Prologue - Part 2

Prologue - Part 2

[Image ID: Shrubquiver, New Player Driftstreak (a reddish shorthair cat with blue eyes), and Siltroot stand beside New Player Downyvine (a dark gray rosetted longhair with golden eyes) and Turtlestar. Turtlestar says, "Downyvine is right. We have to cross. We don't have any other options." End ID.]

Despite being weak from smoke inhalation and exhaustion, Turtlestar decides that the Clan will swim for one of the near islands in the river. Shrubquiver, Bramblesong, and Divepaw drown before reaching the nearest island. Turtlestar also drowns, but not before heroically sacrificing all of her remaining lives to rescue as many clanmates as she can.

Smoke blazed dark behind them as they reached the riverbank. The cats of PeachClan were dirty, coughing, and exhausted-- they'd come a very long way in a very short amount of time. Dashdawn was trying to tend to everyone as best she could while the gathered cats caught their breath on the sandy riverbank.

The two near islands loomed ominously behind them. The sun would be setting soon and they had their backs against a wall: PeachClan cats were not strong swimmers.

Shrubquiver, Driftstreak, Siltroot, and Downyvine were gathered a small ways away from the rest of the clan to advise Turtlestar on what to do next.

"We can't stay out here in the open," Driftstreak said. "We don't have the time, energy, or equipment to build dens and we don't have enough fit warriors to defend us. Plus, we have kits too young to handle the exposure."

Downyvine nodded firmly. "He's right. Besides, every predator that survived the fire will be roaming this riverbank just like we are."

Shrubquiver's ears angled back. The ancient molly was already having to sit for this conversation, and her lungs ached something fierce. "We'll never make it across." Her voice was rough with smoke already. "We're weak, and we're not strong enough swimmers."

Turtlestar's heart ached as she looked out over her clanmates and then back at the islands. It wasn't so far, and the river was low and slow... but Shrubquiver was right. The water was cold, the smoke was thick, the Clan was exhausted, and a cat like Shrubquiver couldn't have swam that distance even in perfect health.

"And we don't have the time to make a raft," Turtlestar said more than asked. Driftstreak shook his head anyway.

"Nor the supplies."

Turtlestar glanced at Siltroot, her brother. His eyes softened when he saw the look she was giving him. Under his breath he said, "To the end of the line, sister. Always."

She turned back to the gathered advisors, but in particular Shrubquiver. "I'm sorry," she said, and she meant it. "Downyvine is right. We have to cross-- we don't have any other options."

The ancient molly's eyes hardened. Turtlestar nearly expected her to refuse or rebel or gather up any who would follow her and march to MarshClan territory, but she dipped her head and said, "The leader's word is law."

"I swear on all the lives I have remaining, I will make sure every single cat gets across."

Downyvine laid her tail gently on Turtlestar's back. Her tone was kind but the words were not when she said, "Don't make promises like that when you can't keep them."

Turtlestar was determined, though. She would personally make sure every last one of her clanmates got across-- or she would die trying.

did you know that the well-known factoid that male anglerfishes degenerate after attachment until they’re basically just a pair of testes is false? i knew of course that they don’t just become “growths” on the female because I’ve handled dozens of attached pairs and every male I’ve ever seen has been very much obviously a whole and complete second fish, but I sort of assumed there was internal degeneration, perhaps muscle atrophy, etc. i can’t believe no one ever corrected me on this but this just doesn’t happen. in obligatorily parasitic species, the male actually continues to grow and increases considerably in size after he attaches to the female, because the two of them can only reach sexual maturity together. me, an octavia butler fan: is this the height of romance??

what is true is that attached males do have hugely enlarged testes proportionate to the rest of their bodies & organs, and that they receive all nutrition from the female’s bloodstream so their stomachs are always empty, though their own gills seem to still be functional, as are their fins and muscles—you can even induce movement and swimming motions on recently dead attached males. I can only assume that at some point someone said that basically the only biological function a male anglerfish needs to perform is sperm production and this got taken out of context and luridly exaggerated over time. he’s not just a pair of testicles! he’s her forever partner! one flesh one end!

⚠️ ROAD WORK AHEAD ⚠️

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________________ SPEEDING FINES DOUBLED WHEN WORKERS PRESENT —————————

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⚠️ ROAD WORK 500FT ⚠️

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🚧🚧🚧🚧🚧🚧🚧🚧🚧🚧🚧

        🚚 🚚                  🔩             웃  🧰   🕳️   🪚웃       웃📋     웃    웃 🛠️       🔨웃               🏗️  🕳️                 웃   웃 🔧                                                     🚚 🔩      🔩                      🔩                             

🚧🚧🚧🚧🚧🚧🚧🚧🚧🚧🚧

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⚠️ END ROAD WORK ⚠️

She said to me child I’m afraid for your soul

Just to make a point, every time I finished a panel of this I would export it as a PNG on the perceptual setting and use it as a color reference for the next panel

IT'S BAD

PLEASE CHECK YOUR COLOR SETTINGS

EDIT: If you're still having problems, it might help to switch from "Save/Save as" to "Export (as a) Single Layer". Just. Make SURE the box labeled "Expression Color" is set to RGB. I've been messing with this all day, and it looks like this combination of settings will allow exported PNGs to maintain their colors perfectly. To you. So far both Discord and Toyhouse still only display desaturated images and I cannot for the life of me figure out why

Dendrobates azureus, or South American blue poison dart frog, thrives in humid, lowland tropical forests, often near streams or small bodies of water. More frog information is available for free in the listing and you can just read it then navigate away if you are interested in wildlife.