top-heavy weight and give them more balance for long and short distance, while walking upright gives them better visibility, less stress on their neck/upper back, and quicker but unsteadier movement.

Their gallop/sprint utilizes both arms and legs to propel them forward in a gait halfway between a bear and a gorilla (since their big mid arms are set like a bears) to overtake prey after an ambush or drive them into the rest of the pack waiting elsewhere. Quad walking also helps them get around in buildings meant for species half their size.

Their hands are some of their only places without hair, but as they age, they loose it on their arms and face too.

Prectikar have different uses for each of their pairs of limbs, and have for all stages of their evolution.

The front ones specialized for grappling prey and grabbing things, and so have a ‘sprawling’ shoulder position like humans and have hands with relatively nimble fingers, the outer two are angled inwards but can also move in a pamprodactyl ish fashion (which acts as their version of a thumb, and lets them switch from big to little grabbing motions) .

Their mid limbs used to be wings with hands, and still have a basically zygodactyl finger position that was helpful for holding onto branches (with the backwards facing finger), but over time they have been converted into terrestrial knuckle-walking limbs, with the one that swings back and forth being brought forwards to walk or swung back to adjust grip on big things they want to move or for balance on unstable terrain like ice . The fingers on this one are big and clumsy, pretty much only useful for digging, walking, or slashing.

Their back limbs also used to be for grasping but were mainly counterbalances, but have now turned into plantigrade walking limbs (and much like humans, that’s pretty much all they use them for). All have nonretractable claws.

Prectikar are viviparous and usually give birth to litters of up to 8.

They have a specific mating season, where their dimorphic traits will become more pronounced.

Males in rut will shed the feathers on their throat sac region and it will become a bright ambery yellow color, and they will also grow in longer feathers on their butt region (in a fan shape for display purposes. The dont have a true post anal tail like humans).

They will also develop some of that pinkish orange/yellow on their chest skin. Females go throguh estrus cycles and will also grow a more prominent butt feather crest, as well as some very long feathers around their neck, shoulders, and abdomen for babies to hold onto.

Their skin patches turn a much brighter shade of yellow to help direct newborns to where they can feed from. Once they give birth, they will start making an oily and thick secretion across the skin patch which is collected into a divot which the infant licks from. Part of why the babies hold onto them is so they can constantly lick the 'milk'so they can grow.

Newborns come out blind and hairless, but quickly grow in a thick down and open their eyes so they can climb on mom.

Once they're weaned, they'll drop off and use the muscles they gained hanging on and climbing to start moving with the adults. They grow very fast, and canes are a common sight in teens to help deal with the rapid bone and muscle growth.

Usually, it is only during this season where chest/skin related nudity standards change to be more conservative, since showing those colors means youre down to fuck and so doing that is usually restricted to in private with their partner or for bachelors.

They have very strict binaries for sex and gender based on this seasonal divide and religion.

Most tribes show gender identity through a piercing on their lower nose for male or chin for female (so dont worry, the main guy up there is showing some male presenting chest outside of the mating season, so hes fine).

Normally, only some cultures pierce their ears, which are like if owls had a little mobile flap of outer ear to swivel I stead of their whole head. Very little of it is actually flesh, and the sound is mainly captured by the feathers around it.

While they have a reputation otherwise, Prectikar are highly social within their tribal/family groups.

They regularly allogroom, greet each other with hugs, and usually travel in sibling groups. Households are multi generational.

They have a reputation as standoffish or irritable because they take things very differently and have other standards/specific body language truggers. also most other species treat them differently/with fear by default.

their upper pair of eyes is larger and focused on long distance vision while their lower pair is for close up vision, creatign a bifocal effect for them when using both at once.

Aaaaaand that oretty much everything, I think. I'll post some other arts related to them soon, but consider this the Master Post on the things you should know about them!!

[atom-writings]

hiii can i request russia, canada, germany and greece seeing their s/o wearing their clothes for the first time? good luck on ur finals :D !!

hetalia russia, canada, germany, and greece seeing their s/o wear their clothes

1.0k words ~ gender neutral headcanons / scenarios

tw: none!

a/n: holy shit tthis request is so old that its a new finals season :sob: guys im trying. ALSO idk how to write greece. but hopefully its ok

Russia

Ivan wouldn’t know what to do with himself if you wore his clothing. Like, he just never expected anyone to ever… want to do that?

Plus, if you’re any shorter than 6’ 5”, his clothes are more like blankets than anything wearable.)

Mornings at Ivan's house were always cold. His dacha had been built long before the invention of home heating systems, and he had always refused to modernize anything he owned.

So, when you finally woke up, you grabbed one of Ivan's jackets to keep yourself warm while you made breakfast. It was huge, on him and you, and lined with fur from animals killed centuries ago.

The house was quiet aside from the quiet sizzling of an egg on a pan. Or at least, it was until you heard the dull thuds drawing closer behind you.

In an instant, Ivan wrapped his firm arms around you, picking you up off the floor for a second.

“G-Good morning to you too,” You tease him softly. All he responds with is a quiet grunt, muffled as he buries his face in your hair.

“Should I make you something too?”

He shook his head, “You are too perfect to be cooking right now...”

“Aww, Ivan...”

”Please wear things like this more often...“ He mumbled, seemingly embarrassed.

”What, your things? Should I steal more jackets?“

“Yes... please...“ He said, and you could feel his smile, even if you couldn't see it.

He just can't get enough of you wearing his stuff. He thinks it makes you two look like a real couple. Then everyone will know that you're his (:

Canada

From the start of your relationship, Matthew had been trying to subtly coerce you into wearing his clothes. It's like, one of his main relationship goals.

So if you did it without him asking, his brain would fry.

“D-Dear, what are you- a-are you...?” Matthew's shaking voice makes it way past your earbuds, which you promptly rip out.

You turn away from your desk to face him, and his face immediately lights up.

”Sorry, I- I didn't have an-“ Is all you sputter out before you're interrupted by a hug that sends you tumbling backwards. He's warm as he curls around you, resting his head in the crook of your neck.

”Oh. Uh-”

“W-Wait, sorry... I- I didn't mean to um-”

“You're f-”

“No- I mean-” He pulls away, letting go of you completely.

“Math-”

“Sorry!”

“MATTHEW,” You finally manage to break him out of his stuttering state, “It's fine.”

He averts his gaze as he stands before you, awkwardly playing with his hoodie cuffs, ”I- I just really think you're um- cute in that...“

”Matt, it's just a hoodie.“

”Yeah but it- it has um... that...“ He points to the maple leaf pattern covering the hoodie. That makes you pause, looking up at him like he said something weird.

“It's just leaves.”

His cheeks immediately turn the same shade as the leaves on his hoodie, ”W-Well! It's better than stars and stripes!“

Seriously, anything that shows that you're showing him over America will make him go crazy.

Germany

Ludwig doesn't have a lot of casual clothes, so you're kind of limited in your “stealing t-shirts for pyjamas” options

And sorry to disappoint, but his stoic demeanour isn't getting majorly cracked even by that.

It was a rare occurrence for Ludwig to let you do anything around the house. He cooked the meals, he cleaned the dishes, he did most of the laundry, and the sweeping, mopping, and literally any other task that had to be done. So, in a moment you thought would never come, you were actually excited to be doing the dishes for him.

But, because of his disaster of a “modern, ergonomic” sink, that meant getting water all over your shirt. And seeing how you were wearing something nice for a date night with him, you only had one choice. Throwing on one of his torn and faded old t-shirts.

After a few minutes of washing the dishes alone, Ludwig took his place beside you, leaning against the counter and watching you intently.

“Yes?“ You prompt him, and he immediately looks a little embarrassed.

”Thanks for doing this.“

”You do this every night, so like, it's fine?“

”Y-Yes, but, I still appreciate it.“ He tells you quickly, before placing a hang on your shoulder. You turn off the water for a moment, plunging the kitchen into silence again.

Before you could register it, you were pulled closer to him. 

“You should wear my things more often…” He mumbled before leaning down to kiss your cheek.

“Buy more normal person clothes then.”

Then he pulled away with a groan, “OK, the moment is over.”

Greece

Heracles probably didn't even notice until you said something. Anytime he's looking at you, your clothes are the last thing he registers.

”Oh, wait... uh- sorry,“ You blurt out once you look down and remember what you're wearing, ”I forgot to ask if I could...“

He looks over you as your hands fidget with the hem of his oversized t-shirt. The design said something in Greek, but all you could make out were the words ”FOOD“ and ”CATS” (It was more important that it was comfortable than stylish.) For his part, he looked completely disinterested in whatever you were saying.

“If you could what?” Heracles asks, his tone dry and tired.

“If I could wear your shirt...”

“Oh,” Then he glances over your direction, barely looking over his tea, ”Yes, I see that now.“

”Do you... care?“

”No.“ He says as if what you had just asked was as obvious as the colour of the sky. Despite that, it didn't seem to bother or excite him in the slightest.

He might find it a little amusing when his clothes don't fit you, but generally he doesn't care. He believes strongly in the idea that ”What's his is yours, and what's yours is his.“

Because of that, he'll steal your clothes too. And he might rip them. Oops.

[misguidedasgardian]

The Winter Sun (9)

9. ... Is trough the green road

MASTERLIST

Summary: The first obstacle in your marriage appears

Pairing: Cregan Stark x Fem!Targaryen Reader 

Warnings: Cursing, medieval and asoif customs, arranged marriage , AGE GAP, Cregan is 12 years OLDER than reader), arranged marriage, foul language, hunt and killing of rabbits, might miss some warnings

+18, MINORS DNI

Wordcount: 3.4 k

Notes: You all wanted 🔥🔥 Between reader and Cregan and trust me... ME TOO, and I promise it's coming soon!

Winter is coming

Those were the words of house Stark, and those words, especially this time, held a true meaning, winter was coming, the days started to grow shorter, and colder, the snow had started to stick. 

The maesters had said this winter was going to be really cold, but short.

The castle was always with a lot of movement, Sara had told you that it was because they were preparing for the upcoming freezing cold.

Gathering wood, straws for the ceilings of the houses, food for the animals, food for your food, wool for coats, rabbit skins to cover the insides of the armor for the soldiers… they were all preparing for winter, and for you, it was… exciting…

It shouldn’t be, you knew, but to think that this huge winter storm was coming in and you had to stay inside, to stay warm, with your husband… and your new family, it was almost exciting, even though you knew the people of town didn’t think so.

But that’s what the preparations were for, so everybody could have a safe winter

Winter’s Town was also preparing for the arrival of the people of the country, who preferred to stay in the small city rather than face the winter alone.

Cregan was out hunting almost everyday, to gather meat that they were going to storage, after processing it with salt so it won't rot

Sara had mentioned that in normal circumstances he would leave for weeks, but this time he had rather stayed close, and she said it was because of you.

And that also made you feel excited

You wanted to prove to him that you wanted him, that you were prepared for all the duties that being a wife entailed, So you made sure to raise up very early in the morning, get dressed in your northern dress, and make yourself useful in anything you could. And Cregan wasn’t the only one noticing your efforts

People of the castle and of the town were too.

You have proven to be very well versed in numbers, and rather good at talking to people, as your teachings with your father had taught you, so you soon found yourself receiving carriages from Winter’s Town and also White Harbor, and making an inventory with the help of Sara of everything that was coming in, so you knew for certain the things you could count on when Winter finally came.

It was entertaining and very useful, as the maester also stood by your side and helped you.

Also you had proven yourself invaluable to him, because you knew the maester in King’s Landing, and you had opened a connection between them both with letters and ravens, to make sure the tower of the maester of Winterfell could get everything and anything it needed, regarding herbs for medicine and knowledge too. 

For the first time in your life, you felt like you were meaningful, that what you did, truly mattered, and it made you truly happy. 

The people even started to take a liking to Vhaelar, that you commanded to lit big pire of fire once in a while to keep the town and its surroundings free of ice and snow, and she was a kind creature of a nice temper, and never had hurt anyone 

Sara and you spend the afternoon making warm dresses for the coming winter, with soft fur on their insides, it felt so good to the touch.to made them using your riding gear, pants on the bottom part.

