#i always really liked ashfurs whole thing

[sleepire]

Exposin' myself as an (ex) warrior cats fans istg

[the-owl-tree]

Im actually really glad that they dealt with the whole ashfur in starclan thing before squirrel became leader

I always hated the thought of her becoming leader, not because i don’t like her but because i knew that if she did then the erins were definitely gonna have ashfur give her a life and say sm shit like “oh i forgive u ashfur<3” like im glad they got rid of his ass before that even though i know we didn’t get to see her 9 lives ceremony unfortunately

there are many many things i have no enjoyed about the new team's arcs but i am so glad they fixed the ashfur issue not in just a way that acknowledged he was fucked up to squilf but that starclan was wrong. thank youuu for turning one of my most loathed characters into a top tier wc villain.

big agree, knowing that the prior team's opinions on him, i can see a world where squilf wouldve gone "wow you were really just misunderstood this whole time :)"

[bozawarriorsposting]

The Damned Four Warriors AU

You know all those cats that everyone in the fandom always asks how they got into Starclan, what if Starclan themselves started asking that same question?

This AU follows four cat's that were let into Starclan originally now being put into 'probation' after they don't improve as people in the slightest. Four spirits get sent back to the mortal realm and do Starclan's (Clear Sky's) will or get booted to the Dark Forest. I am not entirely sure what that 'Will' is mind you, but things from fighting back Dark Forest spirits (which are a bit more "dark nightmare creatures" in this AU) and orchestrating some of Starclan's less ethical mortal meddling. Essentially, every time Starclan begins to screw cats over and random events happen that allow for prophecies to succeed, these four are the ones sent to do it. Suicide Squad but with Ghost Cats if you will.

Now, you might say that throwing a bunch of already angered and restless spirits who all died violently into situations which will only further anger and hurt them isn’t a good way to make them better, and you would be right.

The line up:

Mudclaw: His coup attempt enraged Starclan and there was a lot of debate, but his life of being basically a model Warrior: traditionalist, brave, ready to fight, and reverence for Starclan got him enough good boy points for them to let him in. Also his 'lawyers' (spirits on his side) basically just blamed Hawkfrost for everything. However, he was not content with this, and as Mudclaw increasingly began to stew in rage and bitterness over his smiting and Starclan's intervention in Windclan, they started getting nervous. Starclan spirit's do have some power over the real world, not a lot, but enough to where one rogue Starclan spirit could cause a lot of problems. So they kicked Mudclaw into this group to keep him under control and generally just give him something to do.

Ashfur: Was let in for generally the same reasons as Mudclaw, but slightly less so. He wasn't that exceptional of a warrior, but Starclan was currently still panicking over the existence of The Three. Ashfur was convincing enough and the Higher spirits didn’t really want to deal with anything regarding any of the three for now (also they don’t particularly like Squirrelflight) so they generally just gave him the benefit of the doubt. As his obsession continued in Starclan however, the powers that be basically saw the plot of TBC coming. Ashfur is here so they can keep an eye on him and keep him away from anything important.

Needletail: Out of the four, she is the one that Starclan came closest to just chucking into the dark forest. The whole “Kin” incident angered them greatly, as Clancats betrayed their own at the whims of rogues. Her heroic sacrifice won them over enough to let her in, but Needletails general aversion to authority and caustic side remained. Basically, when they got this idea, she was already on the short list of cats they wanted gone.

Appledusk: After Mapleshade went on a rampage (which was partially their fault) they wanted someone to blame alongside Mapleshade, so they settled on Frecklewish. However, as Maple then became a major river demon that drowned apprentices and inflicted generational curses, fingers started pointing again. With everyone else involved being either a leader or a medicine cat (both of which would implicitly lay blame on Starclan) Appledusk was the next one up to get thrown under a bus.

The four are thus no longer Starclan cats, they have been cut off from the stars and their connections to the ancestral plain (I will go more into that later). They can freely roam the earth and each have certain powers that let them influence the mortal world. Also, due to them not being associated with Starclan, at least officially, they can be made easy scapegoats if things go wrong and either the mortals or other Starclan cats start having questions.

This is all overseen by Clear Sky, (if this is a suicide squad anaology, he is the “Amanda Waller”) who was ‘chosen’ (decided) to guide them and punish them if necessary. He is essentially a lesser god and the one that gives them their orders. The question of what is Starclan’s will and what is HIS will is one that tends to pop up.

Overview of all the characters, subject to change based on how I think they would act and also on any new ideas

Feel free to ask questions and also suggestions, this is very barebones so I would be happy to develop it. The cast is not set in stone, or the lore, or the story, or much of anything.

[bonefall]

GOD THE ERIN'S THING WITH BIO PARENTS I'm rereading the series and I just got to Hollyleaf's death in The Last Hope and it makes me so mad how Leafpool is the only one who comforts her. Jayfeather only gets to shake and Squirrelflight is just fucking vibing in the background in a battle patrol. Fallen Leaves is more upset than her. SO mad so mad so mad

MAN LIKE... Please understand that I'm saying this with Leafpool love in my Leafpool heart. But it frustrates me immensely that the books went in the direction they did with the parentage of the three. There's SO much wrong here

The plot seems to believe, just post-reveal, that Squilf has to pretend like she doesn't love them so that Ashfur won't kill them (the fuck??)

As if Firestar would just ALLOW an attempted fucking murderer to hang out in his Clan???

Like, go back and read it, she says, "Go ahead Ashfur, kill them, you won't hurt me if you do. They are not my kits." LIKE??

Ashfur: "Wow I totally believe you! I just tried to murder 3 people including a medcat in cold fucking blood and all of you are witnesses now, but rats! I've been foiled! Fire scene cancelled!"

