#ibtwicm

[mallowstep]

what does ibtwicm stand for?

Holy fuck it’s been too long since I’ve updated this one. That’s why I’m doing it tonight.

[fencesandfrogs]

I think they just have a bad reputation?

Personally, I don’t like writing prologues because I like to start with what I want to say — but that’s not to say I’ve never used anything like them. For one example, I moved the first chapter of “I’ll believe the wind is calling me” to be a bonus one shot, but it functions like a prologue in that sense.

It’s just a tool a lot of people don’t know how to use, I think.

Fellow writers! What is wrong with prologues? I cannot grasp this hatred prologues receive. There are stories that don’t require them at all, but still… It’s a tool. I’d like to believe it can be utilized for greatness.

[mallowstep]

I'm curious, how do you picture / head canon Cinder's injured leg? Some people imagine her dragging it behind her like a dead weight, others picture her walking on it with almost no issue other then a limp and slower movements. Is her mobility different / improved in the Wind au thanks to the help and training from Deadfoot and the others?

i picture it the way it's described in the books!

sorry, i just have strong opinions on the fact that people don't really...pay attention to how it's described in the books? lol. i actually deviate from the book description a bit.

i picture it as turned out slightly. i don't really know how to describe it...maybe 15 degrees out and 5 degrees back? unfortunately, they don't sell cat mannequins for sketching (i wanted to buy one), so i can't show you what i mean, but nothing super dramatic.

(i take some amount of issue with people who treat it super dramatically when, like, in the books it's pretty subtle. idk. maybe i'm overthinking things.)

pretty much all of her pt work was done w yellowfang, before leaving for windclan. the only major difference is that she continued to work the muscles, etc., like a warrior would, which does keep her in better shape, and there's, like, uh. some issues, they get better if you keep the muscles involved strong?

frankly most of what she needed was cats who believe in her.

<3

[mallowstep]

Good news for tonight guys

[mallowstep]

I saw your reply to the comment on the newest chapter of IBTWICM where you mentioned it's almost been a year since you had last updated. I didn't believe it until I went back a chapter and saw the comments left from June 2021. That's insane, I swear I thought you last updated it in like December. You're right, time really can get funky! It was well worth the wait though! Such a good series <3

thank you! i'm glad you like it (& think it's worth the wait!)

i knew it had been a long time, but a long time is anything from one day to four years in my brain, y'know? it wasn't until...oh, when i was posting it, i wanted to look @ it lengthwise, to make sure i wasn't missing any scenes (if the chapter had only been like 4k words i would've known i needed to add something), and i noticed the last chapter was posted in june.

time flies when you're. well.

anyway, thank you again! it makes me feel very warm to know you like it and that you were reading my responsese to comments...

<3

[mallowstep]

chapter summary: Cinderpaw, from injury to WindClan.

tumblr exclusive: i (not matthew) posted this one, so if there's some glaring missing scene or left in editing notes (usually [] or {}), feel free to tell us so matthew can yell at me.

(no but seriously if i missed something let us know so matthew can fix it)

[mallowstep]

Medicine cats learn healing timelines, not from being taught, but from experience. Some things are counted in heartbeats. Halted breathing. Serious cuts. Time spent underwater. Others are counted in claws of the moon. Kittings. The distance between coughing fits. Unconsciousness. Most things are counted in days. Torn claws. Healing wounds. Illness. A few things are counted in moons. Broken bones. Pregnancies. Recovery from blood loss.

everything that we’re denied (i’ll believe the wind is calling me, ch. 2)

[mallowstep]

so i've hit that stage of outlining

[mallowstep]

Me: I want to read the next chapter of ibtwicm

Also me: I can't believe I have to write the next chapter of ibtwicm

[mallowstep]

cat gait resources masterpost

so let's say you're writing a fic where a cat with an injured leg is getting lessons on how to run and therefore knowing the exact way the feet fall is helpful.

or you're procrastinating writing a fic where a cat with an injured leg is getting lessons on how to run and you tell yourself knowing the exact way the feet fall is helpful.

either way, some resources for you.

general quadraped overview

pictures of gaits in sand

this one just has a video with a really pretty cat that i slowed down to .25 speed to make sure i understood what was happening

has a gif of the gaits

anyway also keep in mind that cats walk with what's called a direct registering gait which basically means their hind paws fall where their front paws were. it's pretty rare, and it's how cats walk so quietly. well, part of it.

related, cats move both left legs then both right legs. not sure if the general quadraped sources are clear about that.

