#i'm very passionate about snowkit

[talonslockau]

I'm curious to know, why are fur and pelt so rare in the Clans? Is it just author preference?

Long story short: There's in-world lore reasons, but it is also partially author preference because every name aside from the first series books is generally more interesting, which says to me that the first series names are an anomaly rather than the other way around, so I took liberties to fix that <3

So I know there's a range of opinions on how to treat suffixes in the warriors fandom. I've seen takes such as 'each suffix has a specific way it is earned', 'suffixes are inherited from the mentor or one of the parents', or in the case of my sister au @thistledown-au-warriors warrior/healer suffixes aren't a thing and are just part of the name given to them from their parents. I've not got anything against any of these takes - I think they all bring something unique to the worldbuilding, and they each have fascinating implications in their universes!

However, my personal attitude is more aligned with that in canon, wherein the suffix conveys something about a warrior/healer, but the final decision is left up to the leader (or healer's mentor) during their ceremony. I'll go more in-depth on the rules below the cut if you're interested!

So the way names are decided are first primarily through personality, followed by strength, followed lastly by appearance.

There is some leeway on this - there are cats whose appearances are so striking, for example, wherein their prefix is named after that facet of their appearance and the leader (generally) will fulfill the spirit of the name their parents gave them unless they have a specific reason not to. Examples are those such as Redtail, Bluefur, and Graystripe. If Bluefur had been named something else - let's say Rainkit, to match with Snowkit - then Pinestar most likely would have named her for her intelligence or bravery, so something like Rainpool or Rainstorm.

Still, in general personality comes first - we see this in the names of cats like Mistspring, Cinderspark, and Tinyfrost. The ideal suffix is one that most accurately conveys a cat's personality upon meeting. These are names like -blaze (bold, passionate), -dawn (kind, graceful), -frost (quiet, cunning), so on and so forth. It's not unheard of for apprentices to guess what the others' suffixes might be based off their personality - though this also can lead to flared tempers from those who get guessed a name they don't think fits them, especially if they're not terribly introspective...

There are also some personality suffixes that have specific connotations with them that a leader has to take into consideration. For example, -flower is associated with motherly cats, and is typically given to molly apprentices that show an interest in becoming a nursery queen one day (we see this in Goldenflower as well as Morningflower!). Likewise, -leaf is commonly associated with healers, so it's very rare to see a warrior carrying it, even if it otherwise fits them (kind and graceful) - a leader will typically use -feather or -dawn instead. Names like -claw and -fang are pretty much exclusively used for warriors, so you will never see a healer given those suffixes in their healer ceremony.

Not every personality is going to have a name that fits them - Cedarpaw, for example, is outgoing, kind, loyal and determined. There's not really a suffix that fully matches that, so instead a leader would need to consider his strengths - things like how good he is at hunting, fighting, running/tree-climbing/sneaking/swimming (depending on Clan values, of course!). Cedarpaw is naturally one of the larger cats in the Clan, and Longtail has taught him well in fighting, so that's likely what Bluestar would name him after - something like Cedartalon, or as the poll decided, Cedarstrike.

There's also cats that undergo a significant change or challenge in their apprenticeship - cats like Ravenpaw, Snowkit (Snowpaw eventually!), and Thornpaw. In these cases, they'd most likely be named after whatever that challenge was - for instance, Snowkit becoming Snowbloom, which is a name commonly given to those who struggle to find their place in the Clan - it's known that cats with the -bloom suffix end up becoming the most beautiful flowers of all (Bluestar definitely considered Tinybloom for Tinyfrost!). If Cinderpaw had ended up having her accident as an apprentice in Talonslock, she would still have become a warrior, and likely would have been named something like Cindershimmer, which is a name commonly given to those who succeed through some sort of adversity (the same could also have been given to Ravenpaw!).

If a cat meets none of these requirements, then - and only then - will they be considered for an appearance based name like -foot, -tuft, -patch, -stripe, -spot(s)/-speck(le), -tail, -fur, or -pelt. This doesn't apply to all names that refer to a body part or pattern - there are names like -nose, which is commonly given to good hunters for their ability to scent out prey, and -mask, which is often given to intelligent and cunning cats as well as good hunters (which is how Peppermask got her name!). There's also the previously mentioned cases where an appearance is so striking that they're fundamentally named after it. Lastly, there are still some connotative differences between names - -pelt is often given to cats that are seen as 'protectors', which is how Nightpelt got his name (Bluefur probably should have been Bluepelt as well, but perhaps Pinestar had other reasons for that one). Still, these suffixes are generally perceived as 'boring', and a warrior that receives them is vaguely looked down upon - often, they are seen as not good enough in any way to warrant a better suffix. It's considered very rare for a -fur suffix to become deputy, let alone leader (although, as always, there are exceptions, like Bluefur herself).