Your mind was occupied, you ended up so tired at the end of the day, where you sleep in your rooms, alone.

But Cregan! You thought you were making progress with him, as every night you would have dinner together, alone, Sara would make up some excuse and would leave you to it, he was usually quite silent, but you would ask things to him and he would entertain you with long stories that you adored.

You looked in the mirror to fix your hair nervously, this time, it was lunch and Cregan had requested you two have it in your chambers. Soon lunch was going to be served and you and Cregan would have some alone time

Soon there was a knock on the door, and you indicated, rather quickly, that whomever was on the other side could come in, there he was, ever so punctual, ever so Cregan

“Good day”, you greeted, your excitement obvious though your smile and blush

“Good day”, he answered back, he took a moment to observe you, dressed in a simple gray dress and your hair arranged in a simple way with two braids keeping the rest of your wild silver mane out of your face

“How was your day?”, you asked, as he sat down in the small table right in front of you

“Tiresome”, he admitted, sharing a small smile, “but we accomplished many things today”

“the preparations for the winter are truly something”, you said, with a shy smile

“Yes, indeed”, he said, his eyes looking at you, your face illuminated by the small flames of the candle decorating the table, “and you're great in it”

“You are so kind”, you offered

“It’s true, you had not lived a real harsh winter and yet… you understand the importance, the need of the people, thanks to you, we are making great advances”, you looked down at your plate and blushed

“I just do what I can, I’m glad I can be of service”, you admitted

“You are, I want you to know”, he muttered. His gaze was always on you, you’ve noticed, like he was analyzing you, like he was testing

And unbeknown to you, he sort of was

He looked at you, all blushed and nervous around him, to him you were so sweet, he was actually astonished by the things you had accomplished, of how easily you had adapted, of the good you were doing to the castle by doing the things you had done.

For a second, he thanked the maester that spoke on your behalf, you truly were your father’s daughter. Good spoken, smart, intelligent. You were… admirable, incredible… he didn’t even have the words to describe you, and now… you were his wife.

His wife

He was supposed to bed you, to take you, to give you his children… Right now it seemed you were two different women… the Lady of Winterfell on one side, serious, calculating, kind and smart, and now… his wife, shy, nervous, a young girl right in front of him, nervous of speaking to him… it was like two different persons all together

He had to find the balance.

Now you… were exquisite, beautiful, fucking naive to your own power, your feminine power… and he was thankful for it… he has to contain himself not to jump over you every night… no, he couldn’t, you were so sweet, so kind… he was afraid that if he truly just…. fucked you, all of it was going to go away… and he couldn’t have that, not now. You were so happy

(Oh if he only knew you could be even happier if he fucked you)

Oh how different you were to every woman he had once met… nothing like them… you were so different.

Every time he came to his chambers at night, he found you there, and he remembered you were already his wife, this marvelous, beautiful being, what was he supposed to do? he thought he didn’t deserve you 

He didn’t know where you came from

But you were here, like an apparition, like this person send of the Old Gods

But he had been down this road before, he had been married twice already, he had opened his heart, he let himself love his beautiful brides and then… they died in his arms, both of them, one taking his child with her.

Many say the third time's the charm but what if it isn’t and the price is you?

But he also may think that keeping you close, content and happy was better than keeping you at arm’s length. If he had you close he could protect you, keep you warm in winter, make sure you ate, make sure you stayed healthy, and strong… take care of you.

Hence, he looked down at the small package he had brought you, you noticed it too…

He bought a furry white thing

“I had this made for you, wife”, he muttered, grabbing the furry thing he had brought with him, and when he unfolded it, it revealed a beautiful white cape, white as snow, and the fur it was white as well, “it’s rabbit skin, white rabbits that I hunted for you”

Your mouth even opened in surprise, it was so beautiful, the cape was like his, but white

“Cregan… it’s…”, you were speechless, he had made this for you, for your comfort. You stood up quickly, to receive it in your arms, “it’s beautiful!”, he saw your every reaction, so when you looked up at him you found him smiling down at you. “Thank you”, you said softly

“It’s my pleasure”, he said, and he found himself wanting to see that look on your face everyday, for it was beautiful, “I can’t have the Lady of Winterfell freezing now can I?” He asked, and you shook your head still smiling, caressing the soft fur

“Help me?”, you asked, your eyes shining with a certain mischievousness, and a smirk on your lips. He smiled at you, as he took the cape from your hands and placed it over your shoulders, he secured the straps around your torso, and then, without breaking eye contact, he accommodated it over your shoulders, leaving his hands there as he looked at you.

“Beautiful”, he said, but he was not looking at the cape, he was looking right at you, at your eyes.

There was a connection, a moment, his right hand traveled from your shoulder to your neck, and then it landed gently on your cheek, your eyes connected, he leaned in, and you drew a sharp breath.

You leaned in, he leaned down, and you closed your eyes, waiting for his lips to collide into yours…

And then…

A horn sounded outside, loud, and from experience, it meant only one thing

“Dragon!”, they shouted and the spell was broken, Cregan separated himself from you

“Are you expecting anyone?”, he asked, his hand still on your cheek, you only shook your head, he released you then. You felt cold without his touch, and he proceeded to leave the room, and you followed closely behind him.

You were soon out of the castle and into the courtyard.

The gates opened and all the air left your lungs as soon as you saw who it was.

He walked in like he owned the bloody place, his steps long and his single eye defiant, it gave you a good flashback of when you crossed him in the hallways of the keep, and he would look at you with contempt and then he would push you against the wall.

His eyes looked around in poor-hidden disgust, and then his eye found you, and he almost seemed surprised

You were wearing a handmade northerner dress, you hair arranged like a northerner lady and wearing a winter cape, that was probably why he seemed so surprised  

“Aemond?”, you called, as you froze when he came near you,  “what are you doing here?”

“I’m here to bring you home of course”, he said simply, looking at you all calm and composed

“Welcome to Winterfell prince Aemond”, greeted Cregan by your side, “you surprised us”, it was a nice way to say “you weren’t invited”

Aemond barely looked at him, then he looked back at you 

“I think is improper, you, living here alone, with no one of your house nor chaperones or servants”, he muttered

“Is not improper, she is my wife”, said Cregan, and Aemond, for a second he seemed like he was going to burn the whole castle down, but he composed himself

“Wife?”, he asked, almost amused

“Cregan and I married under the Heart tree, and the old gods”, you said shakily, unconsciously taking a step towards Cregan until your arms touched, he obviously noticed it, and looked at you surprised.

Your entire body language had changed in the presence of this man, he thought, looking at him with mistrustful eyes 

“Funny, I don’t seemed to hace received a raven informing me of this union”, you knew him, he was trying so hard to act composed

“Why would we notify you?”, you asked, not even on a confrontational stance, but a curious one

He hummed

“You are a princess of the crown”, he said, “your union has to be sanctioned by the King and the council”

“It was their idea”, you said, Cregan took a step in diagonal, standing almost in front of you, to shield you from him

“I received an offer from King Viserys, in it, it offered the hand of his darling niece, and I accepted said offer, I exchanged letters with the council”, he said firmly, “Princess Rhaenys was a witness to the union”, Cregan said, looking at him, “I’m very sorry but I don’t see why this is of interest of you… my prince”, he said

“Mmm”, Aemond hummed, looking at him almost amused, “I’m sorry but, I’d like to stay, until we can clear this out with the council, you see, I was not notified of this, and the princess was supposed to be my betrothed”. Cregan turned back to look at you, surprise in his eyes, “furthermore I believe is proper to have a member of her family present, to ensure the princess’ comfort, don’t you agree Lord Stark?” 

“I understand your disappointment, you are welcome to stay here as you see fit”, he said, and you almost whimpered

“I need to speak to you”, he whispered to, and you only nodded

This can’t be happening

Cregan needed to speak to you, but Aemond demanded your attention first, and since he was your family, you felt the responsibility to find out his true reason for being here.

You had escaped him, you knew they were going to marry you to him so you begged a man to bed you first. And apparently, based on his actions and reactions, he wanted you, he wanted to marry you, own you, possess you…

And Cregan Stark now stood on his way

You needed to speak to him to make it clear to him that he had lost, that he must let it go, that it was too late for him, and that you, ultimately, had won.

So you walked with him towards an empty guest room in the castle.

“Alright”, Aemond muttered as son as he was alone with you, “you had proven yourself, let’s end this mummer’s farce”, two servants, Winterfell servants, entered to the empty room and brought a big wooden trunk with them

“You can’t just order people around”, you chided, “thank you”, you said as the gentle servants walked by you

“Of course I can”, he said, he opened the trunk with one hand, inside, it revealed a dozen dresses, all golden, red, emerald green, in exquisite detail and fabrics, worthy of Queen Alicent, and you, a princess

“What is this?”, you asked, suddenly lightheaded 

“What you deserve”, he said solemn, “let’s get you out of those rags and into what a princess like you should wear”, from under he dresses he took a large wooden box, which he opened and offered to you, inside it, there was beautiful necklaces, with rubies, emeralds, sapphires… Exquisite jewelry made for en empress 

“You burn all my things and now you dare to tell me what to wear?”, you said, indignant, taking a grasp back into reality, “I made this clothes, and I’m not a princess anymore, I am a Lady”, he tried, again to remain solemn and he made a fist out of his lean hand, leaving the box on top of the dresses

“I heard about that unfortunate incident, so I brought you these to compensate you”, he said, “you don’t know what you are saying, let’s go home”

“This is my home”, you assured him, “what the old gods witnessed and joined can’t be undone by men”

“You being married under those savages rituals means as much to me as you being married to an animal, it has no meaning” 

You looked at the dresses as they were a foreign thing, you would have happily worn them two years ago, they were so beautiful, exquisite even, but now? They seemed uncomfortable, not you, you would have frozen to death while wearing those. Your life in the Keep seemed to have been a century ago And the jewelry, it was fine in King’s Landing, but here? you wouldn’t even dream of it, they seemed so uncomfortable… 

“I do not care what you think”, you said finally, “Cregan Stark is my husband, I am the Lady of Winterfell now”, he chuckled, darkly, looking away from you 

“Are you now?”, he asked, “I bet he haden’t even fuck you yet”, your cheeks reddened as you looked away

“We made love every night”, you whispered defensively, he took two long steps towards you, to reach you

“I can smell the virgin off of you”, he whispered right in front of you, you shook your head, averting his gaze, taking a step back

“I’m married now Aemond”

“You had not consummate the marriage, and marriages performed under the Old Gods can easily be annulled by a high septon, now, let’s go home, now”, it was a command, he was commanding you

“This is my home now”, you said, scared of him, “I’m not going anywhere, specially with you”

“Mmm”, he leaned in, again eliminating the distance between you, he grabbed your arm roughly, “you are mine”, he said, “I’ve told you so”

“I’m not”, you stammered, trying to release yourself from his grasp, but couldn’t, “I’m nobody’s”

“I should have think you’d say you are Cregan’s”, he said, amused

“Leave me alone”, he grabbed you roughly and brought you to him, and then the door opened, Cregan walked in and even though you repulsed his touch, the scene must have looked like…

“Prince Aemond”, he called, you looked at him and Aemond released you at once, acting like in truth he walked in on something improper, “your room is ready”, he said solemnly and with a seriousness that made you shake

“I look forward to spending some time with you here in the North”, he said, even more amused, “to see the… picturesque… of your traditions”, it sounded more like an insult. 

His blood boiled when he saw you like that, so close to him, 

“I hope it’s not a lengthy visit”, Cregan said, “Winter is coming”

“Ah yes, the words of your house” 

“Winter is coming, frosty winds, ice and snow”, he said, “the maesters from Oldtown will be sending the white raven out soon”, he warned

“Hmm, we are dragons we do not fear cold”, he said looking at you, and you did everything you could to demonstrate how uncomfortable you were

“The journey was long from King’s Landing is long”, Cregan said, “I bet your grace is hungry”

“I’m famished”, he said, his eye still on you, you looked at Cregan that couldn’t stray his gaze from Aemond, and he looked so angry. You had never seen him like this…

Cregan had arranged for the three of you to have lunch in the great hall, and fortunately for you, Sara also showed up, she paled when she saw the prince seated by your side

“Your grace, this is Sara Snow, my sister”

“Snow is it?”, he asked, his gaze again, landing on you, “a bastard”, he whispered, his tone mocking… 

“Yes my lord”, said Sara, looking down at the floor

“My dear sister”, corrected Cregan, “it’s all that matters”

“Mmmm”, Aemond tends to do that, humm as he was thinking something over. “Interesting”

“Let’s have lunch”, said Cregan, again, his temper sour.