[mallowstep]

Tallstar closes his eyes, drinking in Jake’s scent and the feeling of him, even if it’s devoid of warmth. “Of course. Anything for you.”

it’s the obstacle that casts it (i’ll believe the wind is calling me, ch. 4)

i could never do this scene justice…but i tried

[mallowstep]

If you have enough spoons:

'What’s your favorite relationship in your story?' For ashes

'If you had to create a soundtrack for your story, what songs would you choose? Why?' For 'i'll believe the wind is calling me.'

<3

anyway these are for the fic asks but i forget where the link went so. anyway.

uhhh my fav relationship in ashes hasn't been revealed, but it's prob lion's endgame ship. it's a good ship. i'm very excited about it. very very excited about it.

but that's not very fun! bc u don't know what it is and we don't see a tonne of it "on camera" anyway. next Up is jaystorm + snailkit, of which we see Slightly more on screen. jaystorm just...he just sees snailkit and goes "oh another smallest of the litter...you and me and squilf will be small together."

it's mutual. snailkit loves him a lot. and likes him a lot. you know.

all of squilf's children love each other, but jay and snail are extra close.

and for a quick listing of some other relationship:

ferncloud and squilf as besties, squirrelflight and leafpool having a relationship, holly/willow, squirrel/ash, the friendship between jay cinder and holly, jay's endgame ship, dove & squilf's friendship (it's a coming), i like the dynamic that cloudtail has with bramble but we won't see that in ashes, and some other stuff that's background/minor/i know exists but you don't.

some of those include: ivy & cricket, chickadee & leafpool, whitewing & squilf. basically i like every relationship in ashes tbh. i mean that's why i'm writing it.

okay...let's see fair warning this might end up being long i'm just going to list songs by chapter. not including it's mere assignment, even if it is a chapter 0 for ibtwicm in a Lot of ways.

obviously! before i start obviously "nina cried power" is the fic's Anthem so you know. that's a big one. i don't have like. just know. it's in every chapter. also these aren't in order. well they're alphabetical. ordering playlists properly just takes Time and it's time i don't usually put in.

chapter one: those stronger than me (deadfoot)

be ok (ingrid michaelson)

big parade (the lumineers)

cleopatra (the lumineers)

good day (twenty one pilots)

growing up (run river north)

helplessness blues (fleet foxes)

marjorie (taylor swift)

nfwmb (hozier)

this too shall pass (danny schmidt)

chapter two: everything that we're denied (yellowfang)

growing up (run river north)

here before (vashti bunyan)

it will come back (hozier)

roll away your stone (mumford and sons)

soon you'll get better (taylor swift)

this too shall pass (danny schmidt)

truce (twenty one pilots)

chapter three: grounding of a foot uncompromising (fireheart)

be ok (ingrid michaelson)

cleopatra (the lumineers)

good day (twenty one pilots)

hoax (taylor swift)

house of gold (twenty one pilots)

soon you'll get better (taylor swift)

warriors (imagine dragons)

chapter four: it's the obstacles that cast it (tallstar)

growing up (run river north)

here before (vashti bunyan)

jackie and wilson (hozier)

this too shall pass (danny schmidt)

truce (twenty one pilots)

what will become of us (phillip phillips)

chapter five: if you love being free (???)

believer (imagine dragons)

es (crying)

good day (twenty one pilots)

helplessness blues (fleet foxes)

roll away your stone (mumford and sons)

run boy run (woodkid)

she wants me (to be loved) [the happy fits]

the shrine / an argument (fleet foxes)

theseus (the oh hellos)

chapter six: i could cry power (???)

almost (sweet music) [hozier]

good day (twenty one pilots)

growing up (run river north)

nothing better (american authors)

soldier, poet, king (the oh hellos)

sweet child o' mine (guns n' roses)

to noisemaking (sing) [hozier]

-

tbh i could put a lot more songs on all of these, but i tried to keep it paired down to what i've been listening to lately

[mallowstep]

Go, Matthew go! I believe in you, show that fic who's boss!

thank you <3333 i literally cried when i wrote the last sentence.

i've had a bag of alfajores sitting next to me for like two days and i told myself i could have one when i finished the chapter and i did and it was so good.

[mallowstep]

Cinderpaw can do this, just as he became a warrior. She’s still young, and she wants, and Fireheart will mentor her for the rest of her life if it means she can achieve her dreams. He won’t fail her again.

grounding of a foot uncompromising (i’ll believe the wind is calling me, ch. 3)

[mallowstep]

early look at next chapter of ibtwicm

[mallowstep]

barkface: so there was a thunderclan apprentice who was hurt-

deadfoot: say no more, she is now my daughter