It's still not always on the warrior if they receive a 'boring' name. Leaders are usually quite busy, and don't often get to know each apprentice one on one. When an apprentice has reached a certain point (usually after visiting the Moonstone), the leader will often talk with their mentor and the deputy to get name suggestions from them. They'll usually suggest a few, and the leader will pick the one they think is best for the apprentice from that list. However, there are cases where this doesn't happen, or the names that a mentor picks are particularly bad. One example of this would be Darkstripe - Tigerclaw suggested Darktiger for him, which Bluestar refused on the basis that he was only naming his apprentice after him and not for himself. Tigerclaw never gave her a better name, so she ended up choosing Darkstripe because she didn't know him well enough to pick a better one. It's possible Mousefur fell into this category - it certainly seems strange, given how close she was to her mentor Dappleshine and how good of a hunter she's known to be.

This also doesn't really cover legacy names, which are given on a case-by-case basis, and are never decided by the mentor (only the leader). Longtail is a good example here, being named after Redtail specifically - Bluestar felt the name matched him well enough, even though his tail isn't the most spectacularly long, and wanted to honor her first deputy. The same occurred with both Whitestorm and Sandstorm - when the time came, Bluestar wanted to honor her sister by naming her son after her. She named Sandstorm more because it fit her, rather than because of it being a legacy name from her mentor specifically, but it ended up working out that way as well.

There are also just leaders that are bad at naming, like Brokentail. He never ended up giving any apprentice their name (because they kept dying before they became warriors...), but I believe I've already stated that Clawface and Stumpytail's names weren't originally Clawface and Stumpytail. There were many awkward looks when Clawface re-introduced himself at the next Gathering...

Speaking of awkward looks - because of all the above reasons, it's still considered crude to openly judge a warrior's name, especially in the case of those with appearance-related names. Unless you're actually in a Clan and know the cat well enough to know why they got their name, it's generally better to assume that they're a warrior for a reason, regardless of the intricacies behind their name. For instance, Longtail being named after Redtail, who was a respected deputy of Thunderclan - even though he otherwise has an appearance-based name that isn't immediately striking like Redtail's. There have been apprentices that have broken this unspoken rule in the past, and summarily been cuffed over the ears by a nearby warrior or their mentor over it.

The names I choose for naming polls will often follow these conventions - including a couple of legacy names that the leader might consider, followed by any obvious appearance-related names, followed by personality, followed by skills. I generally won't include the non-obvious appearance based names unless that was their name in canon (as was the case with Brackenfur) or they're a wooden enough character (no on-screen interaction) that they don't really have any concrete personality to speak of - which I definitely try to avoid! That's why you won't often see -foot, -tail, -fur, or -pelt, though I may include -spot(s), -speck(le), -patch or -tuft if they happen to fit. I don't always include the in-world lore behind each suffix - I haven't gone super deep into all of them, plus there's not enough space in the polls for that, but rest assure that the ones I pick are usually for good reasons!

I know that was long, probably unwarranted for this particular question, but I felt like going in-depth on my reasonings behind different names! Thank you as always for the question anon <3

[warriorsbutnotreally]

Snowkit Becomes Snowstar AU

So after a small break and focusing on an event, I'll slowly get back to these. I may close asks every now and then because

wow

i have a lot of em fsdkj

but

I will get through

now

onto my favorite lad

Snowkit

Or should I say Snowstar?

Snowkit is rescued in time by Fireheart

Speckletail is relieved and cries over the fact that her son is alive and well

There's still a debate about Snowkit becoming an apprentice, but when Cinderpaw stands up, she demands to be allowed to help mentor Snowkit Before any complaints about the medicine cat apprentice can be made, Speckletail also steps forward to help, followed by Brackenfur

Eventually Bluestar gives up and Brackenfur becomes Snowpaw's mentor - with aid from Cinderpaw and Speckletail

Everything goes about normal and before the battle with BloodClan, Snowpaw becomes Snowlight - a name personally picked by Speckletail for overcoming his struggles He's also revealed to be close friends with Bramblepaw and Tawnypaw [who are his niece and nephew canonly] as well as Cinderpelt [who is also his niece]

TNP comes and Snowlight is trusted by Brambleclaw to be told where he's going and the white tom is also the mentor of Squirrelpaw, whom he struggles with at times, but he does his best to remain kind towards his spirited apprentice

When Graystripe is taken, Snowlight quickly steps up to help his Clan, not hesitating for a moment to be there for ThunderClan, as he knows his Clanmates need someone

During the journey there is another hawk scare, but he is saved by his apprentice, Squirrelpaw, and Brambleclaw He personally talks to Firestar about her becoming a warrior, stating how proud she is of her - even if she did run off to join the prophecy cats for a bit

As the Clans settle, there's whispers of a new deputy being needed and all eyes are on Snowlight Brambleclaw is a little jealous of this and Tigerstar tries to convince his son that Snowlight is in the way - Brambleclaw rejects this as Snowlight is still his friend

Hawkfrost, however, hears what his father's saying and tries to lay a trap for the white tom

Brambleclaw manages to come across Hawkfrost and Snowlight before the trap is set and he attacks his half-brother Hawkfrost is outraged, screeching that he could make Brambleclaw the next leader of ThunderClan Brambleclaw states that he doesn't want that Not if it means killing someone close to him

