#jackdawfoot

[residences-of-the-darkforest]

@wills-woodland-warriors

I’m thinking about it more and I like the idea that when Flea first met Jackdaw, Jackdaw was way meaner than he is now.

Assuming this is pre-Ferndoe or early in his relationship with her, he was more like the canon books would imagine cats in the DF are—easily agitated, cold, wants solitude (like how he is in the Jackdaw And Ferndoe story).

And then you look at their relationship now, and they’re so close that they think of each other as father/son and call each other such.

what’s better than enemies to lovers?

fearsome serial killer who scares you to death to father figure who you seek shelter and support in

———-

I like to think that the turning point was the moment in the storm that I mentioned. Maybe once Jackdaw’s own kits in life snuck out during a storm and were huddled in a tree’s roots—just like Flea is now.

And for the first time since arriving in the Dark Forest, he does not see an enemy. He doesn’t see another Dark Forest resident he has to fight for resources. He doesn’t see someone that will hurt him if he doesn’t hurt them first.

He sees a cat. A cat like him, hurt and scared and alone.

So it’s not just the fact that Flea reminds him of someone, but that Flea reminds him of himself.

(also depending on the timeline with Fern, maybe he saw Flea in the storm after Fern helped him, and it made him realize that they can help each other and don’t always have to fight. Or it reminds him of the cat he was in his life [to Clanmates])

[wills-woodland-warriors]

Fools Puddles | short story part three (final) 

FleaThistle woke up with half his body soaked and, the mud falling off of him in clumps. His body stung and ached, and he had a jolt of panic as he remembered. 

“RaspberryKit?” He called out, paws scrambling in the think water to stand up. 

“Papa!” The cry was cut off by a ‘shh’ sound, and FleaThistle’s looked up at the top of the pit where his kit was. 

HornetLeg was sitting behind him, his paw on the small kits tail. Scratches ran down RaspberryKit’s tiny body, his eyes blown wide in fear. 

“What are you doing here,” FleaThistle glared at his former mentor, trying to keep his voice steady. 

“Don’t you want to spend time with me?” At FleaThistle’s snarl, he shook his head and continued, “Tsk. I thought since you took my kit, id take yours.” 

Panic and anger ran through FleaThistle, and his claws were unsheathed in the water. He couldn’t get up the pit in time to reach HornetLeg before he hurt RaspberryKit. 

GremlinFrost had gone for help, and from the sound of bubbling puddles they couldn’t be that far from them. Someone would find them. 

“You left TawnyKit in a pit, she nearly drowned!”

“Mistakes happen,” HornetLeg groomed his ear, not a care in the world for the shaking kitten at his paws. 

“Mistakes? She’s your daughter. She’s three moons old, for stars sake. She couldn’t even swim,” he shook his head, baffled at the toms words. 

He rolled his eyes, digging his claws into the kits tail until he heard a yelp. 

FleaThistle bit his tongue, his whole body tense and ready to leap up at any point. He shifted, and was reminded of the injured leg that was tainting the water red. 

“Why are you doing this?” FleaThistle shook his head, voice more resigned. He couldn’t make HornetLeg mad. 

“Because you took everything from me. My reputation, my life, my kit,” HornetLeg hissed, eyes narrowed and cold. 

FleaThistle felt lightheaded, and planted his paws in the mud so he didn’t sway. “Are you kidding me. Are you kidding me,” he laughed awkwardly, strained. 

HornetLeg simply stared at him hatefully. 

“You hurt me so many times, you beat me regularly, you ruined my life and friendships. You made the clan hate me, and for what? So you could have an apprentice you didn’t have to train?” 

HornetLeg opened his mouth, but FleaThistle continued on. 

“So that you couldn’t have any responsibilities. You ruined my life, and you ruined TawnyKit’s as well. And I found a family, I found peace here. Now you want to hurt my kit?” 

He could hear his heart beat, and his blood felt hot as he stood up to his mentor for the first time. 

RaspberryKit blinked between the two, his ears pinned down and nose twitching in anxiety. His bottom lip was swollen, as if it had been scratched. 

FleaThistle heard paw steps, and voices carried away by the wind. HornetLeg heard them as well, stepping off of the kits tail and backing away as he gave a low and long hiss. 

FleaThistle couldn’t see what he was so afraid of, but he heard pawsteps and then FadingStar was leaping into the pit, splashing water everywhere as he slammed into him. 

“You’re okay!” He breathed a sigh of relief, burying his head in FleaThistle’s shoulder. His breath was warm against his skin, a stark contrast to his cold fur. 