I remember reading this as a kid and being like "This scene sucks. Ashfur would never. Squilf loves her children. 1000000000 lionblazes kill this man now" and little Bones was SO correct

Brambleclaw ABANDONING HIS CHILDREN is just never properly addressed. He was willing to cover up murder earlier in the book for Holly but the minute he finds out they didn't come out of Squilf he's like "nevermind"

He throws a tantrum for all of OotS and then, only at the end, when Squilf calls out that he's throwing his whole family away because he's mad at her, does he reconsider any of his actions.

I think he's entitled to being upset and having his negative emotions, but NOT in how he ended up treating all these people who have been nothing but adoring and apologetic towards him. But nope, no deeper reckoning with that, Squilf does a Cosgrove ass "Hey! Cut it out!" and that's it.

And Leafpool gets put through this too. Leafpool is now completely and fully considered their mom, comforting them as their parent post-reveal. She didn't raise them and yet it's just considered normal that she's the one with a bunch of emotionally soothing scenes with her biokits

Like... I love the idea of her finally being able to acknowledge something she's hidden for so long. But, these cats never saw her as a mother. She was their aunt and their whole life has been rearranged, the emotions they're facing towards this reveal are nothing but negative. Their "father" has also disowned them, treating their mother like shit, and Squilf is keeping her distance believing this is all her own fault.

The feelings here should be SUPER complicated, and that's really JUICY!! We were ROBBED of something waaaay more emotional because of this bizarre commitment to treating bioparents as always better than adopted ones.

OotS kills meee mannn

OH and don't even get me started on how they needed to make Squilf pregnant with Bramblestar's kits in the end because they don't believe adopted kids are equal to bio ones, but also couldn't commit to making their precious Bramble into a bad person who remained adamant about cutting off all his old "family." Alder and Spark should have been Jessy kits and I'll die on this hill

(and also jessy should have cat divorced him after. and also commit to bramble being a toxic parent.)

[barrenclan]

Been too afraid to suggest this for a while bc... social anxiety,, so I'm going anon.

Just another music ask!! "The Line" by Vera Sola feels like a very Barrenclan song to me

Oooh, this is a good one, I can definitely see it. A lot of vibes for original RoseClan/early BarrenClan.

She was the first one to go <- Wheatstar I'll be back for you, the final words she spoke He was the second one to leave <- Ladybugstar Whispered, don't you worry

Because time is a warm dark circle Day is returned to the looping of the line Night is only a passing thing We'll be back again when it's right

Fellas, is it gay to feel like this about your boss?

I don't show it but I quiver whenever you come near And I cannot decipher between the thrill and the fear I wanna stop it but like it too much to let it stop here It's wrong but I want you tonight It's not my own volition but I fell in deep By running the distance I've been advised to keep I trot to the wolf as a doting sheep It's wrong but I want you tonight

Rainhaze works with like 50% of songs ever made. He is my most Ashfur-esque character in that way.

There's a scavenger on the wind alone Where he roams in the land of the dust and bones

Nobody wants to be your friend when you're a scavenger on the wind

My mom is an oldschool fan of Laurie Anderson, and I listened to her growing up, so I was quite surprised to see that this song has become viral on TikTok. I highly recommend listening to the whole song, and her others as well.

And I said, "Okay, who is this really?" And the voice said "This is the hand, the hand that takes"

And when justice is gone There's always force And when force is gone There's always Mom, hi Mom

As long as people keep sending me songs, I'll keep doing them.

Maybe it's just a stupid dream I know you'd never change your life to be with me Six hours north in a city by the sea I want you herе right now I want you here with me

If I were closer, would you remember The way I made you feel in September? You said it's too cold in San Francisco But I keep you warm so you'll take me where you go

I am always here for a musical song, especially Into the Woods. Anything witchy character works for Nightberry.

THREE DAYS GRACE MENTIONED! The actual inspiration for the song came from an El Tango de Roxanne lyric, specifically this one:

"You're free to leave me, but just don't deceive me And please, believe me when I say I love you"

I like this song a lot too. Cormorantpaw works with any thrash-type music.

I have to ask cause I need something to last Too many times I've been left behind <- ohh... the corm......

Will you love me or leave me forever? Will you love me or leave me forever?

HAH I love it.

Yeah I can see it!

My parents sold me to a preacher Now I miss my mom and dad I heard they joined a cult They say, mass suicidal death I’m locked inside the church They say the prophecy’s foretold

They’ll preach salvation as they tie my limbs And rip out my teeth They’ll soak their daggers In the pigs blood As I beg and I plead

The Garden is actually already on the PATFW playlist! For the reasons which you listed, and I agree with you. :) Never Love An Anchor is also Slugpelt's themesong.

It looks like this one has been suggested before, probably for Rainhaze or Deepdark! I love Saint Motel's music.

Nobody has ever seen his face But fear his smile I heard he'll drink your blood just for the taste

Everybody tends to disagree On just how evil A single human being should ever be And all your bones, they scream for more

[bonebabbles]

Assorted Path of Stars: Book 6, Chapter 3 thoughts

Spotted Fur is introduced in Chapter 3. I like this guy. Falling through the void like Plankton, screaming, and I take a short break to take a sippy of Funny Young Boy Who Likes To Hunt before returning to my descent.

Generating headcanon: Spotted Fur is a distant ancestor of Ashfur and Ferncloud.

I'm taking a picture of him in my mind to use for my own rewrite projects later <3

It's also a big shame btw, like... Spotted Fur is gonna show up again in Moth Flight's Vision as someone deeply in love with Moth Flight who loves her kittens, and she still ends up sending them all away. Ancient Thrushpelt energy, but worse because there wasn't a legitimate reason to give them up.

