✦ Stars Catvent 2022

[mrs]

↬ catvent day: seven

↬ username & id: mrs + 1026844
↬ clan archive: Whispering Winds

↬ word count: 975
↬ prompt:

Muddedshine let out a huff as he padded towards the entrance/exit to Whispering Winds' camp. His tail flicked from left to right as he made his way to leave the camp - border patrol. Again! And, for some reason, alone? He felt prideful to know their leader and deputy had complete faith in him, but he never liked to be out of camp alone. He had always had a deep fear regarding being caught off guard by a large predator he could not fight off, or.. even another cat.

As he left the camp and headed off towards their clan's border's line, he quickly found his fears were coming true. Muddedshine caught wind of another cat's scent, and not long after that, the feeling of being watched followed it. He slowed his trot to a walk, then a complete stop. At what felt as though the tensest moment was upon him, an adult cat jumped out at him.

Muddenshine retracted his claws and let out a low growl at the feline. Who were they?! And better yet, WHY were they on Whispering Winds' territory? "Explain yourself or face my fury!" Muddedshine threatened; it was unclear if he was acting with arrogance or if he was being truthful to his words.

"I saw a trail of pinecones leading from the river to- well... near here. They seemed to be painted with red berries, but I'm uncertain. I grew curious, as I am connected to the Stars above and have never seen anything like this before," the strange cat calmly replied to Muddedshine. They didn't seem to understand why he was as upset as he was. They weren't hurting anyone, by being there. "What's with the trail?"

He paused for a moment. What trail? He knew the kits wanted to do something for the holidays, but their leader had already rejected the idea. Surely, they had not gone behind their leader's back? But rather than admit ignorance, Muddedshine shrunk his nose back as a sign of annoyance. "You don't know? It's how we celebrate holidays. And what you said was offensive, so if you know what's best, apologize for your faults."

The lonesome cat looked away for a moment, then returned their gaze. "Oh, my apologies. I meant not harm, offense, and nor did I mean to be rude," they replied, now rather quiet. "But, I do have another question. What's a holiday?"

Muddedshine froze. Was this cat serious? He looked over the cat, and to his dismay, the opposing cat seemed to be completely and totally serious. Uh? "You don't know what a holiday is?" Even if they weren't generally celebrated, Muddedshine and the rest of the cats within his clan were all aware of different holidays' existences. It's not that they didn't know they existed, but just that they didn't celebrate them!

"No. I've been quite alone my whole life. Even the word 'holiday' is foreign to me. Will you please explain it to me? I am being genuine." The cat innocently replied.

Rather than continue to express signs of hostility, Muddedshine led them over to a lovely sunny spot so they could sit together and chat. What he was supposed to be doing? Definitely not. What he was going to do anyway? Of course. Hoping to be this cat's friend or keep any sort of memory of this conversation, or interaction, in general? He didn't know..

"What the two-legs call 'Christmas', we call Nixmas. We aren't really sure what their word stood for- nor are we sure how we had that translated, but we thought it sounded nice, so we took it and gave it our own spin. Nixmas is where we, as a clan, and allies, members outside of our clan, get together and just... appreciate what we have. Whispering Winds isn't the most fond of outsiders, but we tend to get along more easily when we have lots of hunted prey to feast on and gifts to exchange. It's quite warm, honestly," Muddedshine explained with a bit of a purr. He brought himself into a lying down position, now somewhat lowering his guard. "When the weather outside is frightful, we know it's coming."

"Does it happen annually? It sounds wonderful!" The stranger replied with a grin, hey, yeah, that sounded incredibly appealing! "And I thought you said you didn't celebrate it much? Just the kits?"

Muddedshine went on to explain in-depth about how they celebrated Nixmas. Apprentices tended to gather herbs and leaves to leave out a 'salad' for Santa, queens had a joyful time secretly surprising their kits with new toys to cherish, warriors would hunt 'extra' to make sure there was a feast for everyone to take part in eating.. And to the stranger, it sounded wonderful! Sign them up!

"Can I attend your next feast?" The cat asked, fur almost sticking up out of anxious anticipation. Could they..?

"Hm," Muddedshine replied. Blunt. How could they attend, and without alerting everyone else? He thought hard on the thought for a moment, before having an idea. "What's your name?"

"Wish. I'm a tom named Wish. What's yours?" Wish curiously questioned, gazing at him as he did.