He was angry now, he wanted to speak to you, and you couldn’t help but feel guilty. As you looked at Aemond… you felt scared because you didn’t know what could possibly come out of this…

The only thing you knew for certain was that this was your home now, and you were not going to leave it.

taglist! ❤️ @severewobblerlightdragon @missusnora @stargaryenx @poppyreader @chainsawsangel @court-jester-stuff @batprincess1013 @eddiepicker @lyannesworld @arujee @kamisunshine @​​mss-nthng @partypoison00

[skyeslittlecorner]

Tails for all! - Gehenna edition

Other parts: Kings | Tartaros | Hades | Avisos | Nilfheim | Abaddon | Paradise Lost

Sitri

In Ars Goetia he is related to leopards, so let's keep it that way! A white spotted tail, fluffy, mid-calf length. Equal thickness, only the end is a little fluffier.

The fur is white and silky, but when held up to the light it has blue reflections, just like his hair. 

The nobles of Gehenna thought he was a kitten, and he hated it. Leraye tried to shove catnip up his nose. Also, because they spend a lot of time together, Satan has learned to wag his tail like a cat from him.

He uses it for balancing, have you seen his heels? Exactly. 

This.

Sensitiveness 9/10. Have you ever tried holding a cat by its tail? He's usually calm, but pull on him and he'll completely lose his cool. And you lose your hand.

Not suitable for sex, but best for cuddling. He will tickle you if you are naughty. Also, extremely warm. He will wrap it around your cold hands to warm them.

Belial

A beautiful man with a beautiful tail. Do you remember Toothless from How to train a dragon? Similar tail, except the fins are a little smaller.

Not necessarily scales, more like smooth, hard skin. Homogeneous, only when you touch it you feel small bumps.

Like Beelzebub, he can pull a needle from the tip of his tail. Sometimes, when he's bored, he takes vinyl records and a record player and tries to use this sting like a record player needle.

It works great in the water while swimming.

He had Jjyu on his tail for a while, but the little demon made a lot of enemies behind his back (literally).

Sensitiveness 5/10. He will talk to you with his tail if he can't talk to you with his mouth. He will wrap it around your ankle or stroke your cheek. You would create your own secret love language of gestures. And, it's perfect for grinding.

Paimon

Long, strong tail, with a flowy hair like an irish setter.  It looks beautiful, but it is strong enough to break a rib.

It's blonde at the base, but the closer it gets to the end, the more it turns pink. Nobody knows if it's natural or dyed.

A lot of colorful pins and hairbands are attached to it, the back is braided. Smells sweet, as if he washed it with bubblegum shampoo.

He loves using his tail instead of a tripod or hand for selfies.

Sometimes, when fighting arm in arm with Leraye and surrounded by enemies, they can stand with their backs to each other and intertwine with their tails. Just to protect their backs. 

Sensitiveness 4/10. He will stab you with his tail to taunt you or wrap around your waist so you can't escape. And he’d love you to brush it.

Leraye

We all know he's a puppy, so of course he'll get a kangaroo tail. Maybe not exactly, but similar in strength and agility. Longer than his legs, thick at the base like a thigh. Very short bristles, similar to Paimon, blond at the base, the further away, the darker.

When he wanted to get a piercing on his tail, he finally learned not to do it with a gun. Sitri had to help him anyway again, because he can't turn around that much.

His piercing is three spikes, smaller than his horn, on his back, a hand's distance from each other and from the base. Of course, he has teddy bears there.

His shooting position is incomprehensible to others because he leans on his tail to aim better.

He treats that tail like a chair. If his legs were as strong, he would have no problem running.

Sensitiveness 4/10. He likes it when you scratch him, especially in the opposite direction to the bristles. He'll wag that big tail like a dog.

Zagan

He is depicted as a griffin-winged bull. Let his tail be long and silver, with a white ponytail at the end. Similar to a lion's, but much larger.

If he wanted to, he can use his ponytail as a brush, but it is difficult to remove the paint from the long fur.

The silver fur is a little longer on the bottom. Compared to ponytail, it is more slippery.

Paimon really wanted to dye it, and Zagan didn't have the heart to refuse, so for half a year he wore a pink ponytail at the end. (That's why he knows how hard it is to wash it off.) Interestingly, the angels fled even more at the sight of him. It is known that the cuter the demon, the more dangerous it is.

He has a protective pattern painted on the back of his tail, near the base, just like on his talismans. He repaints it every morning, it's his little ritual.

Sensitiveness 5/10. He likes petting the underside of the tail the most, where he has longer, soft fur.

Astaroth

Let's go crazy, shall we? There is no more snake demon than him. We know that demons are shapeshifters, and I feel like he would gladly trade his legs for a snake tail. 

Its strands may be a good ten meters long, but no one has been brave enough to measure it. Black scales with a white belly.

He has no tail in his human form, he would feel too uncomfortable with so many limbs. 

From him came the legends not only about Santa Claus, but also about the nagas, i.e. snake-like deities.

Elegant and distinguished and lazy. Like Belial, he likes to swim, especially at noon when the sun warms his scales. You can use him like a mattress or a pontoon.

Sensitiveness 2/10 back, 10/10 belly.  Especially where the human body turns into a snake one. You know what I'm getting at. Along with the tail, of course, come fangs and poison. Don't try to kiss him and don't let it bite you. He'd tangle you in his embrace and wouldn't let you go.

[bluegekk0]

That fluffy hyena post made me think of how Grimm got more and more fluffy over time. Of course this is just me changing his design, but I like to think there's an in-universe reason for it.

His fur grows, it needs to be trimmed every now and then. What if, similarly to how FPK stopped worrying about appearances over time, he decided to just let it grow and only trim it when it starts getting in the way? Perhaps he noticed how much FPK loves burying his face in it, so he thought he would enjoy if there was more of it?

But what if he didn't even need to modify it to be fluffier between rituals, what if Hallownest's cold climate influences its growth? Of course, he doesn't actually need more fluff to keep warm, his body is like a walking furnace. I'm not sure how him having a "winter coat gene" would even work, but it's fun to imagine.

Though I think what's more likely is that he just lets it grow much longer. His Nightmare King form shows that he can be very fluffy, and you can see it in his children as well - their fluff covers most of their bodies, and so they end up looking a lot more like his godly self compared to his physical body. But in the case of his physical form, it doesn't grow on his torso, so he overall loses that fluffiness.

Speaking of that torso, I imagine he made it like this for no other reason but appearance. Before he settled down with FPK, he particularly cared about his looks - being attractive meant that he would find casual partners, which he needed to satisfy his needs. With how prevalent shells are in many bug species he met, a shiny body was seen as especially attractive. Though it's worth noting that his torso isn't actually all hard-shell - the back is, particularly the spine sail, but it gets softer as you move towards the front, so his chest and stomach are far softer and more flexible. With proper maintenance it smooth and shiny, and that made him more desirable.

He still maintains it now, despite the previous reason seeming a tad desperate, he does genuinely like how he looks, and so it's for himself more than anything. He also quite likes the fluffier appearance, especially his fluffy neck and butt, and finds styling it in the morning very enjoyable (the sight of FPK's clearly distracted eyes reacting to the extra volume in his fluffy bottom is a nice bonus).

And yeah there's no explanation for the tail, I just pretend it's always been there. I hate looking at older art where he has no tail, it looks so awkward. Funny thing is, I did intend to give him a tail a while back, but it was more like a stubby lizard tail with spikes on it, I ended up scrapping it because it looked weird. But with his design getting fluffier, a more mammalian tail was a natural conclusion. Though it does make me want to redraw a lot of older art and include it there...

[beabnormal24]

Hi, hello, it’s me again here.

So, of course my competitive butt had to take my own comment about Yuki/Alex as a challenge and now I have 12k or more of a draft.

But I don’t know if I’m doing it correctly, I NEED HELP (also mental help, possibly). I was mostly inspired by AJR’s song ‘Turning out’, which I highly recommend because it’s A MASTERPIECE.

The general idea is: Yuki finds a stray puppy during a storm and he brings it to the prt clinic at the ground floor of his apartment complex where Alex has just started working.

They start to get to know each other but Yuki is still nit sure if he actually likes Alex or if he sees him as a best friend, since he’s never cared about actually getting into a relationship so he had never actually looked at the difference between love and in love.

But it’s also a big period of his life because both Charles and Pierre have moved out of the apartment that they used to all (as in Yuki, Pierre and Charles) live in during university because they have started working and have decided to move in either their respective partners.

Charles is already engaged with Carlos (of course there’s Charlos, it’s my fic) and Pierre hints at proposing to George (I don’t know where this ship came from in my mind but I wanted it, so I wrote about it), and Yuki is starting to feel lonely. [also, other side-couples are Sewis and Landoscar]

He has the company of a puppy called Kuri (because it’s Japanese for chestnut, and I imagine Yuki with a poodle with chestnut fur) and Alexander Albon, funny and tall and easygoing but he doesn’t know what it means to him.

So, lots of introspection as it’s common in my fics and fluff because Yalex has to be a comfort ship, sorry. (And I’m also planning on smut, hehe)

Anyway, here is a little snippet, let me know what you think about it (keep in mind that I am NOT British and I do NOT have a beta reader):

—

Karma may be a little fickle tonight, but it certainly pulls him to its side when the heavy rain turns into a light drizzle halfway through his way back to his apartment complex – which isn’t a long journey, per se, but Yuki surely isn’t one to look into a gifted horse’s mouth.

So, by the time he has reached the closed doors of the vet clinic, he is shivering much less than before and the biting cold in his bones has turned into an uncomfortable chill shiver running down his spine from time to time.

What is annoying is the hair plastered down to his eyes dripping wet and the fact that he can’t even try and move a few strands out because his arms are already stuffed full of the sleeping body of a tiny, harmed puppy.

Good God.

The doors stay closed when he finds a sheltered place under the brick's roof of the entrance, but Yuki knows for a fact that Sebastian is never able to leave this place until it’s ten in the evening, because there’s always some animal staying the night after an operation, and he would probably rather close the clinic for good instead of leaving them alone for more than eight hours.

Yuki had never got it, honestly, the sleep and the warm comfort of his bed seems like a much better prospect than staying around sleeping animals in pain, but now that he’s looking at the limp tiny thing in his arms, he may start to understand.

“Sebastian!” he calls out, reaching with his pinky finger to the doorbell. He cries his name a bunch of times, because the rain is starting to fall again and his voice might get covered soon enough, and there’s no way that Yuki is going to wait for him to close everything up – that might take hours, the puppy may be hurting too much by then. “Sebastian, please, it’s an emergency” he must sound like a possessed man, and the lady on the first floor will probably have something to complain about in their next condominium meeting. But she always talks too loudly on her phone on Sunday mornings when Yuki is trying to sleep away a tremendous hangover, so she can honestly go fuck herself – respectfully.

It still takes a few more minutes and a few more desperate calls for the door to open and the dim yellow light of the waiting room to seep on the steps. Yuki slips inside without even waiting for it to open completely, clutching the jacket close to his chest and exhaling deeply through his nose when the warmth of the air-conditioned room finally engulfs him. The puppy sighs against his chest, so it must appreciate the change in temperature, too.

“See, I told you buddy I would get you safe. Yuki always keeps his promises” he says softly, shuffling the bundle of leather closer to his face. The puppy smells pretty bad, a mix of blood and dumpsters rubbish from London neighborhoods, but its tiny eyes are staring back at him all lucid and wide and full of fondness, like it can actually feel love for him, and Yuki can’t even consider the possibility of getting it too far away from his nose.