Speaking of Moth Flight, god. Wind Runner starts yelling at her for being bad at hunting and it's rough. Moth still has her personality in this book, she hasn't unceremoniously lost it by Becoming Mother yet, so it's hard to listen to Wind Runner start ripping into a child who seems to be struggling with ADHD.

I have so many complicated feelings on Wind Runner, many of them boiling down to how I feel like her WHOLE personality is "awful bitch" in the eyes of the writers.

It makes me like her out of spite, ESPECIALLY with how Clear Sky and Gray Wind ALSO treat their kids horribly but the narrative doesn't frame it the same way.

And I see a whoooole lot more people discussing how Wind Runner Bad apropos of nothing, probably because of the framing, putting her in all their "Top 5 Worst DOTC Characters" lists while no one even remembers the times Gray Wing started ranting at Thunder. Or posting "Clear Sky Made Some Mistakes But."

Summistakes Butt Posting.

Also, there's a LOT of focus on how this group is only agreeing to help Clear Sky because his kidnapped wife is pregnant. LOTS of talk of "unborn kits" and how she's carrying "my kits" and how they all have a duty to protect the kits. Good thing he knocked her up as quickly as possible, because if she wasn't a vessel for Clear Sky's babies then no one would give a damn, I guess.

Reduced to a reward wife, pregnant, immediately kidnapped. Again, I really hope all those "haha star flower girlboss steal-ur-dad manipulator" takes are coming from people intentionally rejecting the source material, or people who didn't read it at all. Because they're COMPLETELY made up. I worry for the reading comprehension of anyone who unironically had that as a takeaway.

Chapter ends on a cringe line from Gray Wing where he goes, "Thunder always listens to reason if I'm the one reasoning with him!" yeah like how he screeched at Thunder for not wanting to reconcile with his fucking abuser and forced him to go fetch him.

I hope Gray Wing shows up and Thunder punches his face inwards, creating the forest's first persian cat.

[senya-sama]

okay, but what if hollyleaf was reincarnated scourge?

I've seen a Squirrel as reincarnated Scourge au and... at some point there was a thought in my mind 'it'd be interesting if it was Holly' and I couldn't stop thinking about it since.

imagine

Hollykit was suffering from nightmares since the early childhood. She can't really make out the faces in her dreams, but... She dreams about her siblings disliking and avoiding her, she dreams about living in a city, she dreams about endless fights and killing, she dreams about someone (who looks oddly familiar, she thinks this cat look like her father) beating her up nearly to the death. Every morning she wakes up shaking and scared.

These dreams are so cold, lonely and cruel. She doesn't understand why she sees all it, especially when she finds out, that Jaykit and Lionkit sleep well. Hollykit wonders if there is something wrong with her? Maybe starclan doesn't like her?

She tells Squirrelflight about her fears, and Squilf comfortsher, telling her that starclan wouldn't ever punish a kit, and even when Holly grows up, if she lives by the warrior code, starclan won't everounish her, only protect and guide. Hollykit takes it to heart, promising herself to always live by the warrior code.

As she is growing older these dreams are becoming less and less frequent. (Mostly because she grows as her own person, and there aren't as much space for memories from her previous life as it used to be, but she doesn't know it, she thinks that it's a result of her living by the warrior code as a noble and loyal cat.) She still dreams though, and sometimes she notices that some of her thoughts don't feel like her own? It's strange feeling as if they always have been there, but they're not HERS. She doesn't understand it.

Her dedication to warrior code is almost an obsession, because she feels like it's the only thing that protects her. When Holly finds out that she's a halfclan daughter of a medicine cats, all her world crushes.

In this moment she returns to more scourge-like behaviour. It's not like split personality, but more like returnring to things that were natural for her when she was scourge, but weren't used or even were unconciously repressed by her.

It leads to the murder of Ashfur, revealing the secret at the gathering (more a scream of hollyleaf who couldn't handle the way her whole world was ruined), and the attempt of murdering Leafpool.

When Hollyleaf runs into the tunnels, she is running not only from her destroyed world and the consequences of her actions, she is also running from herself because her consciousness is literally bursting with stress and a stream of thoughts and visions. She doesn't feel like herself and she's scared of the cat that she's now, because she doesn't undestand whothis cat is.

[chelseareferenced]

I might have a vague power of three/omen of the stars au brewing in my brain because I am way to far behind in the series to actively try and catch up so here are my basic ideas.

Three is Four from the start because God that plot point was stupid and I hate it and it added needless drama when we all knew it was Firestar because it's always Firestar. The four are Jayfeather, Lionblaze, Hollyleaf and Breezepelt because drama but wait there's more.

Squirrel x Crow who have Holly and Breeze. Ashfur is just a dude not an asshole, he dated Squilf for a week but could see she was unhappy because she was in love with someone else and let's her go. Now Brambleclaw is the asshole because I don't like him.

Hawk x Leaf but it wasn't a serious thing looking back on it, more like a summertime fling that resulted in children being Jay and Lion. Hawkfrost is just a little ambitious, has a good relationship with Mothwing, fully supports his ex and sister being in love and tells awful puns.

Holly and Breeze are raised in Thunderclan, Crowfeather lives there with them and Brackenfur is deputy instead of Brambleclaw because as much as Firestar doesn't want to admit it, Bramble is an asshole and Sandstorm yells at him whenever he is remotely rude to Squirrelflight. Holly is mentored by Ashfur who becomes like a fun uncle and Breeze is mentored by Brightheart because fuck you Firestar you promised her an apprentice.