FleaThistle smiled, licking his mates cheek. 

At the top of the pit, BrownMouse was grooming RaspberryKit and whispering gently to him. He nudged the kit, turning him away from the fighting behind him. 

FleaThistle heard hissing and spitting, and yowls as claws were raked through skin. He heard MyrtleWing and AlderStar arguing over who should kill him, and JackDaw snapping at them both to “stop their fox snouted whines” before he killed them both. 

FadingStar finally released him as the cries stopped, and stepped back as AlderStar appeared at the ledge, his golden-yellow legs stained with blood. 

FadingStar supported FleaThistle, pushing him up carefully so that he didn’t hurt his leg. AlderStar pulled him up by the scruff. 

RaspberryKit ran to his feet, asking if he was okay. He reassured him, licking at the messy fur. 

He was a little banged up, mostly with small scratches that would heal in a couple days. 

Lightheaded, FleaThistle sent small thanks to LilyDawn under his breath.  

Beside them, out of the kits view, he could see a glimpse of a mangled body, and of JackDaw stepping away from it, blood dripping from his muzzle. 

As he stepped back, a light weight draped across his shoulders as JackDawFoot pressed against his side, head resting on FleaThistle’s back, the fluff obscuring his vision in a half-hug. 

“I’m glad you’re okay,” the tom said quietly, barely above a whisper. 

“Thanks, dad,” FleaThistle swayed on his feet, exhaustion setting in as he leaned against his family. 

His eyes drifted closed, blinking slowly as he watched RaspberryKit attempt to stand on BrownMouse’s head. 

______ 

I’m exhausted so I have no clue if this is even coherent but there’s a squirrel in my wall screaming at my cat for the past several hours and I tried lol 

BrownMouse, FleaThistle, LilyDawn and HornetLeg belong to myself. 

RaspberryKit  is co-owed by myself and the lovely @liberhoe, who owns FadingStar 

JackDawFoot, AlderStar and MyrtleWing belong to @residents-of-the-darkforest 

[residences-of-the-darkforest]

@wills-woodland-warriors

I’m thinking about the early stages of Flea and Jackdaw’s parent/kit relationship

Jackdaw’s massive size and resting/grumpy face +pink-red eyes were probably not the most welcoming first impression….

Flea getting comfortable around him somehow. Did they somehow get somewhere cold or did a random storm start up, and Flea was shivering so Jackdaw curled around him (because Flea reminds him of his daughters…)

or maybe they weren’t together. Flea is caught in a bad hail storm and none of the shelter he finds is good enough to keep the pelting stones away. Then massive, blood-soaked Jackdaw shows up, with an expression that makes Flea think he’s about to be murdered, so he cowers, closing his eyes tightly, bracing for the strike—

and he feels fur curl around him, Jackdaw’s body next to him and his tail on top of him like an umbrella. and he doesn’t say anything. When the storm ends, he just walks away like Flea wasn’t even there (of course it sticks in his mind, but his body language doesn’t show that)

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Base used: F2U Cat Head Base by googaoo on DeviantArt

I was planning this for a while, and have several drawings of some (4?) characters, because I wanted it to be my own. But I'm just too busy for it right now, and really wanted this out. Hopefully I will one day have a version of this where they're all my own art! Until then, I hope you like it!

And if you're new to the blog and wonder why I have dead af cats have kits, here you go: https://www.tumblr.com/residents-of-the-darkforest/717800073334079488/ok-so-i-came-across-this-blog-and-im-super?source=share

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Tags (forgot): @ambitiousauthor @starfalcon555 @liberhoe @wills-woodland-warriors @frightnightindustries @indigo-flightly-falls @elementaldeityoffood @umbranoxs

[residences-of-the-darkforest]

JACKDAWKIT!

SPARKKIT!

JACKDAWKIT!

SPARKKIT!

I like baby versions of characters…Look at them! They’re not monsters yet! They haven’t killed anyone yet! They’re just babies! Just little one things!

Sparkkit hasn’t even set Jackdawkit’s tail on fire yet

Also I added pink kit-colours to Spark after.

@elementaldeityoffood

[residences-of-the-darkforest]

Ever seen that video of a monkey that tried to mess with an orangutan and the orangutan barely had to move to hold the monkey down with a single hand (paw??)

anyways that's Jackdawfoot with the average cat

--

Or Tarantulastar! They're both HUGE!

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Dark Forest voices

Here comes another interesting headcanon! What if everyone in the Dark Forest had their own, deeply disturbing sound when they talked?

