[I Like Bees]

Prompt suggestion

What is the best gift this cat has ever received?

Ends September 23rd, 11:59 PM CDT

Code: Select all

[b]Username:[/b]
[b]Cat Name:[/b]
[b]Gender:[/b]
[b]Rank:[/b]
[b]Clan:[/b] (Please link)
[b]Age:[/b] (1 year or above)
[b]Prompt:[/b]

Name: Orazio (Azi)
Gender: Male
Rank: Aristocat
Clan: Azeryn
Description: Chocolate smoke [ghost rosetted tabby]
tortie mink with low white and copper eyes
Age: Twelve moons
Edits: [NR] Expression; [C] ear tufts, pointy ears,
whiskers, tongue, min fur
Owner: Vivika

[ArithMedic]

Username: ArithMedic
Cat Name: Mud that Trips the Fox
Gender: Tom
Rank: Knight
Clan: Celestials
Age: 3 years
Prompt:
The best gift Mud has ever received was a pearl from his mother, after he returned from his bonding ceremony to his familiar. She was always a frail creature and wasn't able to do much because she'd had a chronic illness her entire life. However, she'd secretly been practicing swimming in shallow waters with the aid of her seal familiar and training her seal to identify oysters big enough to contain pearls. When Mud left to find his familiar, she went to the shore and had her seal find where the oysters were clustered. Then, she and her seal dove under the water so she could grab one of the oysters, guided by her seal. She went home and, after a rest, opened the oyster to find a small pearl inside. Although Mud had to help his mother a lot when he returned because she was bedridden from overexertion, he will always treasure the pearl she put so much effort into getting for him.

[cecro]

Username: cecro
Cat Name: Sweetpea
Gender: Tom (He/It)
Rank: Deputy
Clan: MeadowClan
Age: 3 years
Prompt: A bunch of flowers wrapped up with leaves! He ended up using the flowers and leaves to decorate its' nest. Though, it seems like right now he must be trying to find whoever had given him the nice gift, so it can perhaps give them a gift of his own, maybe see if he could be friends with them too?

[crexmii]

MARK BECAUSE YOU POSTED TOO MANY ADOPTS BEES >:00/lh

[Knickknacks]

Username: Knickknacks
Cat Name: Owlspark
Gender: male
Rank: warrior
Clan: knollclan
Age: 6 years
Prompt:

wip!

[Kazin]

withdrawing

[Firelight_AA]

Username: Firelight_AA
Cat Name: Spottedshadow
Gender: Female
Rank: Med.Cat
Clan: Sparkfire (Please link)
Age: 18 moons (1 year or above)
Prompt: She got a rabbit pelt

[Vivika]

Username: vivika
Cat Name: orazio (aka azi <3)
Gender: male
Rank aristocat
Clan: azeryn
Age: twelve moons
Prompt:

“spoiler alert, but birthdays are the worst. the absolute worst.”

groaning, he scurried deeper into the shadows, dimming the glow of his nexus screen. hiding under the estate’s lavish tables was not the greatest refuge from the banquet guests, but tonight, under the gilded silks of tablecloths… it'd have to do.

his friend’s laughter crackled in a burst of static. “ay you found a good hiding spot from the paparazzi, yet? or-”

the tablecloth parted.

aw, shoot. in a snatch of light, the brilliant sheen of chandeliers blinded him, their mocking grins twisted and twinkling. haloed in pure white light, a bejewelled figure embraced him, tearing him away from his hiding spot. her fragrance clogged his throat, a chaotic mess of jasmine and vanilla and strawberries and sweetspice. at this rate, he’d rather inhale coal dust and ash.

“uh, rowena?” he cleared his throat. “a little less tight? please.”

“it’s such a pleasure to see you, it’s been forever.” her grin widened as she pulled back, head canted. a vine of onyx-studded grapes against her head spilled into her dark curls as if a gargantuan polka-dotted beast. “i’m honored you decided to invite me, orazio. it’s truly an honor.”

he winced. “just azi, thanks. and uh, my pops did the invites actually━”

“have you seen your gifts?” she twirled him around, navigating him to a floating table. scarlet silk cloaked the steel frame, pooling out all around it as if a size too big, and boxes━stars, too many boxes━stacked, piling like a pyramid. “everyone went all out on this one. mine is the one on the very top. you’ll love it. it’s trending right now, actually! i won’t spoil the surprise, but i’ll entertain your guesses.”