Holly becomes Hollyfur in honour of her mentor because Ashfur is just a cool dude and her power is being able to sense when cats are lying and occasionally, forcing the truth out of them. Her early arch is learning when to call out lying and when to let it slide.

Breeze becomes Breezeflight after his mother and gets Dovewing's power because it's there, might as well use it.

Lion and Jay are raised in Riverclan because they deserve POV chapters and it's the clans best kept secret that they're Leafpool's kits but after that whole Tigerclan incident they all collectively agree to keep quiet about it and Hawk becomes a den dad in the nursery and even after his kits are grown he stops by to help the queens when he can.

Lion is terrified of his power especially because he has nightmares about being like Tigerstar and begs Mothwing to let him be her apprentice, she agrees. Lion's power is still the same but he figures out he can use it more defensively than offensively, if there's a battle he's there acting as a shield while he heals. He's named Lionflower because pretty name.

Jay is a lot happier, he's not forced into being a medicine cat and it's only really the queens and younger cats who worry over him. He gets to be a warrior and is mentored by Reedwhisker (Pouncepaw is mentored by Blackclaw instead) his power is the same as in the books and he occasionally helps his brother out with starclan symbols and prophecies, he gets to have secret meeting with his brother as well and is named Jaystep.

Certain Starclan cats (the loudest being Goosefeather) tell the more involved spirits to back the fuck up and let them be kits. But no one trusts Bluestar, Yellowfang and Spottedleaf to behave so they all get a Starclan assigned bodyguard/spiritual mentor

Hollyclaw gets Whitestorm

Breezeflight gets Thrushpelt

Lionflower gets Oakheart

Jaystep gets Crookedstar

EDIT: I have unintentionally implied that both of Bluestar's "romantic partners" and her nephew are away that she will not stay away from the Four and I love it.

Also Crookedstar yells at any Starclan cat who says Jaystep belongs as a medicine cat (cough cough Spottedleaf and Yellowfang)

[troutfur]

For the prompts, Ash and Fern Augur AU, with Ferncloud's reaction to Squirrel snubbing her brother?

Fair warning for this one that Ferncloud is going to be portrayed as really, really xenophobic and classist. But that's kind of a given with Augur AU. Whenever I write Augur AU whoever ends up being the augurs by design adopt those opinions regardless of who it is. As I've said previously, it's an Arthurian romance not a Robin Hood ballad.

So, let's see where this takes us.

(Want your own chance at getting your prompt written? Check out my guidelines and submit one! I'm taking prompts up to the last day of the #CalmWrimo2023 challenge which is the 30th. Even if I have enough for the month I still like having more choices to pick from.)

Squirrelflight lay down on the patients’ nest inside the augurs’ den as she clutched her stomach. Whatever she’d eaten was absolutely murdering her right now. Since sunrise she’d had no appetite and now by low sun the growing discomfort growing inside her stomach had become unbearable. Beside her Ferncloud was riffing through her stores and preparing some kind of herb packet for her to eat, and surely a few doses she would be prescribing her.

The atmosphere between them was tense. She’d not brought it up but Squirrelflight could tell Ferncloud was not really pleased by the fact her brother had stopped sharing her nest and slept alone now.

The usually gossipy queen had been quiet, and as of the last few days she kept glaring at her from across camp. The treatment was not new to her, both her and Leafstep had grown up recieving it from the patricians of other Clans they met at the gathering or during the Great Journey. And it only gotten worse since those stuck up cats caught wind that her participation in the Sundrown Place patrol hadn’t technically been condoned.

But this was not really behavior that she expected out of ThunderClan patricians, even someone as prickly as Spiderleg. For better or worse more than a former kittypet’s daughter, low in birth as they come, in their eyes she’d always been Firestar’s, their glorious leader’s, daughter. The treatment from ThunderClan’s matriarch had even seemed to embolden her and Spiderleg’s mates in their own condescension.

“There,” Ferncloud said with an icy tone, sliding the packet of herbs once she was done. “Swallow it whole.”

Squirrelflight squinted at it as she took a whiff of the smell. She guessed asking for some honey to help it go down easier was out of the question. She forced it down her throat, the bitterness permeating every tastebud as she struggled not to gag. Once it was down she licked at her teeth, trying to dislodge whatever particles remained between her teeth to spit them out.

“Thanks Ferncloud,” Squirrelflight said with a nod as she prepared to leave.

“Sit back down,” Ferncloud ordered as she moved to block her passage. “There is a conversation we ought to have. I figure you must already know don’t you?”

Squirrelflight sighed. “Look. What happened between Ashfur and I... I just didn’t think he’d be the tom for me. I don’t think it’s something worth your attention.”

“I’ll say what’s worth my attention,” Ferncloud stated. “And one of the things that’s worth my attention is that you thought you were too good for a patrician.”

“Ferncloud, that’s not--”

“What’s worth my attention,” Ferncloud said louder. “Is that I think you and that sister of you are growing arrogant. That I think you are forgetting your place in this Clan, loners. I know Ashfur. He may be a little smothering, too eager to please, lacking in good judgement even. But for a patrician like him to extend not only the gift of his trust but his affection and for you to toss him away like that?”

“I didn’t toss Ashfur!” Squirrelflight defended herself. “We ended--”

“We?” Ferncloud said indignant. “By how devastated Ashfur has come to me it seems unlikely there was a we that ended this relationship.” With her tail lashing behind her, Ferncloud fixed Squirrelflight with a harsh glare. “I really shouldn’t have trusted that a friendship between my kits and you would have ended well. Not only does your blood already predispose you to this, I allowed you far too much access to the world of the patricians.”

