#jackdawfoot

He’d worry at first that someone so huge could be a threat to his loved ones and would keep his distance to be safe (or make a display of “don’t mess with my family”), but once he got to know him (either through direct interactions or word-of-mouth), he’d see him as a sweet guy and would be open to helping him if he wants it

Oh I do like the idea of bringing back our icons for something!

It'd more likely be for Aphidsong's mate though, just based on vibe. Whoever it is would be a great-granddaughter to JackdawFern. Maybe Ratthorn is the grandmother?

Pea: "You killed my sister!"

Spore: "Your sister killed me!"

Pea: "Not her, the other one"

Spore: "What do you care? You killed your brother!"

Pea: "Fair point. But you also killed your mate's father!"

Spore: "Which isn't as bad as the fact that you killed my mate!"

Pea: "Yeah well my sister was pregnant, that makes it worse!"

Jackdaw: "How long have they been going at this?"

his dad didn’t help and just stood by watching as his son was beaten because “real warriors would know how to fight off an enemy”

this thus started Jackdawfoot’s prejudice against kittypets that he wouldn’t grow out of until past his death.

Jackdawfoot: so none of you ever get jealous? No arguments come up at all?

Hootpetal: nope! For you, Ferndoe is your moon and your stars. For us, one of us is the moon, another is the stars, another the sun, and—

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.