"Wish, hmm.. You can come. There will be so many cats there, I don't think anycat will notice. If you're asked your name, you're to say it's Twistedwish, alright? Meet me back here in half a moon's worth of time," Muddedshine responded, small smile on his face. "If you came, then you could truly experience how it feels. And, I'm Muddedshine. I look forward to meeting you again."

With those words spoken, Muddedwish rose to his paws. He waited a moment, to listen for any other words to be said. When nothing more than a farewell was exchanged, he began padding away. Twistedwish was left to his thoughts, excited for what the future would bring.

[Hush]

↬ catvent day: seven

↬ username & id: Hush 256165
↬ clan archive: X

↬ word count: 86 words
↬ prompt: The apprentices describe how they all get a break from training and play in the snow, warming up in the heated spring water that bubbles up from the base of the waterfall in camp, keeping the camp warm through leaf-bare. Many of the part time kittypets bring things from home, little bobbles to bat around and hang on the bushes camp. In the near white out conditions of snow in the valley their shine and bright colors make it easier to find home in the forest.

[Archaeopteryx.]

↬ catvent day: seven

↬ username & id: Archaeopteryx. || 334452
↬ clan archive: Enurian

↬ word count: 428 words
↬ prompt:

"Hah! Well, then, stranger, you've come to the right place," The cat bows, gesturing dramatically with one wing. "I've been all over. You must be from the southern region, then. I know you lot don't celebrate seasons in the same way others do."

"To the far north," He gestures in that direction, "They get the worst of the cold season. The End saps warmth even during the worst of summer, so when the dark season rolls around it's near impossible to survive up there, and all who make their home up there retreat underground. But the feasts up there are absolutely legendary, the best of what the culinary world has to offer. I'm actually headed up there myself, hoping to make it before the sun starts to vanish more often than not." He ruffles his feathers, glancing up towards the sky, and you see longing flash through his eyes. And then it's gone.

"If you decide to brave the ring of mountains this time of year, their festivities are particularly wonderful to see. It's always a bit crowded up there, especially for my tastes, but if you decide to brave the crowd.... There are textiles, warm drinks, hot food, trinkets, weapons.... all for trade. Not too much sentimental folk up there, but it's nice to go visit."

"Now, in the Northern Desert, cats there are a bit more individualistic. Sticking to themselves and all that. They get hit with the darkness the worst, you know—all that light blocked off by the mountains encircling them. So all of their holidays are about survival—they light fires for folk like us to find our way. Sing songs, tell stories, distract themselves from the night around them. You want to learn more about anything? Head to the Northern Desert during the dark season. If your fire has a silvermuzzle in it, you're in for a real treat."

"Now, I'm pretty sure you're from the south, but in case you're not. They don't truly get a cold season, the rest of the island blocks them off from The End, the cold and the dark has to travel over two mountain ranges to get down that far. They tend to celebrate the Coming of Rain instead, and you just missed that by a few moons."

The cat's wings rattle, and he jumps up, question suitably answered by his standards. "Now, then! I've got a long flight awaiting me, and those candied sea-figs aren't going to eat themselves. If you'll excuse me—"

And with a gust of wind, the cat is gone.

[dragoness129]

↬ catvent day: seven

↬ username & id: dragoness129 + 3218
↬ clan archive: Here

↬ word count: 93 words
↬ prompt: The ideal celebration for the Galerina Autumnalis would be a large company of cats gathered about their territory and enjoying each other's company. They will stringing together natural decorations into bunches around the trees, dig into treats they have hunted and gathered together in the days before. They will yowl at the moon, calling to their ancestors. They will snuggle together in one big pile to keep warm as they await the dawning of Spring. At least, that is all the ideas Jayce has planned out for his clan once he has clanmates.

[kennymcnenny]

↬ catvent day: seven

↬ username & id: kennymcnenny + 985228
↬ clan archive: Howling of the Seas

↬ word count: 926
↬ prompt:
Cyclades was resting in the small tavern of a small town, waiting for Dawn to run her errands for the navigators and resting his old joints, eager to get back to the ship. When an odd cat settled down in front of him and started asking questions about their ship and their traditions, he got a little suspicious. But the more they spoke, the more he realized that this cat was truly just a collector of stories. So why not share a little bit of their history and how they celebrated the cold months out on the sea? After all, he was an old cat, and they always had the best stories to tell.