A tense silence hung between them. Squirrelflight wanted to scream at the freckled gray queen that she was completely wrong, that she wasn’t being arrogant or stubborn or whatever else she wanted to project onto her. But the words failed her at that moment from how ridiculous the accusations were.

“Go now,” Ferncloud instructed as she stepped out of the way. “I am going to deal with this as needed. But for now just know: ThunderClan’s patricians are not going to be treating you the same ever again.”

With that, Squirrelflight tipped her head in a gesture of departure and maneuvered down the slope and away from the augurs’ den.

[mineashthetrash]

Star spoilers under cut!

I love frostdawn. I love her, i love her learning that she deserves to be loved <3 Jayclaw in starclan was so cute, but strange. He wanting her to stay with him makes sense, he never really got to know her in life. But he's really cagey about her going back, but it makes a bit of sense.

I ALSO loved Curlfeather. OH my god, she's such a Shitty Girl. She's so awful and i love it. Her basically adding Frostpaw as an afterthought in the prologue was a nice taste of it, but its so nice to see her actually TALK to her. How Frostpaw WANTS to be with her, but everytime she is, she remembers how awful she was, and curlfeather talks around her in circles. She even apologises, but not for the things Frostpaw WANTS her to apologise for! Its awesome. Such a fucker.

Splashtail too, he's so. Stupid? So weird and such a petty asshole. Him using kits like that, in an even more wicked way than Brokenstar, but STILL believing he'll go to Starclan? That Curlfeather was a demented spirit (kinda true), but he was the true savior of Riverclan? I can't remember the last time we saw a villan so deluded about himself and everything around him. Even ASHFUR knew he was destroying the clans, and was happy to do so.

One thing that did bug me. The apologetics for Riverclan warriors who did awful things. Some of it was written genuinely amazing, like Nightheart and Lizardtail was genuinely heartbreaking and shocking, and i don't think it wouldve hit as hard as it did if we knew what he was doing beforehand. That plus the line about Nightsky being shocked at herself made this scene hit HARD, and i genuinely felt for the Riverclan warriors the whole time. But Icewing and Duskfur got on my NERVES in the begining. "we had no choice", says the cat who 5 seconds ago said that the entire clan should've refused to fight Mothwing. "We couldn't all refuse to believe him", she says, making me want to rip her in half. And Splashtail didn't ALWAYS have control over their kits. On one hand, i love how scared most of the warriors are, and the air of mistrust and silent threats. But on the other hand, some cats don't seem to really regret it? Some cats believed in splashtail and went on even AFTER his body's brought to camp. Cats taunted Tigerstar and his trapped warriors, despite splashtail being nowhere around and there being no benefit to them. I can't help but agree with Squirrelstar - They ALWAYS had a choice. They're WARRIORS, not mice. Fighting is one thing, but actively participating in cruelty and relishing in it isn't the action of a cat who has no choice.

Anyway, Star was one of my favorite ending books so far! It satisfyingly wrapped up all of the plotlines, and i actually feel satisfied after reading it. I wasn't expecting that after the unsatisfactory endings of Thunder and Wind.

[boilingrain]

Rain Draws Ashfur Several Times

So Ashfur won that poll I made about which Warrior Cats villain I should draw, so instead of doing the normal thing and drawing him once, I decided to rotate him in my mind for a bit and then draw him multiple times

I am completely normal about this greasy, melodramatic loser

I tried to stick to canon (or at least, the depiction of Ashfur in his sprite on the wiki), but this looks wrong to me

So then I drew my own personal design for him! His stripes n stuff aren't meant to be that dark, I messed up while coloring him but I didn't want to redraw him. The only problem was the stripes, so I didn't feel like it was bad enough to justify completely redrawing him

While usually it's something I save for cats with the -heart suffix, I gave him a heart shaped marking on his chest. It was whole when he was a kit, but as he got older the heart "broke"

Realistic? No. A fun design choice? Yes

Also while I'm not very good at drawing spotted tabbies (or tabbies in general tbh), that's what I draw Ashfur (+ Ferncloud and Brindleface) as

Then I drew him in the style that I draw Starclan cats in! I've been meaning to talk about how my Starclan/Dark Forest designs work, but the more important details for Starclan cats are that they're lighter in color than their living appearance, any markings are sharper or star shaped if applicable, whatever killed them sparkles and that the longer they're dead, they start looking less like cats

That last one is a bit hard to explain in words, but for example Firestar would start looking like he's actually made of fire, Longtail's tail would get even longer or Hollyleaf would start growing actual holly leaves out of her body

Body horror, but not as disturbing to look at or as painful to the cat as it is for the Dark Forest residents.

While Ashfur's death technically didn't have anything to do with fire, I think he'd always be surrounded by smoke as a reminder of what he tried to do (I was mainly thinking of Holly, Jay & Lion when I put that in, but it could also be easily connected to Ashfur's part in Firestar losing a life to the fox trap)

I imagine the smoke would be there as a reminder to him that just because he was let into Starclan doesn't mean that he's completely off the hook or that Starclan didn't see the shit he tried to pull. I also think that he wouldn't really get to deliver prophecies or anything particularly important.

I have to imagine that he was trying really hard to not lose it when Hollyleaf was allowed into Starclan (considering the Starclan trial stuff, Ashfur was probably at Hollyleaf's trial, because we all know she definitely had one)

Also I made a little doodle of a wet Ashfur. My Ashfur isn't very big or muscular, he's actually short and scrawny. He just looks a bit bigger than he actually is because he's really fluffy

Dark Forest Ashfur (as he should've been in canon)

I'm not sure why the picture quality on this one is shittier than the others

I'll talk more about how I draw Dark Forest cats at a later time, but some of the more important stuff is written down here already.