Brambleclaw ends up killing Hawkfrost in front of a confused and shocked Snowlight Thankfully the deaf tom understands after what happened is explained to him and he swears the secret will die with him Brambleclaw makes an off-handed remark not to bring up death at the moment

Snowlight is made the deputy of ThunderClan - no dream omen needed

TPoT and Snowlight has been doing well as deputy. He is a noble and kind cat - and after Cinderpelt's death, the deaf tom makes it clear right away he wants no cat to go through what she had to

He becomes Jaypaw's mentor, not allowing him to be put in the medicine cat den just because he's blind There's some concerns on communication, but the two manage to find a way with a Morse-code-like language that consists of steady and hard thumps to the ground with the front paw There is some help from Leafpool to translate at first, but eventually the two are an unstoppable apprentice-mentor force

When Cinderpaw is hurt, Snowlight joins in helping Leafpool, providing aid when he can and personally making sure she has the time to heal Jaypaw is confused on why his mentor and Leafpool are so concerned, but is thankful that his mentor doesn't want to give up on him Hollypaw still becomes a warrior apprentice with her brothers, too, after trying to train under Leafpool

When Sol comes to the Clans, Snowlight is confused by the suave tom, and is intrigued by him

He ends up meeting with the tortoiseshell in secret, teaching him kitty sign language Eventually Sol tricks him, using his charm to blind the snowy tom to his plans When Snowlight realizes this, he is visibly hurt and ashamed of himself to the point of talking to Firestar, wondering if he's really the right choice for deputy Firestar assures him he is and comforts the deaf tom

When Ashfur dies there is hesitance from Snowlight, as he wants to believe it's Sol because he's angry at the charming loner, but he struggles to accept that someone like the tom could actually be a killer He is proven right when they learn it wasn't Sol He is strangely relieved

Sol is gone again and Snowlight finds himself missing the loner, but pushes these feelings away in order to focus on his Clan The Three become Lionblaze, Hollyleaf, and Jayfrost Brambleclaw is a little unsure of the suffix -frost, but Snowlight assures his friend that there's no ill will towards the blind warrior The two later talk about cats who were gone and Snowlight reveals he had been thinking of Frostfur when he and Firestar were considering names for the three

Eventually it is revealed that Jay, Lion, and Holly are the kits of Crowfeather and Leafpool Snowlight is confused why his apprentice didn't trust him, but when she explains that it wasn't her secret to tell, he is understanding, though admittedly frustrated with Leafpool for putting her sister in that position When Brambleclaw even yells at Squirrelflight, Snowlight is quick to defend her

OotS comes around and Snowlight is working hard with Firestar to keep the Clan in order. Briarpaw is revealed to be being trained by Leafpool, who is being punished [not by becoming a warrior, but by aiding in apprentice tasks every now and then and being temporarily banned from gatherings as well as having to have an escort with her wherever she goes]

Snowlight's not much of a focus here, other than being moral support to Squirrelflight and Jayfrost as well as just generally being a strong-willed and progressive deputy

Briarpaw becomes Briarberry and she's extremely proud of herself and even more so that she managed to earn her name along-side Bumblestripe and Blossomfall, as she a bright and fast learner

Jayfrost and Cinderheart are implied to be close, though Cinderheart seems to be the only one with any romantic feelings between the two Jayfrost becomes Dovepaw/wing's mentor and Ivypaw/pool is given to Cinderheart

Lionblaze and Foxleap, meanwhile, are mates and very proud of the fact they are together

When Sol reappears, Snowlight confronts the tom He admits he had romantic feelings towards Sol and how he wanted things to go better Sol, bitter, asks why Snowlight could be a warrior and not himself Snowlight somberly replies that someone gave up on the tortoiseshell and that he had deserved better and how he would have done anything to help Sol become a warrior Sol is taken aback and cannot look the deaf tom in the eye "maybe in another life things would be better"

Jayfrost does come to Snowlight about his growing feelings for Cinderheart, but he's unsure what to say or do and it stresses him out more and more as he doesn't want to ruin his friendship with her Snowlight helps Jayfrost and eventually he and Cinderheart are mates

Everything goes somewhat has per canon [with what changes there are, of course] and Firestar dies, making Snowlight the new leader - now Snowstar Snowstar makes his deputy Cinderheart

my brain is too empty for AVoS and TBC, but

some notes

Jayfrost and Cinderheart later have two kits - twins Rainpelt and Flurrynose

Lionblaze and Foxleap become the adopted dads of Lilykit/paw/heart and Seedkit/paw/spot [whom Lionblaze stops from drowning]

Briarberry becomes a strong medicine cat and carries the same beliefs as Snowstar - that any cat can be a warrior, no matter what, and defends Alderpaw when his dad, Brambleclaw, tries to suggest he becomes a medicine cat

Snowstar is the first to welcome SkyClan and personally helps work out a proper plan so that the Clans can have proper territory without having to chase SkyClan away

There are also times where Snowstar goes off on his own Only Jayfrost knows that it's to try to find Sol