Yuki may have just fallen in love, too. But it also might be the adrenaline of acting like a freaking hero in a rainstorm when he can barely reach the top cupboard of his kitchen with the help of a stepladder.

But Disney never made a movie about short heroes; he never had a figure to look up to during his childhood.

“Now Sebastian here will take really good care of you, yes? He won’t ever hurt you. Right Seb-” Yuki stops in his tracks when his gaze meets a pair of brown eyes that definitely do not belong to Sebastian, especially with the way he almost has to bend his neck in half to actually look at the face in front of him and not at the expanse of a broad chest hugged by a plain blue polo.

This is not Sebastian’s chest and not Sebastian’s hair and definitely not Sebastian’s lips and definitely definitely not Sebastian’s white coat. Oh.

“You’re not Sebastian” Yuki says dumbly.

Surely enough, there’s a tall lanky guy standing in front of the now closed door, looking only slightly stunned at Yuki’s sudden outburst, like it’s normal to have someone barging inside a vet clinic at half past nine on a Thursday night in the middle of yet another London’s rainy day.

Oh god, but what if this guy is the one who actually barged in? What if Yuki has just uncovered a burglar? But would a burglar open the door for him?

The guy stares at Yuki in silence for two long seconds before he starts patting his abdomen, pretending to check his whole appearance. “Oh, fuck I’m not Sebastian!” the guy exclaims, looking frantically at his fingers, clenching and unclenching his fists like he’s trying to make out the shape of them.

Yuki snorts, shaking his head. This guy could never be a burglar even if his life depended on it, it seems. Besides, he might be slim enough to pass through anything, but he’s still too tall to go unnoticed.

“No, I’m not Sebastian” tall guy says, chuckling to himself. “I’m Alex. You almost made me have an existential crisis right then and there.”

“Identity theft is not a joke”

Alex raises an amused eyebrow at him, like he’s trying to make out the space where Yuki fits in his vision, and he smiles, wide and bright with big teeth and all. “You’re a cultured man, Yuki.”

Yuki furrows his eyebrows in confusion, “How do you know my name?” He asks, looking at the puppy in his arms to make sure- oh, right. “Oh”

Alex laughs again, his eyes crinkling at the corners. He must have a tendency for it or maybe it’s just Yuki who looks funny in general. A lot of people have told him that in the past and he still doesn’t know if it’s a good or bad thing.

“You’re funny” Alex states, like it’s some kind of irrefutable axiom. He clasps his hands, taking a few steps forward to start inspecting the bundle between Yuki’s arms. “I heard there was an emergency.”

Instinctively, Yuki clutches the jacket closer, one finger gently caressing the single dot of white in the middle of the beige fur of his head. The puppy yelps softly, snuggling its little nose towards Yuki’s chest, and his heart swells like a balloon.

“Yeah, I really need Sebastian” Yuki says, “I mean, this little thing is hurt, and it really needs a vet.”

“Well, then, it’s a good coincidence I work here, no?” Alex smiles wide, teeth showing between his lips.

Yuki blinks at him. “Uh, no you don’t?” He says but it sounds more like a question than a statement. But, to be fair, he lives above the place, and he has known everyone around here for ages, he would’ve surely remembered someone as tall as this Alex, with such bright dyed hair and this adorable smile-

“Uh, yes I do?” Alex says back, grinning. “I mean, just since this morning. But officially I work here.”

“I’ve never seen you around. And I live here” Yuki says defensively, trying his very best to show at least a smidge of self-consciousness even though he will probably give up pretty easily if Alex keeps staring at him like this – big eyes, big smile, hair that look incredibly morbid.

He hasn’t seen a new face in a while, more so belonging to a cute guy, and there’s still a beer slowly swimming in his stomach, so he should be justified.

“I moved recently” Alex explains, not giving much information away to satiate Yuki’s curiosity. He arches an eyebrow, finally touching the sides of the jacket hanging from Yuki’s arms. Yuki lets him just because he doesn’t really know what to do anymore, and if the guy is really a vet as he’s claiming to be, then he should trust him more than himself.

It definitely is not because his brain is slowly turning to mush at their proximity.

“Now, let’s see what we have here” Alex says, carefully taking the jacket from his arms.

The puppy goes willingly without even whimpering once, instead snuggling happily as it’s deposited against the chest of a new stranger. Traitor, Yuki thinks, though he would probably react the same in its place.

“Hi little baby. How cute are we? So much” Alex coos gently, caressing with his index finger the same spot Yuki had been gently scraping earlier. The puppy gives another satisfied yelp. “Oh, are we hurt? Poor little thing. But now Alex will take good care of you, alright?”

Yuki just stands there looking at the interaction with his hands to the sides, suddenly feeling too empty after so long of hanging desperately on to the tiny animal. But it’s incredibly adorable and endearing the way Alex keeps comforting it, as if it can actually understand what he’s saying, its tiny tail wiggling against the jacket when he manages to scratch a good spot behind his ears.

The puppy must sense that Alex is a good person, and Yuki may be a little dramatic most of the time, but he probably trusts the puppy more than himself. Especially if it’s about a cute guy talking with a high-pitched voice to an adorable animal in pain.

“Now Alex will take you to the other room and we’ll check everything, yeah?” He looks at Yuki then, eyeing him up and down, probably taking in his conditions.

Only then Yuki realizes what he must look like, with his hair flat over his head, raindrops still sliding down his nose, the simple white T-shirt he had been wearing under the jacket now completely soaked, tight against his chest. His shoes make a weird squelching sound when he takes a step forward, his socks clinging uncomfortably to his toes and his pants scratching against his probably already bruised knees.

Fuck, he wanted to wear them for work, there’s no way he’ll wash them in time.

“Uh, sorry?” He mumbles, painfully aware of the puddle he has formed under his feet. He grips at the hem of his T-shirt, uselessly trying to straighten it out and immediately regretting it when his palms leave sticky red handprints in their wakes. Yeah, no, there’s no way this is recoverable.

Alex doesn’t seem angry about it, and as his gaze falls to the stained fabric, he frowns, concerned.

“It’s the puppy’s” Yuki says, cringing at the feeling of blood against his skin.

Oh God, it’s the puppy’s blood. A puppy’s blood is staining his clothes and his hands and he’s going to puke, isn’t he? Or worse, what if this cute guy thinks he hurt it? What if this cute guy thinks he is an attempted murderer? A murderer of puppies?

Yuki is honestly afraid of his own shadow most of the time, and he still sleeps with his night light on when there’s too many thunders outside, but how can he convince Alex of that without embarrassing himself even further?

To his delight, Alex smiles at him, shaking his head with a twinge of fondness that makes Yuki’s cheeks feel incredibly warm for the way he’s still shivering from the cold. “Come on, then” Alex says, turning around “You can clean up and dry off in front of the radiator.”

Yuki doesn’t have to be told twice.

[quillpokebiology]

Things that happened while I was researching pokemon in the wild

I have so many traumatic stories, and I'm going to share a few here, so people can't say professors are weak :)

-I was taking notes of a tinkaton who was fixing her hammer, and she saw me. She then proceeded to come at full speed with her giant ass STEEL hammer. Managed to escape by threatening her with a cinderace

-I was watching a flareon and leafeon battle, but the leafeon got really hurt and started smoking. If you know anything about weed, you know where this is going. I got really high and stared at a puddle for 15 minutes because I thought I saw kyogre in it

-Almost died because a greavard decided it wanted to rub against me

-I accidently ended up in a g-max den in Galar without my pokeballs (I was camping next to one and I tripped into it) and had to face a g-max Gengar. Almost died because the little bitch used his fucking death call to lure me in its mouth. Got out because my orbeetle came and saved my dumbass

-Apparently leaving a 12 year old child going through the emotional distraught of losing the pokemon league onto a godamn ice mountain with no connection to the outside world for a week in the crown tundra was a good idea. I was cold as shit, I was hungry, and I was tired. Me and all of my pokemkn had to cuddle Flash (cinderace) to keep warm

-I .had. to. fucking collect. Squawkabilly shit. For research purposes (that stuff smells AWFUL)

-I once had to write a 3,000-word essay on pikachu fur for my research tasks

-A group of grafaiai gained up on me at night. Do you know how scary it is to be hiding from 13 grafaiai at 3am like it's a fucking horror movie?

-The one time I went to Kanto, a butterfree used sleep powder on me. Idk exactly bow long I was out. All I know is that when I woke up, I was holding hands with hypno and walking it to a cave. First time I've ever physically attacked a pokemon, and the fastest I've ran (I'm never going back to Kanto).

-A major rule of being a pokemon professor: try your hardest not to interact wild pokemon. Unless you're catching them or battling them, stay out of sight!

That rule was completely broken when a bunch of newborn gible saw me and started being really curious and playing with me. Tried my best to gently push them off, but that made them sad, and they started crying. And of COURSE this alerts their garchomp mother, who is FURIOUS and has it out for my ass. I didn't wanna battle it because she had babies to care for, so I just ran. I fucking ran. From a pokemon. That flies faster. Then a jet airplane.

Here's some advice: if a garchomp is after you, and you have no pokemon, punch it as fucking hard as you can in the snout. A lot of nerves are there, and it will stun them and freeze them for about one minute, and that's when you run. This also works for sharpeado.

But yeah that's how I escaped. Not that strong so idk what miracle came over me. But I jumped off a small cliff and hid in a tiny cave until I was sure it was gone.

Those are all the stories I'm sharing for today. These were really fun to tell, so tell me if you wanna hear more!

[iridawn]

lillie! do you have any particular thoughts/headcanons about autistic irida?

Cracks my fucking knuckles. you have come to the right place

to be honest, a lot of them are a bit like, all over the place, but i do have some general ideas

i think irida doesn't do great in busy places, both due to all the noise and the lack of personal space/space in general that's there sometimes. places where there's lots of hustle and bustle, or just kind of a lot going on, those places kind of easily overwhelm her, just too much sensory shit going on. she enjoys wider, open spaces that are a bit more quiet as a result, which results in her enjoying nature a lot more. (it's a good thing then that hisui has a bunch of this)

i also feel like she's the kind to be somewhat prone to meltdowns in some capacity, just like. big outbursts of emotions when she's overwhelmed, or just burning out very easily and losing a lot of energy. i feel like she'd mask to keep up that "proper and respectable clan leader" image, sorta like how she says she has to keep up a proper image in front of kamado & adaman, so she tends to just get exhausted and easily agitated. (i feel like she'd get better at this though, especially as she gets more comfortable in the role over the course of the story and learns more about it. maybe that's just me wanting the best for her, lmfao)

ive also seen the idea of her wearing light clothing despite living in The Fucking Taiga could be a sensory thing, and i like that. i know the actual reason is because That's Just Female Pokemon Designs but i like that idea. i can speak from experience that layers are a fucking bitch so i'd get it. (that also plays into the temperature thing. she's a bit naturally used to the cold but autism does have a relation to poor regulation of body temperature so her being overtly warm in cold areas could just stem from that. again, that's not the ACTUAL reason, but i choose to run with it)

also glaceon's fur is absolutely a Good Texture for her. she loves her sister for just being able to decompress with her. glaceon sleeping on her as well is like the perfect equivalent of a weighted blanket. it's not the same, but it provides the same sensory good vibes.

also she collects rocks. like not ores like lian, she's not as invested into that, she just likes rocks. some have really good textures and she likes those a lot

these are like. some rough ideas but i like them. I Just Think Autistic Irida Is Neat. i am always happy to discuss the topic because its good and makes me happy

[bogusboxed]

Boxtober - Day 17: "Cat -astrophic"

Day 17: -Nurse Ann X GN!Reader “Animal Shelter” x “Are you serious?”

-I do not own "Nurse Ann" and do not take credit for her.

-

-

This chapter includes headcanons and a one-shot!

Headcanon Section

-At first, she could just sense you bringing another life force into her domain, and she didn’t know how to feel about it. She trusted you enough to not kill it, however.

-Upon seeing the fluffy thing in your arms, she instantly caved and fell in love with it. She will never tell you or even hint about it, but she direly wants to cuddle with it.