All Dark Forest cats have red outlines, though. No exceptions.

If I remember correctly, it's mentioned that there's no prey in the Dark Forest/Place of No Stars, so my Dark Forest cats are all real skinny. The longer they've been there, the more starved they look.

Unlike how Starclan cats will have their appearances change based on their names, Dark Forest cats will have their appearances changed based on their deaths (or the circumstances around it) and their crimes. Much like Starclan cats, your appearance changes more the longer you've been dead.

Cats like Ashfur or even Hawkfrost will have begun to change, but it isn't as bad for them yet as it is for cats like Mapleshade or Thistleclaw.

(Since I'm probably not going to draw Thistleclaw any time soon, I'll just tell you that one of the things done to him as a result of being in the DF is that despite being still mentally the same age as he was at his death, his appearance is that of an apprentice, and probably on the younger side at that. His treatment of Tigerpaw, Spottedpaw and Tiny, as well as being why Bluefur had to get rid of her kits, leading to the death of Mosskit, means that I get to hit him with the baby stick. Have fun being intimidating and using your power against people now, idiot)

Additionally, whatever killed a Dark Forest cat is still there. Yes, this means Tigerstar 1 is solidly Not Having a Good Time(tm)

Ashfur is burning from the inside out, both because of Firestar + the Fire Scene, but also because he fueled himself with his hatred of Squirrelflight after she ended their brief relationship. He let that anger and hatred fuel him, and now he will become the fuel for a fire. Naturally, this means he's now very hot to the touch and he radiates a ton of heat.

Dark Forest Ashfur gets an extra eye stripe that he doesn't have in his living design and also longer eyelashes because I wanted to try and make him look more like he has mascara running down his face... it made sense to me when I drew it.

And here's something a lot dumber

I wanted to draw a quick & silly bad doodle, so here's Ashfur as that one Elmo meme but I was too lazy to look at the actual meme for reference

(This is what color his stripes n stuff are supposed to be btw. Dark gray, I just accidentally made them black before. The only one of these designs that's supposed to have black stripes is the Dark Forest design, and that's just because the DF cats are darker in color than their living designs)

I was going to add more art to this post but then my brain decided we were done drawing for now despite how I had more ideas, so this is all you're getting, I guess.

Admittedly, this was really fun to do and I might do something like this with the polls again at some point. I'm actually really proud of this art, too :)

Sorry that I'm really bad at drawing spotted tabbies, I wear I'm trying to figure out how to draw them better

[the-owl-tree]

regarding various ideas thatve been discussed here, my vision is like 

After the whole “seriously considered murdering him” bit in sunset, Firestar demoted Brambleclaw and made Brackenfur deputy. Cardboard cutout of a man 

Initially Jay is brightheart’s apprentice, Holly is Leafpool’s, lion is brackenfur’s 

In a battle that makes Jay and Holly change their minds (for Jayfeather I feel like I would want him to have some kind of arc about internalised ableism,, like he has to learn a nuanced lesson about how he doesn’t need to be productive by the standards of clan culture and it’s okay for him to acknowledge his limits and choose a different path, but also his clanmates should allow him to define his limits and not treat him like he’s made of glass. I digress) - in the battle where Holly and Jay change their minds, Brackenfur Freaking Dies and only now is bramble deputy. I think I’d want firestar to die earlier too so we can get shitty bramblestar + the most depressed squilf you’ve ever seen

Now we’ve got Jay as Leafpool’s apprentice, Holly as ashfur’s, and lion as brightheart’s because man I always felt bad she never got an apprentice again 

and with this setup I would want basically everything to be significantly more fucked up. Ashfur exacerbates Hollyleaf’s fixation on the code and power (foreshadowing tbc??), I’d want Lionblaze to like, accidentally hurt somebody really badly in training and have to grapple with feeling like a monster more. Maybe instead of Cinderheart falling out of a tree, Lionblaze accidentally injures her 

Speaking of cinderheart I want her to do some of the stuff poppyfrost does I love poppyfrost but having cinderheart narrowly escape death and feel strangely drawn towards the moonpool would be a lot more fun - I think I’d frame her being cinderpelt as something that was either accidental, or intentional but StarClan was in the wrong for not letting cinderpelt rest because I really resent the idea that cinderpelt needed a second chance at life as if the life she lived after becoming disabled wasn’t a good and worthwhile one 

So yeah cinderheart is possessed by a restless ghost, lionblaze can’t stop hurting people no matter how hard he tries, hollyleaf is just regular hollyleaf but more, jayfeather… I dunno maybe make StarClan genuinely scared of him because of how much his power allows him to defy them. Maybe he feels detached from himself and is almost constantly dissociating because he spends so much time walking in dreams and other peoples minds. I don’t know I don’t like jayfeather 

ALL THIS. And then have your thing about dove and ivy being cinderholly kits also be true do you see my vision do you understand . I am so sorry about the length of this I got carried away

I AM EATING ALL OF THIS UP BIG YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i always wished jaypaw's first battle with shadowclan was what got him to change, like it's this big awakening to what clan culture is really like. he gets the shit kicked out of him and he's like "wow. this sucks. why is everyone making this sound so great"

and big big BIG yes with cinderheart, i feel she deserved some better meat than what po3 and oots was throwing her. these are lovely i am LOOKING

[grossrottie]

What kind of kinks do you think LionAsh would be into 👀.

OOOO ASKING THE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS /lh

First off, I think my HC is that they’re both switches, but Ashfur leans a bit towards submissive and Lionblaze leans a bit towards dominant.