"When we speak of our winter festival and how we celebrate it, we must go back quite a ways to explain. Back when it was just the sun and the moon ruling the skies and the earth, the two sisters. For that was when the ocean was created. The moon built a fantastic land out frigid ice and cold, unforgiving white snow, so that she might shine down upon it and have a beautiful kingdom to call her own. But as you can guess, it wasn't meant to last. Eventually the sun came, her bright light burning everything in her path and turning the moon's kingdom into a great expanse of water. The moon and the sun fought then, chasing each other through the sky, trying to create but their kingdoms always falling to the other. Nobody knows how long this cycle lasted, but any creatures that tried to survive this fight were few and far between. And they called up to the great sisters, begging them to stop, to see the world they had created, the life they have wasted upon it's ground. And eventually, their pleading reached the skies up above. The moon and the sun heard them, and listened. And they came to regret their ways, their fighting. They were sisters, twins, they were supposed to work together, not tear this beautiful creation apart through their bickering. And so the sun and the moon got to work, dividing their rule and what they would control. They'd each circle the earth, but more gentle, providing it's life with the warmth of the sun to work and survive, before giving it the coolness of night to rest and refresh. And as for the moon's fallen kingdom, her beautiful and cruel world of ice, it was left as water. Though she was allowed to control the waves, control the tide and how it ebbed and flowed- provide it rain and thunder to keep it alive and wild. It was something for the moon to take care of, and it was just as she needed. And over time, the beings closest to our mother moon migrated to those waves. And it's no different with our crew and the other sailors out there. Some feel the pull more strongly, but something will always tell us that the ocean is our home. Now, with that, I can explain why our winter festival is so important to us. It's the time we take to worship the mother moon, for giving us our lives and our means to thrive."

Cyclades paused as he got asked about a dozen questions, smiling as he wrapped his tail around his paws, he would do his best to explain it all. "There are three parts of our celebrations, in the end it all takes about a moon, and no harmful raids are made during this time. There's the preparation, the gathering. We spend time harvesting food and supplies, finding treasures for our loved ones and the like. And most importantly- getting enough food for our feast. The second is for the quiet thanks we give. We offer up our finest things to the moon mother, showing her how grateful we are and proving that we are loyal. It's time meant for contemplation and being thankful for the lives we live, for the cats we love. It's also a time to share our histories, to talk of how we found the sea, of how we were pulled to the place we all belong; under the moon's loving gaze. But the third part, that's for the real celebration. It's filled with cheer and dancing and singing. The kits and the younger cats always have the most fun, and get into the most trouble during these times. But that's truly a tradition at this point as well. It's a time for family and for gathering together. The whole crew sails home and stays for two spans, celebrating their loved ones and a safe return home once more. The last two days are the most important. The big feast with the entire village is the first day, it's the biggest celebration of the year, and always the most joyous. And the last day, that day is spent with family and other close ones, exchanging gifts and stories. Especially for those leaving on the ship within the next few days, it's a time to catch up with their loved ones, to remind them that they'd be home soon again, safe and sound, and to share their adventures from the last time they had visited. It's an important time for every cat, the ones on the ship and the ones back home. That's why our winter festival is so important to us, and how we celebrate it. It's our time to pay our respects to our moon mother, and bring in good luck for the new year."

[I Like Bees]

↬ catvent day: seven

↬ username & id: I Like Bees 904964
↬ clan archive: The Travelers

↬ word count: 20 words (if the caption counts)
↬ prompt:


Squiggle insists that everyone make scarves for each other to stay warm. Not sure how they managed that with paws.

[unohdettu.lupaus]

↬ catvent day: seven

↬ username & id:Unohdettu.Lupaus | 946652
↬ clan archive:x

↬ word count: 249 words
↬ prompt: “well..we dont really celebrate winter as for us it lasts way too long” Misha said as she looked back at her mate Dawn who was chatting with kefira,sheep and crimse a bit further away

“Though dawn,kefire,sheep and crimson have been planning on hosting a celebration for winter..im not sure what they all have planned on doing for the celebration so you should ask them..” misha said as she led the traveler to the four other cats

“oh! are you here to learn about our plans for winter celebration” sheep asked excited with a smile..the traveler nodded as an answer

“well what we have currently done is that we have left gifts for someone named santa..we dont really who that is yet we just heard from others that they were leaving gifts for santa, Then another thing we have done is asking kittypets for some new foods to store for the celebration! which we arent yet sure when we will host but we will host it for sure!” sheep explained

“we are also planning on making a place for us to leave gifts for eachother to open when we host the celebration, also we are planning on making our camp a bit more decorated for the celebration too” kefira continued after sheep

“thats all we have planned and done for now..feel free to suggest anything you would like to see and come visit us when the celebration is being hosted!” dawn said to the traveler with a kind smile …

[coffee.berry]

↬ catvent day: seven

↬ username & id: coffee.berry, #1008279
↬ clan archive: Peaceclan

↬ word count: 129 words <3
↬ prompt:


"We usually have a big festival on Christmas Eve," Silverstar explained to the mysterious traveler.
"Christmas Eve is in 17 days. The festival includes games like 'Build a Snow Cat', 'Snowball Fight'
and more. But, every day until Christmas Eve the cats kind of hoard gifts for each others' stockings.
Stockings are a type of sock you hang up on the den wall. And we do lots of other things as well."

"But, what exactly do you celebrate?" the stranger asked. "Do you celebrate the coming of the year,
or..?" Silverstar smiled. "We celebrate a minor god called Santa Claus, or, as we call him, Santa Claws.
He's said to be the god of joy and togetherness, the god of family. He brings the cats one special present
each."

"Okay," the stranger grinned. "Thank you for your information."

[jay.]

↬ catvent day: seven

↬ username & id: jay. + 688591
↬ clan archive: the aurora borealis

↬ word count: 79 words!
↬ prompt: the cats of the aurora borealis are very welcoming to strangers - for the most part - and would probably teach them their traditions by inviting them to join in with them! they would guide them through all of their festivities and tell them why they celebrate them and the symbolism behind their actions. it would shock them that the stranger doesn't know of the holiday season, but it just means they're able to tell them about their traditions even more.

[Arrikanez]

↬ catvent day: seven

↬ username & id: Arrikanez 2105
↬ clan archive: The Dark Carnival

↬ word count: 620 words
↬ prompt:

Not for the first time did Viperstar find himself wondering just what this 'Christmas' and 'Holiday' were all about. Fortune's End had the benefit of once being human, so he could understand these things, but for Viperstar? It was strange and unusual. How weird to celebrate a man in red coming down a chimney-flue to deliver gifts to everyone that hadn't broken society's rules. Even so, he was ever the curious person - or cat - so when push came to shove, and the two were alone around the tire-fire one evening, he did broach the subject.

"Just what is Christmas, Fortune?" he asked, wrapping his tail around his paws so that it, too, could feel the warmth of the fire. It hadn't snowed here yet, but the glimpses of it on the edge of their territory - where Chroma's influence ended - whetted his curiosity to know these things. Sure, they had snow in Juridia, but not in these peaceful amounts. On his planet, snow had been a nightmare, followed by the bone-chilling cold. More people had died during the winter season than any other combined, due to the harsh changes in weather patterns toward the end of the year. It was odd, therefore, to see it celebrated by so many of these 'clans' all around.

Fortune's End wasn't exactly caught unawares by the question. He had seen his leader, his Ringmaster, peeking in at the edges of other territories as they brushed up against Chroma's realm, and knew the question was bound to pose itself somehow. Still, it didn't mean that he knew how to answer it any better. His tail flicked, and an ear went back in thought.

"Well..." he started. "I guess it's more of a celebration of the end of the year. New life is coming with Spring, so it serves to say 'we made it another year, huzzah!' and stuff." The younger cat glanced over to Viper, and canted his head to one side. "Does that help explain it?"

"... Sort of." Viper muttered. "But it's more like... what is Santa? Why do you leave him cookies? What is with the obsession with snow and ice? What are all those carols about?" His tailtip flicked, but he didn't move it - too cold to leave it out in the dark.

"Oh! That! Well... Santa Claus is a made-up thing produced by commercial companies like Coca Cola, and Hallmark. I think the first instance of him was on some old-timey art, and they just sort of ran with it. But the man himself isn't important, it's the spirit behind the season - the spirit of giving, and receiving, and hosting, and being jolly and merry, and giving back to others." Fortune stood a bit taller. "The other stuff is... ah... religious in nature, and I don't really want to get into that, but it's fun to sing some of those songs. Like that one you were humming earlier."

Viper's ear went back in embarrassment. "Oh... you heard that?"

"Yup! I can't speak that language, but it was still very pretty." the younger cat said with a smile. "Maybe you could teach it to me sometime?"

"... Maybe." Viper said cautiously. "We'll have to see where things end up in this... celebration." His other ear went back as well. "I still don't really get it. But I suppose I do get the spirit of gifting. Perhaps this won't be such a bad thing to celebrate after all." Both ears relaxed forward. "If... you'd want me to celebrate with you."

"Of course!" Fortune's End danced from paw to paw. "I'm going to teach you all the traditions, so you can pick and choose the ones you like. Happy Holidays, Viperstar."

"And... to you... I suppose, Fortune's End."