Alderstar--his regular voice, mixed with the fading-echo like sound cats hear when their life drains away and the world around them becomes blurred.

Bonus: his voice claim is Arthur from BBC’s Merlin (newer seasons for older--aka current--age).

-

Angelpaw--his normal voice (a monotone and unexpectedly deep voice), underlaid with the yowls and hisses of his now dead father.

-

Avery--his regular voice, with the dull clang of a live-trap door closing.

-

Batear--his regular voice, along with the screech of bars in the night.

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Birchflight--their voice + the sound of a BMX bike's wheels scraping on gravel.

-

Bluedaisy--regular voice along with the rushing sound of air as you fall.

-

Claudrat--his regular voice, overlaid with soft whispers that give the feeling of different messages, to not trust him, to follow him, and rarely, of how much fun they will have.

-

Darkbrush--their regular voice (an annoying British-tinged voice), the squawk of fresh-kill travels beside it.

-

Emberdawn--Her regular voice, with the rush of a river during a heavy, dangerous storm.

Bonus: Her voice claim is Effy (is that how you spell it?) from Murdoch Mysteries (newer seasons for older--aka current--age).

-

Fallenfire--her regular voice, mixed with the hoarse rasp of a dying cat.

-

Ferndoe--her regular voice, mixed with the tune of a low, painful wail.

Bonus: her voice claim is Olivia from Haunting of Hill House.

-

Foxfire-- his normal voice mixed with the bubbling of water streaming into a sewer.

-

Froglight--his voice mixed with a growling squeak.

-

Gorseheart--his regular voice along with the sound of skin ripping in the heat of battle.

Bonus: his voice claim is George from Murdoch Mysteries (newer seasons for older--aka current--age).

-

Grousemane--his normal voice. That’s it, because he came from Starclan.

Bonus: his voice claim is Gwaine from BBC’s Merlin (newer seasons for older--aka current--age).

-

Hootpetal--her normal voice, with a touch of splintering teeth, the cracking bone along with the trinkling blood of the nerve.

Bonus: her voice claim is Gwen from BBC’s Merlin (newer seasons for older--aka current--age).

-

Jackdawfoot--his normal voice, mixed with the thump of a Twoleg on a small Thunderpath (sidewalk).

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Kindlepaw--regular voice, mixed with the crackling of flames too close.

-

Loonfur--her regular voice, mixed with the sound of blood roaring in your ears when your heart races and you feel afraid.

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Milkdud--their regular voice (higher pitched but demanding tone), the drips of blood upon leaves lurks beneath it

-

Myrtlewing--his normal voice, mixed with the disorienting sounds when caught between wakefulness and sleep, nightmares spilling into real life.

Bonus: his voice claim is Merlin from BBC’s Merlin (newer seasons for older--aka current--age).

-

Perchclaw-- his normal voice, with the warning hiss of an adder about to strike.

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Pigeonfang--his normal voice in addition to the growling of a stomach that hasn't felt food in many moons.

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Poppyhill--her regular voice mixed with the sound of a low whistle on the moor during a cold, windy night.

Bonus: her voice claim is Poppy Hill from Haunting of Hill House.

-

Riverrush--his regular voice (a playful and upbeat tone), mixed with the sound of a dangerous river, rushing water certain to drown an unfortunate soul.

-

Rosefrost--her regular voice, mixed with the ominous shattering of ice just before a cat falls into icy water.

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Sharkstar--his regular voice, mixed with the rumbling thunder of a storm that would make kits wail.

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Skullmoon--their regular voice, along with the crackling of mouse bones under one’s foot.

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Snailstar--regular voice + the sound of sand trickling out of an open paw

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Snipvoice--their regular voice, along with the sound of footsteps crunching along the snow, alternating between walking and running.

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Snowwing--his regular voice, with the sound of a paws following in the undergrowth, heard but unseen.

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Stickpaw--regular voice, only strained and tired, along with a screeching when loud noises are made.

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Stonefern--his normal voice, mixed with the distant barking of angry dogs.

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Treatpaw--her regular voice (a small yet friendly voice that can quickly turn horrifying), tainted by her sister’s dying yowls

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Trickpaw--her regular voice (a large and boisterous voice that can be sweet as catmint), the dying sobs and cries of her sister can be heard alongside it.

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Webstripe--his normal voice mixed with the sound of waves getting stirred up by a boat.

-

Whispkit--their regular voice (whispery and quiet voice, everchanging), the wails of other kits speak beneath it, speaking of debts unpaid.