At the start of their relationship, they’re probably into degradation, switch fights, dirty talking, and breeding.

Degradation: Ashfur has a temper and sometimes Lionblaze intentionally pesters him so that Ashfur will degrade him (he never makes Ashfur actually angry, he’s just a brat and Ashfur responds to that)

Switch fights: they’re both switches, and sometimes Lion (or Ash) will poke and prod at his partner, until the other cat responds with a similar energy. In a way, it’s to get out excess energy, but it’s also fun for them. They banter and bicker back and forth, with Lion being a brat and Ash responding in kind, until they go head-to-head and try to dominate the other. Whoever ‘loses’ is the bottom. (Ash loses the majority of the time, though he doesn’t always try his hardest to win :p he likes it when Lion wins and grins down at him, his whole face alight with pride and victory).

Dirty talking: Ashfur has a colourful vocabulary and uses it, especially when he notices his words causing Lionblaze to fluff up his fur and go doe-eyed.

Breeding: (see above) It probably started as an offhand remark, but Ashfur noticed after a while that Lionblaze would tense up or be easily distracted whenever certain things were said. He eventually caught on that Lionblaze reacted deliciously to dirty-talk about being bred like a queen, and from there, they explored the kink together.

When they got even closer and knew each other better, some other kinks entered their repertoire. They’d start exploring power loss, gender/cross-play, sensation-play, roleplay and worship.

Power loss: Once Ashfur was comfortable enough in himself and the relationship to be able to give up control, he would love it. It probably happened first as an accident, but then he realized he really liked when the roles switched partway through sex and Lionblaze became the dom. Next time, Ashfur asks beforehand if Lionblaze would be alright with doing it again. They start with one dynamic, and halfway through, Lionblaze takes control and eases Ashfur into sub-space.

Gender/cross-play: A callback to when Lion was first trying to court Ash, and he brought a rabbit and herbs to him and said “for my queen”, but Ash didn’t pick up the hint. A while into them being together, they’re cuddling in the den one night and Ashfur is letting his mind wander. Then he has a realization as he remembers that day, and he’s stunned as he goes over what Lionblaze had said. “For my queen”. Something about that makes Ashfur stir in his nest, his mind whirling. He tries to brush it off, but one day when he and Lionblaze are out in the forest having a ‘rendezvous’, Lionblaze leans close and murmurs “my beautiful queen” and Ashfur can’t even try to hide the immediate physical reaction he has to those words. He twitches and makes a noise that’s akin to a whine and a gasp, and Lionblaze is instantly like “👀”

Sensation-play: Ashfur loves to dote on Lionblaze when they’re alone, and one day he was grooming Lionblaze’s belly fur while the golden tom laid on his back. Lionblaze was flustered and laughing, and covered his eyes with his paws so he didn’t have to see the half-lidded, enthralled gaze of his lover as Ashfur carefully licked his fur. Ashfur grinned and continued his grooming, moving up to Lionblaze’s chest, and Lionblaze let out a soft chuckle and said “Somehow I can feel you more when I can’t see you.” Ashfur’s sly grin widened, and he told Lionblaze to keep his paws there, then. He continued smoothing Lionblaze’s fur, his touch gentle, and he fed off of the delicious noises and twitches that Lionblaze couldn’t hold in. Later on, Lionblaze sheepishly suggests they try it again, and Ashfur goes out to get a soft strip of something (moss? Maybe braided cobwebs? Not sure) and sets it over Lionblaze’s eyes, so that he doesn’t need to keep them covered with his paws. Then, he teased Lionblaze and plays with the sensations that were heightened without his sight.

Roleplay: This kink was discovered one day while they were fooling around. Lionblaze remarked that they were a bit close to Shadowclan’s border, but that it would be a safe place to go on their date anyways. Ashfur jokingly mentioned that a Shadowclan warrior wouldn’t even know what how to react if they found random cats mating. Lionblaze laughed and asked Ashfur what he would do if he was a Shadowclan warrior and found Lionblaze so close to the border. Ashfur hunkered down and raised the fur along his spine, stalking towards Lionblaze with a mischievous smirk. Lionblaze laughed and darted forward, playfully swatting out a paw and silently suggesting a switch-fight between him and the ‘Shadowclan warrior’. Ashfur accepted the offer and pounced.

Worship: Lionblaze absolutely ADORES his queen, and he makes a point of showing it. He admires Ashfur often, and frequently points out Ashfur’s good qualities when they’re alone. He’ll wrap himself around Ashfur, holding him tight and purring as hard as a waking monster, and then murmur sweet compliments and gentle words into Ashfur’s ear, even as the older tom squirmed and tried to brush off the comments, Lionblaze wouldn’t relent. It goes the other way too, especially when they’re fooling around together and Lionblaze laughs, it stuns Ashfur with his pure beauty. Ashfur gives verbal affection more during sex (he gives physical signs of love when around others), and often mixes in kind words in his degradation, calling Lionblaze brave and handsome but dumb and pathetic in the same breathe. (Lionblaze loves it, and if there’s a time when he’s having a bad day, Ashfur will forgo the degradation entirely and spend the entire time nuzzling at Lionblaze and bringing his confidence up).

THIS WAS SO MUCH INFO ANSHRBJWBDBDBD I HOPE ITS NOT TOO MUCH

I’d love to hear what you think they’d be into!!! c:

[bonefall]

I will cry (in a good way) if the theme of the arc is “the love was there. it didnt change anything. it didnt save anyone. there were just too many forces against it. but it still matters that the love was there”

I REALLY hope that I can do something like that. Again, BB really tries to stay in line with where canon goes and follow it while fixing its themes, but like...