-She would kill people or things to keep you and your shared cat safe.

-She tends to get jealous when she sees you two hanging out without her, so invite her to join in.

-She is incredibly proud of seeing the cat bring her a dead mouse and likes to help it hunt.

-Ann acts a lot like the cat, and that's one of the reasons you all get along pretty easily.

-Dina tried taking the feline away once and might have almost died because of it.

-Ann would not hesitate to help make a nice place for the cat to sleep in and would help you in any way she could.

-You might have trouble keeping them away from each other, but you're going to have a bigger problem trying to keep them away from you.

One-shot Section

You didn’t do much in the abandoned hospital. You just sat there watching time go by as the person who kept you captive watched closely. She wanted to make her presence known, whether it was by constantly dragging her chainsaw along the broken tile in the distance or standing close by. Though, it didn't mean she wanted you to worry about your safety and privacy. She just wanted to keep you close. But she also wanted to give you space, but you knew she could never keep it up for long. She had to stand near you to protect you, as she thought. But, in truth, she just liked to be in your presence. It was the thought of having someone who wasn’t trying to kill her or run from her that just warmed her. She needed you to stay with her, but she wasn't going to force you by her hand.

But, even with all of this, it wasn’t like she kept you there against your will. When you escaped initially, you couldn't get the thought of her crimson hair out of your head. You were too intrigued by a life that wouldn't involve sitting around for years on end. You were looking for something more—something that was out of this world, and her existence was enough. She would be able to provide you with the fantasy you've always desired. That dream of having a life that would involve mystery under mystery. Even though you knew she'd never let you go too far, you wanted to push the envelope. So, you came back expecting to have to run again. However, you did not. You stayed with her. It took a while, but both of you learned how to embrace one another’s presence. However, you thought it’d be a good idea to expand your embrace. To expand upon the love you two had, you left early that morning and went out. You left her in the dark, quite literally and figuratively. You knew she’d be a little worried, but you also knew she trusted you enough to come back.

It was a dark morning, and you had a fluffball in your hands. You could hear the gentle purring it let out, having to curl up in your arms. The warmth provided by its fur was enough for it, but not nearly enough for you. And you knew the cold morning would soon drift away into more warm temperatures, but, for now, you two would just have to deal with it. It's more like you’d have to deal with it. Whilst the cat was fully enjoying the warmth, it had stole from you. You had not been as lucky as you had been frozen by nature’s elements. From the harsh winds to the temperatures plummeting, it had you shaking. You looked at the animal who looked unbothered by the cold and quickly grew envious of it. But, in hindsight, you probably should've gotten a thicker jacket. You just didn’t get how Ann could handle it so well.

So, in conclusion, it probably wasn’t the best idea to go get a cat from a local in these kinds of conditions. You learned your lesson and will invest in better equipment the next time you venture out this early. I mean, the hospital was barely holding itself together, but it was better than whatever this was. You could see the trees beginning to thin up, releasing you from the thickness they had you trapped in. You walked through the thick mud before; you finally got past the thick brush. You ended up on the other side of the forest, which led you directly to the mystic hospital. It used to look so threatening. But now, that was just a distant memory, long forgotten. Now the place looks almost warmed and welcoming. You tried not to think about it as the kitten brushed against you, mewling to get out of your arms and onto the floor. But, you only had so much longer to go, so you held onto it for a while more. The cat seemed to get the message and stopped attempting to It rested carefully in your arms as you cradled it. You hummed to yourself and the cat in contentment, trying your best to ignore the elements.

You sighed to yourself heavily as the cat purred in response. You could feel your own body getting used to entering the old building as you hardened your grip on the cat. You could hear your shoes clack against the dirty tile as you echoed throughout the hospital. Your breath was apparently in the air as you found your way around the rundown establishment. You made it clear that you were back from wherever you ran off to. You didn't want her to surprise ambush you, after all, not knowing how she'd react to an animal. As you waited for a moment, not sure if you should keep moving. You could soon hear the distant metal scraping once again. You knew she was around and that was her way of saying hello. She knew you were around, but she probably knew as soon as you stepped foot into that forest. For some reason, it comforted you to hear that familiar noise that once drove you to insanity as you focused once again.

You soon made it to familiar territory with the creature in your arms. You then decided it would be the best place to get the cat first adjusted. You gently coaxed the cat into getting out of your arms. The animal slowly got into motion, feeling you trying your best to get it out of your arms. The cat seemed to understand as it slipped out of your arms, stretching on the muck-filled tiles as you petted its thick coat. You sat on the ground, which the animal imminently took note of. The cat pressed its head against your hand as you tilted your head in curiosity. Even if it hadn’t known you for long, it seemed to trust you enough to be affectionate with you. It licked your hand with its rough tongue, and you could hear the metal coming closer. This made the cat nervous, and it paused its actions. You quickly scooped the cat back into your arms as you stood up, petting it. You knew Ann’s actions would probably set the animal into flight or fight mode, so you relaxed it by holding it. You hummed gently, making sure to prepare the animal to see her.

You could hear the clicking of heels as a woman turned the corner. In a black nurse’s uniform stood nurse Ann. She seemed rather excited to see you, but the animal in hand seemed to set an alarm off. Your instinctive reaction was to keep the animal close to your chest. She wasn’t sure how to react to an animal like a cat. Normally she’d slaughter them for food, but you seemed pretty attached to the little thing. So, she threw that idea out the window, thankfully. She could see the innocent and genuine glint in your eyes that you shared with the cat. It was the same loving gaze you gave her. She gave you the look of "Are you serious?" though it seemed she stared more, perhaps even judging the both of you. Originally, she might have felt a ping of jealousy, but it was quickly overshadowed by interest. She seemed keen on interacting with both of you in the most gentle way possible, seeing it was the only way she'd get close.

As she approached, Ann slowly and quietly put down her chainsaw, avoiding any sudden movements. The way she came forth was really interesting to you, considering how violent she was with you at the beginning. But, she seemed to sense you trusted the fluffy creature, so she automatically trusted it along with you. It was sweet in some messed up way. She stuck out her gloved arm slowly as you freed one hand, taking hers. You gently woke the cat up from its daze as it seemed to be interested in the smell of the newcomer. The cat rubbed its furry face against the glove. Ann seemed to be in a trance as the precious kitty rubbed her whiskers against her hand. Her plastic glove rubbed against your hand repeatedly as she got into more risky pets, slowly getting used to it. The cat seemed to not mind her presence as it climbed out of your arms and onto her lap.

She froze completely as she had her hands on her knees, sitting on the cracked marble with you. The animal curled up into her lap, making sure to get as comfortable as possible, not caring about the person above. She caressed the cat carefully as she listened to it purr in her presence. You could sense her fearful and harsh demeanor quickly melting away in the shared presence. And you could also just see the look in her eyes when she petted the cat. She now had two living things that didn’t fear her. Her red hair framed her face as she became a gentle giant for you both. This wasn’t what you expected when bringing an animal back, but you couldn’t say you were mad about it.

-

[forthedancingandthethriving]

(For the record, I am not implying anything between the Abyss and Juliano. It's just using the junk data it's accumulated to figure out ways to manipulate him.)

Juliano knows full well that his Avatar Code, as half formed and broken as it is, it still Avatar Code. While he doesn't have to deal with the wackiness or stupidity, he's still capable of doing some things.

So when his foot slips through the ground and shadows engulf his vision, he knows that it isn't his code pulling some tricks on him. Somethings grabbed him, and it's not letting go.

He hisses in pain, knowing better than to struggle, especially now as his wireframe scars flare. Shadowy tendrils wrap around his body tightly, keeping a hold on him as he's pulled lower and lower into the pitch black darkness.

Finally, he's let go, and standing in front of him is someone who'd he rather not see again. Yet as he stares at the being, he realizes it's not Shadow of Doubt.

When the being of negativity first came to be, when it first formed from his own negative emotions, it always enjoyed tormenting him. Especially once he reformed into his old code, his universe was dead and lifeless.

No, what stands in front of him is a being who exudes power and authority. Their entire body is a charcoal black, their short black hair almost ironically fluffy, contrasting with their sharp appearance. They wear a half-cloak with fur lining, sleeves that aren't attached (he can see the broken threads), and two skirts, with one having a hoop. A twisted crown with specks of dark colors is around their head, and their dark violet eyes stare down at him. Large wings, larger than Abyssal's, hang by their back and are a deep magenta, matching the crystal around its neck.

They grin, and something speaks into his mind.

A pleasure to finally meet you, Avatar Juliano!

Juliano jolts. “Wait, you're.. the Abyss.”

Its smile grows. The one and only.

He stands up and shakes his head. His grip on his staff is tight, yet he knows there's little he can do. The Abyss was the Nothing, the very basis of Luke's computer. It was far more powerful than him, and both of them knew it.

I only want to talk. It assures him, holding up its hands.

“Talk about what?” Juliano narrows his eyes. “What's so important that you felt the need to drag me down here, and also use Shadow of Doubt's body to talk?”

The Abyss examines its hand. It's better than being a writhing mass of shadows, isn't it?

“.. Fair point.”

And I brought you down here for something simple. A proposal.

“A proposal?” Juliano repeats. “What kind?”

A partnership. The Abyss smiles as it approaches Juliano. You see, dear Avatar, we're a lot more similar than you realize.

“How so?” Juliano takes some steps back.

We've both been forgotten! Pushed aside! The Abyss’s voice in his mind gets louder, yet he doesn't wince. It spreads its arm as does its wings. Pushed aside by the ones that should look up to us, admire us!

“Admire?” The former Avatar does a double-take. “Why would anyone admire me?”

You're the first ever Avatar. The Abyss lowers its arms. You deserve more than being a mentor to those that are below you.

You deserve to be treated properly. Like the true paragon of progress you are.

Juliano looks at the Abyss, his eyebrows furrowed. He knows what manipulation sounds like, and this was it. But he also could hear sincerity and genuine emotion in its voice.

It genuinely believed what it was saying.

“Why do you believe this?” Juliano frowns.

Because we're the same. It repeats. It walks over and slings an arm around his shoulder. It's not cold, but it's not warm. We've been forgotten by the Higher Powers, the ones meant to, at the very least, help us.

They didn't even try, you know. To bring your universe back.

“I don't expect them to.” He grips the top of his staff. His code is already tugging. “There are far more important things.”

More important than trying to help the first Avatar?

“It's not that important of a role. It doesn't even hold meaning anymore.”

But it can. The Abyss smiles. I can help you.

“How?” Juliano tilts his head.

I can bring back your universe. Bring back your loved ones.

His breath hitches a bit. “Only D- ClearAll can do that.”

I created him. It grins too wide. Do you think I don't have dominion over Life and Death, Creation and Destruction? I am the Creator of Creation, I am the Creator of Destruction. Nothing is beyond me.

Juliano swallows thickly. His code is screaming at him now. It demands he take the deal, take it, and go back to his old home.

He exhales.

“What's your side of this deal?” He narrows his eyes. “You didn't bring me here to just give me a deal that would only benefit me.”

Mhm.

It holds out its palm, a green colored flame flares to life. It twists and curls, soon forming into two entities. One Juliano recognizes, one he doesn't.

Information on ClearAll and Database..

The images are chained and brought to their knees on the Abyss's palm.

Their capture..

The flame changes to the silhouette of a familiar Admin, also chained up.

The release of my dear daughter..

It then changes one last time, to two strings of code floating.

And the deaths of ClearAll and Database, as you call them.

Juliano huffs softly, a not so amused smile on his face. “Take down a god of Death and Destruction, and a god of Life and Creation.” His tone turns sarcastic. “Not too hard for a mortal like me.”

The Abyss closes its hand. It's not an easy feat, I'm aware. But in return, you'll not only have your own life back, but you'll be known as Abyssal's herald.

Abyssal doesn't really like being known as a goddess, he thinks, but he bites his tongue.

“A tempting offer..” he admits, and the Abyss smirks.

So we-

“Don't have a deal.” He shakes his head as he turns and walks off. The ground feels lighter.

Wh- Why?! You'll be getting so much!

“You're just forgetting one thing.” He chuckles humorlessly as he turns his head. “I have bonds with the new people in my life. I care for them, I love them.”

Juliano smiles wryly. “I'm not going to turn my back just because of one deal.”

He turns around and takes off his hat, bowing deeply. “Farewell.”

The former Avatar takes one more step back, and his foot slips again. He falls.

He opens his eyes.

He's back in the woods behind the Showgrounds.

○●○

Juliano slips through the ground again, but this time, it's when he's with the other Avatars. At first, he isn't concerned, thinking he's perhaps just slipped into the Backrooms. But as he descends past it, shadows grip him tight, and he sighs.

He lands once more, and a Chat Box appears.

Sora: >OMG JUL ARE YOU OKAY?!

Mayro: >I think he's en the backrooms

He chuckles gently.

Juliano: >I'm fine. I'll find a way out, you guys carry on. Just don't destroy anything.

As the Chat Box vanishes, he frowns deeply. There was nothing around him.

Until a soft melody of a piano began playing. Reminiscent of a song.

Juliano looks around, gripping his staff. What was its game this time?

Ubi abscondis? Dulcis puer, dulcis puer..

He presses a hand to his forehead, with his head pounding. Why was it singing? (He hated to admit it, but the Abyss's voice was enchanting.)

Wait, how did it know Greek?

Nocte trepidas? Dulcis puer..

That was a stupid question. It was the literal abyss, who cared what it knew.

Adsium.

Hands snake around his wrists, and he quickly pulls away. He looks around, chest already rising and falling with some panicked breaths.

Where was the Abyss?

Penitus somnum liberos, mater venatibus.

Juliano's grip on his staff tightens, turning his knuckles white. Was it.. was it trying to lure him in? Like a siren? Could it have gained that ability?

He also did not like the fact that his Avatar Code was translating this for him. Why was it calling itself a mother?

Audite et sequimini ad oblivium..

Juliano's body almost moves on its own, but he stops himself. This wasn't good.

He looks around before heading in a direction opposite of where his body was trying to take him. But deep down, he knew it was impossible. The Abyss was everywhere, after all. He was in its domain.

The piano continues, trying to lull him.

Nunc in tenebris, dulics puer, dulcis puer..

Tendrils try to grab at his ankles, to hold him in place, but he keeps moving.

Manus extendem, dulcis puer..

It was still on about its deal. Of course it was.

Esurio..

Juliano involuntarily shudders. He could only guess what it was hungry for.

Penitus somnum liberos, mater venatibus.

He hated that it was working.

Audite et sequimini ad oblivium..

Juliano needed out. His own code was working against him at this point.

Oculos non aperi, mater vigilantes.

Hands slowly grab his wrists, making him halt. Juliano’s breath hitches and he stumbles, but he can't move.

Audite et sequimini ad infinitum..

A head gently rests on his shoulder. Do you see now? The voice of the Abyss speaks into his mind, no longer singing.

I can help you. It croons. Take your rightful place, I take mine..

“My answer.. is the same..” He manages to say, trembling in its grasp. Slowly, the Abyss pulls him so his back is against its chest.

Wings, oddly warm, slowly curl around his body. Where the hell did it learn this?

You're tired, aren't you. Tired of your code screaming against you, trying to control you. The Abyss's voice smooths out, enticing and sweet like sugar. His head is pounding and screaming. It's telling him to not give in, as is his heart, but his code disagrees.

“Get.. away..” He growls weakly before he manages to wrench himself from its grasp.

He stumbles and falls. He falls to his room.

Juliano tries to calm his beating heart.

He finds it hard to.

○●○

The Abyss does it again, and again, and again.

It's the same song again, and again, and again.

He knows full well its trying to wear him down, and he hates to admit it, but it's working. The Abyss is succeeding. He's hardly getting any sleep.

Juliano doesn't show it, of course. He's perfected the act of presenting a facade, a mask, a farce. Not even Nimbus could ever tell he was missing sleep. They all noticed he seemed to be dozing off at times, but it was always written off as him being tired from all the antics.

It was only a bit true.

The Abyss would pull him down when he was about to fall asleep. Dragging him to its domain, again and again, to sing him that song. Try to lull him into a false sense of security. To make him agree.

Juliano doesn't know how much longer he'll be able to resist the Abyss's song.

[puddleferns]

Guide to FloeClan

Hey guys, this is the guide to my FanClan, FloeClan! I've been working on this guide for... well, literal years I suppose, as this all started from a roleplay I hosted a few years back on Wattpad. This Clan means a whole lot to me, and I've wanted to share them for a while now, and I hope to one day post some stories with this fun little cat culture that I've created. Enjoy!!

Summary:

Often believed to be a myth by locals, these cats are the source of many stories. They are quiet and ghost-like, drifting in and out with the seasons. Sometimes people search for them, out on the ice, but are never successful. Seeing one of these elusive ice-cats is often considered good luck.

Territory & Camp:

FloeClan lives out on the ice floes of the Arctic Circle, where polar bears and orca whales reign supreme

Ice floes are usually barren, but enough snow drifts around to make a small, ragged camp

They don’t have a specific territory, since marking borders would lead predators right to their camp. Instead they travel far and wide to find food and resources

Out on the ice it is often foggy, making the territory all the more difficult to traverse

When they make camp, there are no separate dens for ranks. Warriors, apprentices, queens, elders, and even the high ranks of leader, deputy, and medicine cat all share one den to keep warm. This den is built out of tightly packed snow and lined with animal pelts for bedding

While the cats all sleep in the same den, they build a separate ‘day den’ for kits to spend the day in. This keeps them out of the main den and out from under the paws of elders and warriors trying to grab some shut eye, and doubles as a private meeting area for important business matters

Appearance:

FloeClan cats are thick-furred, heavyset cats with large, sharp eyes and narrow faces

Likely descended from escaped Maine Coon kittypets, they are massive in size and stature

Their fur is double-layered, with a dark, dense undercoat and a lighter topcoat that is waterproof

The undercoat colors range to different colors of black, gray, and brown. The undercoat is always darker than the topcoat

The topcoat has a wider range of colors, including cinnamon, light ginger, pale gray, silver, and white. Few cats are pure white, instead often being patched or tortoiseshell. This lighter topcoat helps them blend in with the ice

Their fur is thicker around their face, neck, and tail. This keeps wind and cold away from their eyes and other places where heat easily escapes

The pads of their paws are thick and tough, hardened from the ice, with long claws to grip it better

Their legs are often slightly shorter than the average cat, to keep them lower against the wind and to help with stalking

Weight is hard to gain out here, with all calories going straight into survival. Instead they have a lot of muscle from vigorous training

Even with extra muscle, these cats are still pretty thin. They are hardened from the cold, though, because of all the extra fur

Most everything about FloeClan cats is stumpy or short. For example, their ears are small and rounded to keep them safe from the wind. The only exception is their tails, which are long and fluffy, used for balance, swimming, and keeping warm, and their muzzles, which are long to prevent the wind from battering their faces

The more fur, the more attractive you’re considered. Lighter colored fur is also more desirable due to its ability to blend in with ice and snow. Dark fur is considered extremely unattractive, even in small amounts

Eye colors vary, though darker colors are more common

Frostbite is a real issue out on the ice, meaning it’s not uncommon for cats to be missing toes, ears, and tail-tips

Scars are also a very attractive feature for these cats. Having scars shows that you fought for your survival and won, and are a sign of great strength and perseverance

Skills:

FloeClan cats have different positions in the Clan based on their individual skill set. However, the traits everyone shares include:

Swimming. These cats are powerful swimmers, with waterproof fur, large paws, and long tails. Despite their shorter legs, they are able to keep up with their incredible stamina.

Stamina is also a skill they all possess. Cats can walk for days at a time without growing tired, and swim for hours on end. 

Keeping warm is super important out on the ice, and FloeClan cats excel at it. Thick fur, tough paws, they’ve got it all. They are also creative and resourceful, able to figure things out quickly to keep themselves alive.

FloeClan cats have a very good internal clock and compass. Living in overcast darkness for three quarters of the year will do that to you.

While guard cats are specially trained in fighting techniques, all FloeClan cats know basic moves to help them win against an opponent. Usually their threats are animals much larger than them, and they will work in tandem with their Clanmates to gain the upper paw in a battle

Positions & Roles:

Leader: The leader is the head of the Clan, who makes sure everything is running smoothly and orderly. They make all the big decisions, though usually with the help of the deputy and medicine cat

Deputy: The deputy is second-in-command, and typically holds almost as much power as the leader. They organize the Clan and help distribute resources. They also help handle minor disputes, while larger arguments sometimes have to go to the leader

Healer: These cats are very valuable out in the harsh conditions, with knowledge of how to help almost any ailment. Their knowledge of herbs is what allows the Clan to thrive, and defeat illnesses and injuries that would otherwise be devastating. They oversee the wellbeing of all cats in the Clan, both physically and mentally. Healers are allowed to produce kits, but not allowed to take mates or raise any kittens they have, as their sole responsibility is to keep the Clan healthy

Seer: The religious heads of FloeClan, they seek out signs in the nature around them for messages from the ancestors, and interpret omens and dreams. They are usually adept at peacekeeping, and they bless mated pairs. Seers are responsible for singing the ceremonial hymns during ceremonies and celebrations. They are allowed to produce kits due to the limited gene pool, but are not allowed to take a mate. Any kits they have will not be theirs to raise, due to having to dedicate themselves to their Clanmates and ancestors

Warriors: FloeClan splits up its warriors into separate groups based on their skill sets. Each group has a different role and responsibility, though no one group is ever considered above the rest. The groups each have a Head, who is the leader of the specific group and is usually the eldest cat

Hunter: These cats make up the majority of the warriors of FloeClan. They are fast and good at stalking. They leave in large groups for days at a time, braving weather and predators, to find food for their Clan. These cats have to be tough and resourceful in order to find prey in the harsh environment. They also have to work well in a group. Much of their prey is a lot larger than a single cat, so every cat’s strength is needed to provide food for their Clan

Guard: Guard cats are the biggest and strongest warriors of FloeClan. They are both the first and last lines of defense in the event of trouble, and their main purpose is to protect the Clan. When not guarding the camp, it is also their job to oversee repairs and construction, as the best defense out on the ice is a strong camp. These cats must be brave and selfless, and always on alert for danger

Scout: Another large part of FloeClan’s warriors are the scouts. These cats spend their days keeping the territory safe. They go around and sniff out threats, and in conjunction with the water watchers, warn the Clan of incoming storms. These cats are speedy and observant, never missing a single thing. Typically a couple scouts will accompany the hunters when they leave, as they are useful for their advanced tracking skills and great bearings of their surroundings. It is also useful to have a cat who can quickly find their way home in case of emergency

Prey Gutter: These cats have an extremely important job: prey distribution. They take prey and remove the pelts to line nests with, and use the fat to feed hungry queens and kits. Some animals have blubber, which can be used to help cats stay afloat, or to insulate the den more. Some prey items are too large for one cat, so prey gutters split them into evenly-sized pieces. It is their job as well to monitor the food intake of the Clan, and make sure the cats who need it most get enough to eat. They are also responsible for removing bones and fur and burying them far away from camp. These cats are very good with coordination and precision

Water Watcher: Water watchers have a very important role in the Clan: predicting the weather. During the cold months, they function as scouts, observing the borders and watching for oncoming storms. But as the weather warms, they split off on their own to watch the ice. These cats pass down knowledge from generation to generation, techniques and skills older than most of the Clan cats. They function well as a team, and work alongside the leader, deputy, and medicine cat to decide when the Clan should leave the ice floes. When not performing duties outside of camp, they are responsible for learning the Clan legends and learning the hymns to tell the stories to younger generations

Trainer: This is a position with limited space, usually made up of cats who are extremely experienced, but not quite ready to join the elders yet. These cats teach the trainees all the basics required of a FloeClan cat; hunting, fighting, swimming, etc. They build the foundations that the other positions then use to build a warrior who can excel in their specialty. Their job is very important, because they are responsible for developing the skills of all the Clan’s future warriors

Trainee: Trainees are cats between the ages of 6-12 moons. They spend the first six moons under the Trainers, learning basic skills, before they are tested to determine which specialized position best suits them

Apprentice: Apprentices are cats between the ages of 12-18 moons, undergoing their secondary training in their specific role. Rather than being taught by one mentor, apprentices are mentored by all warriors in their specific position, so they can learn skills and strengths from every cat

Acolyte: Acolytes are the trainees and apprentices of the healers and seers. Selected at a very young age based on signs and omens from the ancestors, acolytes spend their entire year of training learning healing or omen interpretation. They receive occasional lessons from trainers, but their time is largely spent with their one or two specific mentors to learn their ways

Queen: Queens are she-cats who are expecting or nursing kits. This is not a permanent positon, as they only hold it for about six moons. Some queens even go back to their warrior duties at around three moons, when their kits are weaned

Kit: A kit is a cat who is less than six moons old. They are the Clan’s number one priority, and are looked after collectively. Young kits don’t do too much, but as they get older they are allowed (and sometimes expected) to help out with chores around camp. For the most part, though, a kit’s day will mostly consist of playing and early training techniques

Elder: These are cats who have done their duty to the Clan, and are now able to reap the benefits. Elders are treated with an incredible amount of respect for their service. Elders are not expected to contribute to the prey pile, instead their responsibilities lie in keeping the camp running and organized, and learning to sing the hymns of legend to pass stories down to the younger generations

Traditions & Customs:

FloeClan cats are very superstitious, and will often interpret everything as a sign from their ancestors. There isn’t a name for their collective ancestors, they are referred to as just that: ancestors, or warrior ancestors

Even during the warm months, FloeClan cats like to cuddle. On the ice, they sleep in a giant pile, keeping everyone warm throughout the night. Because of this, they often crave physical contact. Snuggling, nuzzling, and sharing tongues is done with every cat regardless of relationship

FloeClan only recognizes two seasons; the warm season and the cold season. The warm season is very short and spent on land, as the ice they live on is melted. The cold season lasts most of the year, and is spent on the frozen ice floes

With their fur being so incredibly thick, proper fur care is a must. Cats spend lots of time combing through their fur to keep it tangle-free, and are always willing to help a Clanmate with a stubborn knot or a hard-to-reach area

FloeClan cats hate losing, and can be very competitive

The entire Clan is a very close-knit community who place a lot of emphasis on caring for one another. They have a 'no cat left behind' policy

The different working groups within the Clan function almost as their own family units. They are extremely close with each other, sometimes even over their biological kin

These cats are incredibly proud and suspicious. Outsiders are very rarely welcomed, and must prove themselves before they can stay

It is acceptable to have kits with outsiders, but it is generally frowned upon for outsiders to join the Clan. it is believed they won’t be able to handle the harsh lifestyle and will instead be a burden, so cats that don’t belong to the Clan are usually avoided unless it is for the express purpose of having kittens- and even then the cats are often very choosey with their outsider mates, only wanting cats who they think will create the best possible future warriors

FloeClan cats are musically inclined. They have hymns they sing as a way to pass time and tell their legends. They celebrate the solstices and the equinoxes and have special songs for each. For celebration and ceremonial hymns seers are the singers while the rest of the cats keep the rhythm, and for legends water watchers are the singers. There is a song for basically every occasion

There are many prayers FloeClan cats say to their ancestors, and it is part of their training that apprentices learn all the most important ones. A typical prayer for good luck hunting is “Ancestors keep my claws sharp, my legs strong, my nose keen, and my eyes clear”

Every spring, FloeClan participates in a tradition called the Great Swim. When the ice melts too much for them to stay, they must swim to shore, and live there until the ice reforms in the winter. The journey is incredibly dangerous, because not only are there strong, cold ocean currents, there are also predators lurking all around. Blubber and fat is rubbed on the fur of kits, queens, elders, and apprentices, to keep them warm and buoyant along the way

The Clan lives on the mainland for the spring and summer, which are both fairly short. They use this time to fatten up and collect lots of herbs to take back to the ice

While large storms are difficult, FloeClan excels at making light of them. They all gather in the den with plenty of prey to wait out the days telling stories, singing hymns, and snuggling until the storm dies down

Cats in this Clan hate to be idle. Even elders who are retired from warrior duties still contribute and work within the camp to the best of their abilities. It isn’t uncommon for parents to return to warrior duties when their kits are weaned

FloeClan uses something called the covenant system. Two cats entering a covenant is basically getting ‘married’. During a ceremony initiated by the medicine cat they each draw blood from one another, symbolizing they are now as close as if they were blood. Cats in a covenant are loyal to each other above all others, save for the Clan as a whole

Typically a covenant is romantic, but they can be arranged as well. If a cat gets to a certain age without entering one, the medicine cats may have them enter one with another single cat in order to have kits. It’s seen as a duty to the Clan to have and raise kits, and so arranged pairs to produce kits is not considered weird for them. For arranged covenants, after kits are apprenticed there is an option to annul it if the cats are truly not compatible, but for the most part a covenant is for life

It is seen as irresponsible to have kits outside of a covenant, as the covenant is a promise both cats make to stick together, and without one the cats have no obligation to stay together and raise the kits. Due to their superstitious nature, it is also often believed kits born outside of a covenant will be cursed

To prevent unwanted kits, medicine cats will create an herb mixture to render the warriors infertile for a short period of time. While having kits is important and it is seen as a responsibility to your Clan to reproduce, proper planning is just as important, especially with the harsh seasons

All types of relationships are accepted, but cats who chose a same-sex partner may be frowned upon, as raising kits is incredibly important. Same-sex partners may still produce kits with another cat 

When kits are born, big litters are very common. More uncommon however is an entire litter making it to apprenticeship. Life on the ice is unforgiving

Legacy naming is a fairly common practice in FloeClan. It is typical to see at least one kit per litter be named after a lost loved one in their memory

Kits’ names are kept private until their eyes are open and they can walk, where they will have a ceremony and be introduced to the Clan by their parents

When a cat becomes pregnant, both parents step down from warrior duties to raise the kits together. Raising kits takes a lot of time and effort, and the queens get as much help as they need

A rather unsavory part of FloeClan life is when a cat’s life is at its end. Elders who no longer wish to continue with the harsh life may join their ancestors earlier than they were intended to by ranging out onto the ice until weather or a predator claims them. This is an acceptable tradition, as the Clan cannot care for cats who can’t pull their weight in some way, and FloeClan cats hate to feel idle and useless. The cat leaving will be sent off with a hymn of honor for their sacrifice so their Clan may continue in their stead

Death a Clan member is a very hallowed time. After a cat dies, the whole Clan comes a standstill, and they grieve for four days and four nights - two days for the warm season, two days for the cold season - and only necessary patrols are sent out. The rest of that time is spent telling stories of the cat’s life, singing and praying to guide them to their new home in the afterlife, and providing support for their closest friends and family

FloeClan cats get water burials. While out on the ice the body is sunk in a seal-hole, and while on land the body is floated off the shoreline and out into the ocean

And that's all for now! It's likely I'll edit this post at some point, adding to some of the sections and the like. But this is it for the time being, and I'm so excited to share it with y'all! Please feel free to leave comments and send asks about this Clan; I will be so happy to answer any questions! <3

[creampuffqueen]

Guide to FloeClan

Hey guys, this is the guide to my FanClan, FloeClan! I've been working on this guide for... well, literal years I suppose, as this all started from a roleplay I hosted a few years back on Wattpad. This Clan means a whole lot to me, and I've wanted to share them for a while now, and I hope to one day post some stories with this fun little cat culture that I've created. Enjoy!!

@cowcowwow

Summary:

Often believed to be a myth by locals, these cats are the source of many stories. They are quiet and ghost-like, drifting in and out with the seasons. Sometimes people search for them, out on the ice, but are never successful. Seeing one of these elusive ice-cats is often considered good luck.

Territory & Camp:

FloeClan lives out on the ice floes of the Arctic Circle, where polar bears and orca whales reign supreme

Ice floes are usually barren, but enough snow drifts around to make a small, ragged camp

They don’t have a specific territory, since marking borders would lead predators right to their camp. Instead they travel far and wide to find food and resources

Out on the ice it is often foggy, making the territory all the more difficult to traverse

When they make camp, there are no separate dens for ranks. Warriors, apprentices, queens, elders, and even the high ranks of leader, deputy, and medicine cat all share one den to keep warm. This den is built out of tightly packed snow and lined with animal pelts for bedding

While the cats all sleep in the same den, they build a separate ‘day den’ for kits to spend the day in. This keeps them out of the main den and out from under the paws of elders and warriors trying to grab some shut eye, and doubles as a private meeting area for important business matters

Appearance:

FloeClan cats are thick-furred, heavyset cats with large, sharp eyes and narrow faces

Likely descended from escaped Maine Coon kittypets, they are massive in size and stature

Their fur is double-layered, with a dark, dense undercoat and a lighter topcoat that is waterproof

The undercoat colors range to different colors of black, gray, and brown. The undercoat is always darker than the topcoat

The topcoat has a wider range of colors, including cinnamon, light ginger, pale gray, silver, and white. Few cats are pure white, instead often being patched or tortoiseshell. This lighter topcoat helps them blend in with the ice

Their fur is thicker around their face, neck, and tail. This keeps wind and cold away from their eyes and other places where heat easily escapes

The pads of their paws are thick and tough, hardened from the ice, with long claws to grip it better

Their legs are often slightly shorter than the average cat, to keep them lower against the wind and to help with stalking

Weight is hard to gain out here, with all calories going straight into survival. Instead they have a lot of muscle from vigorous training

Even with extra muscle, these cats are still pretty thin. They are hardened from the cold, though, because of all the extra fur

Most everything about FloeClan cats is stumpy or short. For example, their ears are small and rounded to keep them safe from the wind. The only exception is their tails, which are long and fluffy, used for balance, swimming, and keeping warm, and their muzzles, which are long to prevent the wind from battering their faces

The more fur, the more attractive you’re considered. Lighter colored fur is also more desirable due to its ability to blend in with ice and snow. Dark fur is considered extremely unattractive, even in small amounts

Eye colors vary, though darker colors are more common

Frostbite is a real issue out on the ice, meaning it’s not uncommon for cats to be missing toes, ears, and tail-tips

Scars are also a very attractive feature for these cats. Having scars shows that you fought for your survival and won, and are a sign of great strength and perseverance

Skills:

FloeClan cats have different positions in the Clan based on their individual skill set. However, the traits everyone shares include:

Swimming. These cats are powerful swimmers, with waterproof fur, large paws, and long tails. Despite their shorter legs, they are able to keep up with their incredible stamina.

Stamina is also a skill they all possess. Cats can walk for days at a time without growing tired, and swim for hours on end. 

Keeping warm is super important out on the ice, and FloeClan cats excel at it. Thick fur, tough paws, they’ve got it all. They are also creative and resourceful, able to figure things out quickly to keep themselves alive.

FloeClan cats have a very good internal clock and compass. Living in overcast darkness for three quarters of the year will do that to you.

