that’s it. that’s the post.
at the start of the game karlach and astarion are absolutely fucking reeling from being suddenly freed and are in a state of manic joy that would probably seem alien to them like a week ago, while gale has been locked in his depression tower for so long he's almost completely forgotten how to talk to people. shadowheart has not a single fucking clue whats going on because shar keeps slurping up her memories and lae'zel is literally in the midst of her ultimate nightmare scenario and trapped on an alien planet with a bunch of jackasses who have no idea whats happening. so almost everyone has experienced a situational personality shift and isn't quite the person they were a year before you met them. EXCEPT Wyll. Who is just like "this isnt even the weirdest thing thats happened to me this month." my man got scooped up, tadpoled, and slammed back and said "oh well, not gonna ruin my day" and went about his business teaching self defense to children and slaying evil beasts. He didn't even seem confused he literally did not give a shit. no urgency. He's like "I'll put that in my day planner but is gonna have to wait until after i hunt down this demon." When you recruit him there is no sense of "oh man we really gotta help each other because we have the same problem" he just would have said yes because you asked and he's wyll. Or because you told him he could kill mindflayers. He'd be like "sick" and done, no questions asked. Just another Tuesday for the blade.
Love a woman with a tail. Something she can betray her emotions with, something to dress up in fun little accessories, and something I can grab during... heh, well, you know.
ah, well i didnt get chosen, oh well! guess I'll share it with you all, even though it's not Petalkit's Shadow related, haha :] it was quite hard to write a whole scene in just 500 words. Hope you enjoy!
plain text under cut for accessibility!!
Adderfang pushed his way into the nursery, his amber eyes gleaming with warmth.
“Grandpaw!” Tigerkit squeaked, bounding forward.
“Good morning, little one,” Adderfang purred, bowing to touch his nose to Tigerkit’s head. Then, he turned his gaze to Leopardfoot, his daughter. “How are you this morning?”
“Pinestar hasn’t come to visit them today,” Leopardfoot dodged his question, drawing her tail in closer. Two more kits sat at her belly; tiny, sick, and barely strong enough to feed.
“No cat’s seen him,” Adderfang tried to comfort her. Tigerkit wriggled his haunches and pounced on Adderfang’s long, thin tail.
“Yee-owch!” Adderfang yelped, jumping dramatically away from Tigerkit. “Great StarClan, look at his claws. He’s got the makings of a great warrior for sure!”
Tigerkit puffed out his chest proudly, and Leopardfoot felt a spark of affection. Once as weak as his sisters, Tigerkit now stood strong enough to pounce and play like a proper kit. But despite Tigerkit’s miraculous recovery, she couldn’t suppress the worry that Nightkit and Mistkit would never follow in his pawsteps.
Tigerkit was the weakest, Leopardfoot told herself determinedly, watching Tigerkit dart after Adderfang’s tail. If he survived, so will his sisters.
A commotion outside the den roused Leopardfoot from her thoughts.
“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here for a clan meeting!” called the unmistakable voice of Pinestar. Leopardfoot and Adderfang exchanged a glance.
“Need help getting the kits out?” Adderfang asked. Leopardfoot nodded graciously. Nightkit and Mistkit were so weak, Leopardfoot always worried each opportunity to see their father would be the last.
When Leopardfoot and Adderfang managed to get the kits into the clearing, Pinestar stood at the base of the highrock, the cats of ThunderClan crowded around him.
What’s going on?
“Sunfall will make a good leader,” White-eye nodded to the deputy. Slowly, Leopardfoot pieced the situation together, watching Pinestar turn towards the gorse tunnel. Dread and disbelief settled in her belly like a cold, hard stone.
He can’t be-
Desperately, Leopardfoot surged forward, bundling her kits along. At the last moment she slid in front of Pinestar, blocking his path to the gorse tunnel.
“Pinestar, what about our kits?!” she pleaded, gazing into his eyes. She searched them for something, anything to show that he might change his mind. “Won’t you stay to watch them grow up?”
Nightkit and Mistkit mewed pitifully. They sat at her paws, next to Tigerkit. Pinestar flicked his tail uncomfortably, and Tigerkit followed it with wide, alert eyes.
“They’ll be fine with you, Leopardfoot,” Pinestar mewed, looking away.“I’m not a father they could be proud of. But I will always be proud of them.”
Unable to speak, Leopardfoot’s blood turned to ice. She watched numbly as Pinestar bent down, addressing Tigerkit in a low voice. “Especially you, little warrior. Be strong, my precious son. Serve your clan well.”
Something unknowable flashed through Pinestar’s eyes as he gazed at his son.
Then, he turned to the gorse tunnel, and was gone.
Funniest thing about these images is that Janeway and Harry absolutely have these in-universe. Someone sees a lovingly framed picture of the captain in Harry's quarters and understandably goes "that's a bit...weird." and Harry 'I remember being in the womb' Kim would be like "What? No. How is it weird. She's the captain." Like that explains anything. Meanwhile Janeway has Baby's First Starship Portrait on her coffee table where she looks at it and has a quick guilt session because of the Horrors she inflicts on this person whose become a symbol of innocence and the journey home to her. Both of them think this is normal.