With all the fixes I've done for TBC and below, where the last arc left off on Shadowsight giving up something he'd always wanted (his lightning-based connection to StarClan, blasting it back at Ashfur to hold him down) and the sacrifice of Bristlefrost to knock the holy beast out of heaven... something feels really cool about being able to follow that up with an arc that's very melancholic and painful.

Heartstar doing something DRASTIC to try and stop another Clan from falling apart, compelled to get more violent to keep her claws over it, driven by the fear of The Kin repeating itself and the fury of her dead child

Dovewing watching her sister take power in ThunderClan, knowing things are going to get VERY frustrating

Ivypool herself vowing she's not going to use this new status for personal gain... but then she kinda Does, unable to put down a DESPERATION to reconnect to a sister who doesn't want to see her

I kinda hope I can also find a way to explore Bumblestripe's feelings here, too. He JUSt had a whole journey in Ferncloud's Parting, and he comes back and LOOK! A perfect opportunity to justify how much you HATE Heartstar and Dovewing and all of ShadowClan! It would be SO easy to let your heart grow bitter again, wouldn't it? What will you decide, Bumblestripe?

Lightleap struggling with her failure to enter the Dark Forest, feelings of uselessness and helplessness, losing her best friend

Berryheart herself radicalizing a portion of ShadowClan, as Heartstar tries to prevent another Clan from falling apart, her own is pulling at its stitches.

Squirrelflight having saved Bramblestar from the Dark Forest, NO CAT LEFT BEHIND, only for him to show his true colors AGAIN and try to get into petty drama with her, her sympathy evaporating in an instant

Just. Everything with Sparkpelt and her kids. She ISN'T Firekin in BB-- she chose the names Finch and Flame WITH and FOR her mate Larksong.

Nightheart having a new name foisted on him and making himself believe it was a choice-- and then Bramblestar is dethroned, Sunbeam is telling him how much she loves his family, there's a new journey for glory in front of him, and... there's so many things to think about that he just doesn't.

And then he comes home to find they're OUT of chances to give him. And he's traveled far and is able to FINALLY internalize... he blew it. Didn't recognize or appreciate what he had, when he had it

Bramblestar isn't the big strong cool grandpa leader he thought he was, he's a disgraced elder, and he has to wonder... how much of this HATE for his family was Nightheart's own? How much was the Impostor? How much was Bramblestar? How much was his own inability to self-reflect?

Frostpaw's entire family turning on itself

Finding out that Curlfeather was behind the plot that killed her own father, Reedwhisker.

That Podlight, her funny sillyman uncle, was ALSO in on this the whole time, plus her dear friend Splashtail.

Still just a kid, left to agonize over how much of it was LOVE and how much of it was MANIPULATION. Where one ended and where the other began.

The love is there. The love was always there-- even when you didn't know it. It was strong, and it was beautiful, but it's NOT a fix-all. It isn't the hero that will save you. It isn't the medicine to fix you. It isn't the shield that will protect you. Love is mortal.

And when it dies, it dies in pieces. Like a fire in its ashes and its embers. The same love in one heart will burn forever, and for others, its cinders are quickly doused.

A painful arc, of betrayals, broken promises, last chances blown to rubble, and good intentions paving the way to hell.

[braincloggedwithcats]

okay for some ships that are NOT accidentally adopted siblings i am SOOOO sorry can i get some mudclaw x hawkfrost and brambleclaw x ashfur

Mudclaw X Hawkfrost

Mfw when I'm in an unhealthy relationship competition and my opponent is Hawkfrost

I think they're. Interesting. Almost all Hawkfrost ships are interesting. I personally don't see them as romantic, didn't really come to mind while reading Winds Of Change, but the idea is really interesting. I'm just repeating myself now. 6/10

Ashfur X Brambleclaw

I remember really liking this one a while back! I think it adds quite a bit to the whole. Thing. Just Ashfur's Everything really. It would probably be unrequited, or at least partially, and would be just really unhealthy. As always. 7.5/10

[thefemininerage]

I'm really gonna need someone to try to make a Warrior Cats PMV, AMV, or MAP to "16 Carriages" by Beyonce. LIKE ASAP. Cause Idk why but I'm definitely seeing Leafpool and/or Squirrelflight to that song ngl.

Like especially the lyrics:

"At fifteen, the innocence was gone astray Had to leave my home at an early age I saw Mama prayin', I saw Daddy grind All my tender problems, had to leave behind"

You can definitely imagine that being them having to leave the forest territory to go to the lake territory. Plus, their extreme fear that Starclan has abandoned them or that they won't be with them in the new territory.

Then the lyrics:

At fifteen, the innocence was gone astray Had to take care of home at an early age I saw Mama cryin', I saw Daddy lyin' Had to sacrifice and leave my fears behind For legacy, if it's the last thing I do You'll remember me 'cause we got somethin' to prove In your memory, on a highway to truth Still see your faces when you close your eyes"

I can envision that being connected to Leafpool and Squirrelflight will be names forever remembered for Leafpool finding the moonpool in the lake territory. Secondly, their contributions to raising two of the cats apart of The Three. Thirdly, Squirrelflight has to deal with Ashfur becoming a weird ghost thing you know. Lastly, it also represents the fact their achievements in life will forever engrave Firestar's descendants being a part of a legacy of cats who have made huge impacts upon the clans as a whole. In addition to this, could represent how the fandom will always remember their legacy as it could be a cool little shot of it showing the fandom constantly making content about them that's forever keeping their legacy alive for years to come.

Sorry if some of this isn't accurate or anything as it been a minute since I read the books. But I really wanted to jot down this idea.