While guard cats are specially trained in fighting techniques, all FloeClan cats know basic moves to help them win against an opponent. Usually their threats are animals much larger than them, and they will work in tandem with their Clanmates to gain the upper paw in a battle

Positions & Roles:

Leader: The leader is the head of the Clan, who makes sure everything is running smoothly and orderly. They make all the big decisions, though usually with the help of the deputy and medicine cat

Deputy: The deputy is second-in-command, and typically holds almost as much power as the leader. They organize the Clan and help distribute resources. They also help handle minor disputes, while larger arguments sometimes have to go to the leader

Medicine Cat: These cats are very valuable out in the harsh conditions, with knowledge of how to help almost any ailment. They are usually adept at peacekeeping, and they bless mated pairs. Medicine cats are responsible for learning the Clan legends, and learning the hymns to tell the stories to younger generations. They are allowed to produce kits due to the limited gene pool, but are not allowed to take a mate. Any kits they have will not be theirs to raise, due to having to dedicate themselves to their Clanmates and ancestors

Warriors: FloeClan splits up its warriors into separate groups based on their skill sets. Each group has a different role and responsibility, though no one group is ever considered above the rest. The groups each have a Head, who is the leader of the specific group and is usually the eldest cat

Hunter: These cats make up the majority of the warriors of FloeClan. They are fast and good at stalking. They leave in large groups for days at a time, braving weather and predators, to find food for their Clan. These cats have to be tough and resourceful in order to find prey in the harsh environment. They also have to work well in a group

Guard: Guard cats are the biggest and strongest warriors of FloeClan. They are both the first and last lines of defense in the event of trouble, and their main purpose is to protect the Clan. When not guarding the camp, it is also their job to oversee repairs and construction, as the best defense out on the ice is a strong camp. These cats must be brave and selfless, and always on alert for danger

Scout: Another large part of FloeClan’s warriors are the scouts. These cats spend their days keeping the territory safe. They go around and sniff out threats, and in conjunction with the water watchers, warn the Clan of incoming storms. These cats are speedy and observant, never missing a single thing

Prey Gutter: These cats have an extremely important job: prey distribution. They take prey and remove the pelts to line nests with, and use the fat to feed hungry queens and kits. Some animals have blubber, which can be used to help cats stay afloat, or to insulate the den more. Some prey items are too large for one cat, so prey gutters split them into evenly-sized pieces. It is their job as well to monitor the food intake of the Clan, and make sure the cats who need it most get enough to eat. They are also responsible for removing bones and fur and burying them far away from camp. These cats are very good with coordination and precision

Water Watcher: Water watchers have a very important role in the Clan: predicting the weather. During the cold months, they function as scouts, observing the borders and watching for oncoming storms. But as the weather warms, they split off on their own to watch the ice. These cats pass down knowledge from generation to generation, techniques and skills older than most of the Clan cats. They function well as a team, and work alongside the leader, deputy, and medicine cat to decide when the Clan should leave the ice floes. When not performing duties outside of camp, they are in charge of the ceremonial hymns the Clan sings, and work on practicing them

Apprentice: Apprentices are cats between the ages of 6-12 moons. They are tested before their ceremony to determine which skill set best suits them. Rather than being taught by one mentor, apprentices are mentored by all warriors in their specific position, so they can learn skills and strengths from every cat. All apprentices are also taught the same basic skills of hunting, fighting, swimming, and survival techniques

Queen: Queens are she-cats who are expecting or nursing kits. This is not a permanent positon, as they only hold it for about six moons. Some queens even go back to their warrior duties at around three moons, when their kits are weaned

Kit: A kit is a cat who is less than six moons old. They are the Clan’s number one priority, and are looked after collectively. Young kits don’t do too much, but as they get older they are allowed (and sometimes expected) to help out with chores around camp. For the most part, though, a kit’s day will mostly consist of playing and early training techniques

Elder: These are cats who have done their duty to the Clan, and are now able to reap the benefits. Elders are treated with an incredible amount of respect for their service. Elders are not expected to contribute to the prey pile, instead their responsibilities lie in keeping the camp running and organized

Traditions & Customs:

FloeClan cats are very superstitious, and will often interpret everything as a sign from their ancestors. There isn’t a name for their collective ancestors, they are referred to as just that: ancestors, or warrior ancestors

Even during the warm months, FloeClan cats like to cuddle. On the ice, they sleep in a giant pile, keeping everyone warm throughout the night. Because of this, they often crave physical contact. Snuggling, nuzzling, and sharing tongues is done with every cat regardless of relationship

With their fur being so incredibly thick, proper fur care is a must. Cats spend lots of time combing through their fur to keep it tangle-free, and are always willing to help a Clanmate with a stubborn knot or a hard-to-reach area

FloeClan cats hate losing, and can be very competitive

The entire Clan is a very close-knit community who place a lot of emphasis on caring for one another. They have a 'no cat left behind' policy

The different working groups within the Clan function almost as their own family units. They are extremely close with each other, sometimes even over their biological kin

These cats are incredibly proud and suspicious. Outsiders are very rarely welcomed, and must prove themselves before they can stay

It is acceptable to have kits with outsiders, but it is generally frowned upon for outsiders to join the Clan. it is believed they won’t be able to handle the harsh lifestyle and will instead be a burden, so cats that don’t belong to the Clan are usually avoided unless it is for the express purpose of having kittens- and even then the cats are often very choosey with their outsider mates, only wanting cats who they think will create the best possible future warriors

FloeClan cats are musically inclined. They have hymns they sing as a way to pass time and tell their legends. They celebrate the solstices and the equinoxes and have special songs for each. For celebration and ceremonial hymns water watchers are the singers while the rest of the cats keep the rhythm, and for legends medicine cats are the singers. There is a song for basically every occasion

There are many prayers FloeClan cats say to their ancestors, and it is part of their training that apprentices learn all the most important ones. A typical prayer for good luck hunting is “Ancestors keep my claws sharp, my legs strong, my nose keen, and my eyes clear”

Every spring, FloeClan participates in a tradition called the Great Swim. When the ice melts too much for them to stay, they must swim to shore, and live there until the ice reforms in the winter. The journey is incredibly dangerous, because not only are there strong, cold ocean currents, there are also predators lurking all around. Blubber and fat is rubbed on the fur of kits, queens, elders, and apprentices, to keep them warm and buoyant along the way

The Clan lives on the mainland for the spring and summer, which are both fairly short. They use this time to fatten up and collect lots of herbs to take back to the ice

While large storms are difficult, FloeClan excels at making light of them. They all gather in the den with plenty of prey to wait out the days telling stories, singing hymns, and snuggling until the storm dies down

Cats in this Clan hate to be idle. Even elders who are retired from warrior duties still contribute and work within the camp to the best of their abilities. It isn’t uncommon for parents to return to warrior duties when their kits are weaned

FloeClan uses something called the covenant system. Two cats entering a covenant is basically getting ‘married’. During a ceremony initiated by the medicine cat they each draw blood from one another, symbolizing they are now as close as if they were blood. Cats in a covenant are loyal to each other above all others, save for the Clan as a whole

Typically a covenant is romantic, but they can be arranged as well. If a cat gets to a certain age without entering one, the medicine cats may have them enter one with another single cat in order to have kits. It’s seen as a duty to the Clan to have and raise kits, and so arranged pairs to produce kits is not considered weird for them. For arranged covenants, after kits are apprenticed there is an option to annul it if the cats are truly not compatible, but for the most part a covenant is for life

It is seen as irresponsible to have kits outside of a covenant, as the covenant is a promise both cats make to stick together, and without one the cats have no obligation to stay together and raise the kits. Due to their superstitious nature, it is also often believed kits born outside of a covenant will be cursed

To prevent unwanted kits, medicine cats will create an herb mixture to render the warriors infertile for a short period of time. While having kits is important and it is seen as a responsibility to your Clan to reproduce, proper planning is just as important, especially with the harsh seasons

All types of relationships are accepted, but cats who chose a same-sex partner may be frowned upon, as raising kits is incredibly important. Same-sex partners may still produce kits with another cat 

When kits are born, big litters are very common. More uncommon however is an entire litter making it to apprenticeship. Life on the ice is unforgiving

Legacy naming is a fairly common practice in FloeClan. It is typical to see at least one kit per litter be named after a lost loved one in their memory

Kits’ names are kept private until their eyes are open and they can walk, where they will have a ceremony and be introduced to the Clan by their parents

When a cat becomes pregnant, both parents step down from warrior duties to raise the kits together. Raising kits takes a lot of time and effort, and the queens get as much help as they need

A rather unsavory part of FloeClan life is when a cat’s life is at its end. Elders who no longer wish to continue with the harsh life may join their ancestors earlier than they were intended to by ranging out onto the ice until weather or a predator claims them. This is an acceptable tradition, as the Clan cannot care for cats who can’t pull their weight in some way, and FloeClan cats hate to feel idle and useless. The cat leaving will be sent off with a hymn of honor for their sacrifice so their Clan may continue in their stead

And that's all for now! It's likely I'll edit this post at some point, adding to some of the sections and the like. But this is it for the time being, and I'm so excited to share it with y'all! Please feel free to leave comments and send asks about this Clan; I will be so happy to answer any questions! &lt;3

[sphynxworldny]

Hairless cats or Sphynx cats are a unique and striking breed.

It's safe to say that not everyone likes hairless cats. Sphynx cats are cute to some people, while others think they're too strange in look. If you have an unfavorable opinion of these cats, you might change your mind after reading this article's information about the breed's history, personality, care, diet, and how to raise a Sphynx kitten.

The History of the Sphynx Breed.

The origins of this breed are variously described. The earliest theory is that they originated in South America when wild hairless cats were discovered. Many people wrongly believe that the cat originated in Egypt because of the term Sphynx. However, the term is solely based on how they appear.

In Canada, attempts were made to breed a hairless cat in the 1960s and 1970s. The Devon Rex, a breed with sparse hair by nature, was bred with the Canadian Hairless breed. The Sphynx finally resulted from this. Therefore, the breed is not related to the South American hairless cats.

Since their official recognition as a breed in 2005, sphynxes have grown in popularity all around the world.

Common Diseases and Life Expectancy of Sphynx Cats.

Sphynx cats are generally in excellent health, but because they lack a protective coat, they are more likely than other cats to experience skin problems. This is particularly true if an excess of sebum causes skin discomfort.

In addition to urticaria pigmentosa and Malassezia patchy dermatitis, which can result in crusty sores on the body, other skin conditions that are typical in sphynx cats include these. When they receive excessive amounts of direct sunshine, they can potentially develop skin cancer. And lastly, this breed is highly susceptible to fungus illnesses. Even though these illnesses are simple to treat, your cat will be in a lot of pain.

Sphynx cats typically live for 8 to 14 years. But people who are well-cared for typically live longer than people who grow up in less-than-ideal circumstances.

Grooming your Sphynx cat

Because of this breed's tendency towards oily skin, you should wash them frequently. Each and every cat produces sebum, which typically lands on their fur. Sebum is still present on the skin of a cat without fur. For this reason, oily stains may be seen where your cat has been sleeping on a couch or on your trousers after they have rubbed against your legs.

You can frequently wash your cat with a specific shampoo, or you can simply wipe them down with a wet cloth once in a while. Because soap can dry up your cat's skin, you shouldn't use it. There is more than enough lukewarm water. To keep your cat's skin soft and moisturized after washing, you might also give it a specific lotion or oil to rub on.

It's a good idea to introduce water gradually to a Sphynx kitten after adoption. You can accomplish this by giving your cat a bath and gradually increasing the water level each week. Start with a little water, then add more and more until the water is up to the tops of its legs.

Due to the lack of hair, the enormous ears of these cats require more care. With a damp cotton cloth, you may simply wipe the inside of their ears.

You must decide how frequently you should wash your cat. Some cats produce more sebum than others, and it's not ideal to wash them too frequently. Only wash your cat if they are leaving stains around the house or if their skin looks oily.

How to raise a Sphynx Kitten?

The process of raising a Sphynx kitten is similar to that of any other cat, but you must always keep in mind that they are hairless. If they become too cold, they could get quite sick. Always make sure that your home has a warm spot where they may curl up if they get cold.

It won't be difficult to teach this breed what is and isn't permitted because they are highly intelligent and will constantly want to please you. As with any other creature, rewarding good behavior is preferable to punishing undesirable behaviors.

Buying a Sphynx kitten.

A healthy kitten that has been vaccinated, dewormed, chipped, and examined by a veterinarian is what you can anticipate for this fee. Always inquire about the cat's lineage and whether the parents have been examined for inherited diseases.

You should take a close look at the conditions the kitten was raised in at the breeder's residence. When the kittens are roughly 13 weeks old, they should be transferred to their new home. This indicates that the breeder's house is where your cat will spend most of its early socialization. Make sure the kitten has been socialized with people and has grown up in a hygienic environment.

You should take extra care to purchase your kitten from a reputable breeder who is concerned with the welfare of their cats given the higher risk for a number of health issues. If you are looking for hairless cats, contact Sphynx World anytime.