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

In addition, it’s possible that the longer one is a resident for, the more their voice resembles the sounds over how they actually sounded in life. It’s very gradual, so much so that it is very hard to notice.

-------------------------------

It’s something the Dark Forest cast would become used to, but would absolutely frighten anyone else. The fading echo of Alder’s voice might even disorient them!

Btw Jackdaw killed kittypets, which is why his voice resembles that.

Myrtle’s was inspired by a time I was having a nightmare while half-awake, which made it feel more real and WAY more frightening than a normal nightmare. I of course had to give it to my favourite boy.

More TBA, feel free to add yours!

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Dark Forest Resident: Oreo

Aliases / Nicknames: Warrior-killer, Kittypet

Gender: she-cat

Sexuality: bisexual, panromantic

Family: unnamed mother, unnamed father, Puma (son), several unnamed kits

Other Relations: N/A

Clan: none

Rank: kittypet

Characteristics: hates cold weather, loves snuggling and belly rubs from those she likes, hates others making on judgements about her based on the fact that she is a kittypet

Murder Motive: vengeance

Number of Victims: 9

Number of Murders: 7

Murder Method: shaking necks until they snap, surprise attack

Known Victims: Jackdawfoot, Frostfeather, Heatherblaze, Thistlethorn, Snailpeak, Antsnout, Lakeclaw, Dovehaze, Cherrystrike

Victim Profile: Thunderclan warriors, her daughter’s killer, her daughter’s killer’s Clanmates

Cause of Death: neck snapped

Cautionary Tale: ??

Story:

She hadn’t expected that losing her kits would hurt so much. She knew that her housefolk would give them to good homes before they were even born, she prepared herself for it, and didn’t even name them. 

Still, her heart ached a little more with every kit that left. But the last one stayed, to her delight and surprise, for so long that Oreo finally felt safe enough to name him. Puma. She had heard it before and liked the ring of it.

She and Puma were always close. She groomed her son’s fur, taught her the best ways to beg their housefolk for food or capture the birds that landed in their garden. 

They had fights as well, of course, all parents and kits do. But it was never anything so serious. There was only once when things were tense between them for a quarter-moon, during which Puma was taken to the cutter. When he returned and Oreo learned of what had occurred, all anger was thrown out and she spent the next several moons caring for Puma’s every step.

Puma began to indulge too much, eating most of the food and hardly leaving the home. With much work and much tough love, Oreo was able to push her son to explore the grass again.

She went with him the first few times, but the final time, Puma was on his own. The younger housefolk shrieked, and Oreo ran faster than she ever had in her life, but it was too late. Puma was dead, his throat marked with an ugly red line.

Oreo’s life existed in a haze. Her neighbors tried to talk to her, but she wasn’t interested. Every step she took, every bit of food she had, it was only a reminder of things stolen from her son. Everywhere she looked was a memory now gone. And she was supposed to keep living like this? She was supposed to lay on the sofa where her son climbed for the first time? Just walk past the room where he said his first word? To not lose her sanity as her Puma’s scent faded away a little more every day, knowing that it would soon be entirely gone?

Then the neighboring cat spoke to her again, and this time her attention was raised. She was told that Puma wasn’t a lone case, others were dying in the same manner. Some claimed it to be a demon, some a lion, and others more both.

Meetings were held between housecats that weren’t too afraid to leave their homes. Kits were warned to never leave their gardens, or the flowers in them would no longer hide their scent, and the ‘demon’ would track them down.

Oreo wasn’t so convinced of these stories. Wild cats lived in the forest right next to their homes. Of course it was them! She lead the plan to enact vengeance and kill their kin’s murderer.

It was successful, but Oreo still felt hollow. Perhaps wandering the woods, the only place near her home that she had yet to explore, would clear her head. There, she was attacked by another of those warriors. But they underestimated Oreo, and her anger gave an extra strength to her claws as she swung at them.

She didn’t kill him then, only banged him up. The same thing went for the next Clan cat, who she intentionally looked for. But it wasn’t enough to quench her thirst. Puma was still dead. Puma had still suffered. How many more should die by a warrior’s claws because they lived differently? That manged tom was dead, but another could take his place.

So she would jump them. She would grab them by the scruff so that they couldn’t move, and shook them until she heard a snap. It was easy, that is until a patrol jumped her. They grabbed her head and twisted it far, far, and all went black.

Additional Information:

--Thanks to @starfalcon555​ for the name suggestion!

--In death, her head is snapped so far that it faces the side.

--Second picture was by @saffronscales​

--One of her victims is Jackdaw’s sister!

--Jackdawfoot regrets what he did now!