“... uh, that’s very nice of you. incredibly kind.”

“not much of a guesser, huh? that’s a-okay, a bunch of my friends are over there,” beside rosewater fountains, a group turned, faces crinkled with picture perfect smiles, “we should go meet them! they’d love to hear about your research. a tunneling bot for luneda’s mines, right?”

“a-actually, it’s a space drone for━”

the zing of an electric guitar rippled from his nexus, striking and vivid.

his shoulders sagged, the barest quirk of a smile gathering at his lips. with an apologetic nod, he waved his nexus screen, the screen glowing a soft blue. “it’s important, sorry! catch up with you later?”


✦✦✦


on midnights like this, he blessed the soul who invented waterproof tech.

shivering, he pulled himself higher on the rooftops, a soft curse slipping as his paws scraped against the sandpapery tiles. muddied water sloshed over his paws, tinting them with dark flakes. flicking them aside, he blinked the rainwater from his eyes and swiped the screen. “hey, teo. it’s me. i got away.”

“‘bout time.” a hologram blipped and hovered over the nexus, the sleepy-eyed squint of an avatar greeting him with a smirk. “and appropriately soaked, i see. you really hate today, huh?"

his gaze drifted to the cityscape. to the familiar indigo sheens reflecting off hovercrafts, the rotating lights from spherebots breaking through magenta-tinted windows, to the hollow navy sky with eternally muted stars. somewhere above the horizon, a train whizzed past, an arrowhead to the station, a soft series of beeps signaling its arrival. "i just… i wish everyone would act normal about it."

the niceties, the fake interest, the heavy politeness. everything was a game, a way to curry favor. the lavish gifts cherry-picked from a catalogue right next to the long line of numbers. the saccharine compliments, the endless hugs ━ fake. all of it. and to reciprocate the same gesture in return… stars, so save him.

"ah, azi buddy. if i could be there you know i would. we'd design a blackout code or something. cause an accidental power outage, just imagine! a glitch in the systems on your big day, how horribly tragic." a pause. "i also had a gift for you. but with transport these days... it'll take a bit to get there."

"it's okay." he shrugged, wrapping his tail around himself. "i have enough to keep me busy. how's your trip━"

"was rowena there?" teo’s avatar leaned back, voice pitching a few octaves higher. "orazio, your research is astounding. your mind so breathtaking. your intelligence━bless my heart."

he managed a faint smile. "not too far off, actually."

"oh? getting all technical on me now, huh? must be all the flattery from your party guests, but you don’t fool me, y’know." tail curling around a hammock, teo lifted a paw. “let’s see. sir genius here failed his entrance exams to the academy three times. barely passed the fourth time. changed research projects at least two dozen times. did not account for gravity when building that space drone. uhh, skips class and is an awful rude prick sometimes. sounds about right.”

and he laughed.

the sound emerging from somewhere deep and rich, stirring a chord in him. despite the midnight rain, warmth bloomed in his chest, the day's ache ebbing to a different rhythm. classic teo, clearing the air with candor. and for the first time tonight, the breath in his lungs flowed gently. easy.

he nested his chin on his paws. someone understood. someone cared enough... knew him enough to create laughter and light from the dumbest thing possible. mortifying to any other soul, but a kiss of fresh air to him. brutal honesty, genuine and gift-wrapped straight from the heart. “why, thank you. it’s nice to be known.”

“consider it my gift to you.” his friend winked. “seems you'll need it to keep your ego in-check.”

[I Like Bees]

Username: vivika
Cat Name: orazio (aka azi <3)
Gender: male
Rank aristocat
Clan: azeryn
Age: twelve moons
Prompt: -snip-

Congrats! I thought this was a very thoughtful and unique gift ^^

I'd also like to award HMs to ArithMedic and cecro !

[Vivika]

aaaaa, thank you so much!! super excited to develop azi + his friendship with teo! <33

and congrats arithmedic + cecro on the hms as well! c: