#mapleshade did nothing wrong. that’s why I named my cat after her

[enobariasteeth]

okay sorry to talk about warriors but mapleshade did nothing wrong while she was alive she’s literally the victim

[everybody-loves-purdy]

Since ur blog title says "AVOS is underrated", may I ask which arc in your opinion is OVERrated?

I’m sorry oots fans, it’s nothing personal… but yeah it’s oots for me, for sure.

I went into my reread really excited for oots and after I finished I was disappointed. The first half was honestly fine! I liked it but then for me it all just came apart in the second half as the lack of planning the Erins had for the arc became very unclear. And that isn’t a baseless claim, it is on record that Hollyleaf was originally meant to have a power until outcast was being written and how Cinderpelt’s reincarnation wasn’t entirely thought out at the time it was implicated. Hollyleaf not having a power is a huge deal that probably caused Dovewing and Ivypool to even exist in the first place and the fact that only came halfway through the writing process of power of three isn’t encouraging.

I just think oots is mainly remembered so fondly due to nostalgia, love for the characters, especially the idea of the dark forest trainees, and the way it concluded the Vicky era. Actually reading it (for me) in the latter half it feels taped together with duct tape and a positive attitude.

Don’t get me wrong I like the arc overall but it could have been so much more.

If anyone wants me to expand on these at all please let me know but here’s some of the problems I have with oots specifically

Dovewing’s POV becomes very redundant for the middle of the arc, it doesn’t really add anything and is mainly about Tigerheart

Lionblaze’s POV doesn’t really add anything, apart from Cinderheart stuff mainly but that could have been told through other characters

Ivypool’s entire arc has very little pay off. She never actually learns anything as a spy and it’s all completely undermined by Dovewing just listening into the dark forest anyway in the last book and hearing everything. And it’s not even like Ivypool acknowledges that her sister achieved something on 5 seconds which she never achieved in several moons and killed Antpelt over.

The Three’s powers just don’t do anything particularly special in the end? Apart from Jayfeather who reunified StarClan but even that subplot just felt forced. I guess you could count Dovewing listening into the dark forest and finding out all their plans too but then what was Ivypool for?

The forgotten warrior just painfully feels like “plot points we haven’t gotten to resolving yet: the book” as I read it.

The pacing of the arc is very steady until literally everything is just kind of crammed into the last two books, and even then the pacing still feels both simultaneously slow and fast in those books, it’s weird.

What was the dark forests plan? Were they just going to kill everyone? What then? Was that the point? Why? Why now? It’s just never explained.

Where did all the extra dark forest cats come from in the battle? The clans were overrun by dark forest warriors but we only had a handful named, and it’s not like most of the recruits were helping out. If someone as recent as Mapleshade was already almost faded then it’s not like there should be that many evil cats older than her in this time of canonity where cats faded rather than apparently stick around forever.

I don’t understand how the dark forest cats seriously thought their recruitment drive would work considering they didn’t reveal to most cats that they were evil until right before the battle. Did they seriously not foresee the cats lead there under false pretences would turn on them?

Tigerheart’s behaviour towards Dovepaw/wing

I am so sorry oots fans. That’s just how I felt reading it, it just frustrated me in the latter half. I had a good time for the most part in the first half then it all came apart. I don’t even think that’s all the problems I have with it. And like I say I do like it overall! We just could have had so much more and I do truly think that nostalgia is carrying lots of the positive feelings towards this arc. The lack of conclusiveness would be ripped to shreds if it came out today.

[thunders-warcats-stuff]

New Prophecy AU headcanons

These are mostly used in my fic Midnight Storm and will be incorporated in other fics as well. They came about after Just a Dream so while I might incorporate some of it into that AU, it’s not likely to mesh well.

Main Cast Personalities

Tawnypelt is extremely sure of herself but constantly trying to prove that she belongs somewhere. She knows what she is vapable of and is very good at self-advocating and generally speaking up, but she doesn’t feel like the cats of her Clan like or believe in her at all because of where she came from and who she’s related to. 

That couldn’t be further from the truth but, much like the marshes they live in, ShadowClan are a bunch of soggy furballs who wouldn;t know how to express an emotion if it saved a life. It’s why Tigerclaw fit right in. Don’t get me wrong, they’re still cats with emotions and they talk and laugh and live like any other Clan, but multiple generations of tyrants (Brokentail and Tigerclaw) stunted them and cut them off from their culture so it’s really hard for them to get that back.

Brambleclaw is less ambitious and less sure of himself. He knows where he stands when it comes to his family tree and he was raised with the love of his Clan, but that's it. He doesn't want to believe that he was destined for anything great because he knows what happens to cats who are destined for greatness. They die horribly tragic deaths. He doesn't want that to happen to anyone he knows. 

Feathertail is ambitious in the sense that she can't stand RiverClan and will take any excuse she can get to get the hell out of there. They've never liked her and they never liked her brother and they barely tolerate her mentor and they would have just sat back and watched the four of them die, they did watch Stonefur die, because they were halfclan and RiverClan must be perfect. 

Crowpaw is this close to getting his warrior name but he knows a sign when he sees one. He follows it like any WindClan cat worth their salt but it's taking him away from the only family he has and he's so close to getting his warrior name, why couldn't he have a bit more time?! So he spends most of the time balancing his wants and needs with the call of StarClan and trying not to let either one overrun him. Crowpaw will ask to be named Crowflight instead of Crowfeather, because he wasn’t quite in love with Feathertail so much as admiring her carefree attitude. Squirrelpaw will ask for the same suffix for similar reasons.

ShadowClan customs 

Tawnypelt lives in a Clan that reveres her strength. Of course she would be picked by StarClan for a prophecy, she's just the right cat for it. The daughter of a strong leader who would have led ShadowClan to greatness if only he'd kept his sights within their borders.

Anyway, ShadowClan admires Tawnypelt because they see her as the leader that Tigerclaw could have been. Strong, smart, brave, able to adapt to their lifestyle easily, but also willing to stand up for what's right. She did  that a lot of because she was nursed alongside Feather and Storm and Goldenflower never forgot that even if she personally doesn't remember.

Also because Tigerclaw killed her older brother, which Goldenflower definitely never forgot. Oh, when it came out after A Dangerous Path that Tigerclaw was behind the dogs... I can only imagine the grief and rage that Goldenflower went through all over again and since her kits are apprentices now they're kind of old enough to understand why she's so absolutely furious with their father.

So ShadowClan isn't eager to let her go out somewhere far away and never come back. Not when she's their star. But a call from StarClan must be heeded nonetheless. 

ThunderClan customs

Leaders and deputies visit the kits when they're first born and determine possible warrior names based on the parents' wishes. There's always a long list at first that gets whittled down as training goes on. Kits are watched every day of their lives by someone, be it the leader, the medicine cats, the nursery queens, to determine their lives. The right mentor, the best possible friends for them, potential mates, your whole life is mapped out in those childhood moons.

Firestar was seen as an outsider not only because he wasn't a fighter, but because much of their culture places emphasis on kits and the way they grew up. He missed out on all of that, so how could he be a true ThunderClan cat? It was the surprise of the moons when Sandstorm announced she was having his kits and would gladly teach him their ways. Firestar did a pretty good job of adapting to that emphasis despite no one speaking for him as a kit.

RiverClan customs

RiverClan had a huge problem with how laid-back they were. Cats didn't really partake in each other's lives. As long as cats  were ready to fight when they needed to be, why should they? 

They believe heavily that the River is their portal to StarClan, so everything good that comes from it or that happens around it must be blessed. Bad things happening to the entire Clan is a cause for introspection, which they aren’t very good at. Bad things happening to one cat means that cat should be avoided until their luck changes. 

This is much to the detriment of everything else, occasionally including their ancestors. When Crookedstar’s jaw was broken, he was shunned because it was seen as a sign that he had fallen out of favor with the River. StarClan had to send a number of signs proving Crookedstar’s destiny to counteract the Dark Forest spirits that hung around Crooked, seeing him as easy prey. Mapleshade is the one who stuck around the longest and is the one he blames for all his bad luck.

That changes when Crookedstar becomes leader. He starts commanding that cats spend time with each other. Starts quizzing cats on their likes and dislikes, how much they know about their families, what their sibling's kits are up to, any information he can get his paws on. It cuts back on the fights for Sunningrocks, surprisingly. 

He knows the second Silverstream has found someone else for herself. At first he thinks it's a rogue and is okay with it as long as she keeps her loyalties to RiverClan. Then he finds out the truth and eventually she dies and the kits come to RiverClan with the father and Crookeedstar realized then that this time of peace and family won't last long after he's gone. So he does his best to make Greystripe feel welcome but there are too many differences. 

Cats can't just switch Clans at will because there are different ways of hunting and fighting, the medicine cat sees different things in the same puddle of water, the elders know different versions of the same tale, there's entirely new territory to get used to. It's not a surprise that Greystripe has to leave his kits but Crookeedstar admires the grey tom anyway. The last cat he knew to put his kits before his Clan had also been a grey tom, his father, and despite everything that happened over his life, Crookestar turned out better for Shellheart's dedication to his family. 

WindClan customs

WindClan believes themselves closest to StarClan and that becomes a bit of a problem in this case. No omens are ever seen as benign. Everything means something all the time. Barkface is the most overworked medicine cat of the lot because every cat goes to him for something, a leaf glittering in the wind after a bad mouse could mean death, according to some cats who thought they knew better than him, so Barkface and Tallstar spend a lot of time telling cats that their little "Prophecies" mean nothing until StarClan says so, and StarClan says so through Barkface. 

It's why he's so unnerved when Crowpaw comes to him. Ashfoot is one of the quieter ones when it comes to interpretation, but even she knows when the clan has been whacked aside the head with an omen in the form of a dream. Crowpaw is hailed as a hero when the news comes out and he doesn't know how to handle it.

[doves-wing]

Warriors Song Post

what up here’s a bunch of songs that i connect to warriors in some fuckin way. this took way too long and i’ll add more later because i couldn’t everyone in the tags lol

People in my Head by Oceans on Mars: Goosefeather - If the title wasn’t obvious enough as to why it fits him, the song is about hearing voices and going mad because of it. If that doesn’t fit Goosefeather, what does?

Twisted by MISSIO: Darktail - The whole song is about a bad guy with fucked up thoughts and how his dad was a shit but had a good mom. 

Bottom of the Deep Blue Sea by MISSIO: Bluestar - The song is about addiction and depression. And well, Bluestar has depression so there we go already but it uses the specific metaphor of drowining which is strongly connected to Bluestar’s character, so it fits even better! 

Everybody Gets High by MISSIO: Sol - It’s his tragic backstory. I mean if this was a human AU this would just be his backstory. Sol is an evil gay, makes sense if he had a homophobic upbringing which led him to drugs and eventually running away. Makes sense to me at least.

Kamikazee by MISSIO: Sol - This is a song about greed, desire, and dark hearts. Who has all three? That’s right, it’s Sol baby! The boy desires all the nice things in life and will not stop at anything to get them.

Best Friends by Grandson: The Kin - So I’m kinda cheating with this one as it isn’t a singular characer but my post, my rules. I feel as if this fits best when Needletail and the other apprentices joined The Kin. Thinking they’re so cool and shit.

Kiss Bang by Grandson: Leafpool/Crowfeather/Nightcloud - Okay again not a singular character but my post, my rules. Basically this song represents Crowfeather’s relationship with the two of them. In short: a fucking mess

Things Change by Grandson: Crowfeather - I’d say this is specifically about Leafpool soon after the badger attack, but could still work for him and Feathertail. Either way, this guy is dumb angst monster lmao

Saint Bernard by Lincoln: Mapleshade - This is a song about one-sided love and how the singer won’t be going to heaven. Also it’s fucking scary so Mapleshade :)

Hellbent by Mystery Skulls: Ashfur - It’s him about Squirrelflight. He does not care that she is in a relationship. All he cares is that the relationship she’s in, isn’t with him. All he wants is her and he truly won’t stop at anything to have her.

The Wolf by SIAMES: Tigerclaw - This is another song that’s about addiction but it has a strong theme about being out of your mind, and well, if you kill people I don’t think your sane. And in a way, Tigerclaw could’ve been addicted to killing. Either way many of this song’s lyrics (and especially the chorus) remind me of him so he gets this masterpiece of a song to himself.

Same Old Forest by Nathan Sharp: Firestar - This fits Firepaw/Rusty specifically but hey I prefer using the most recent names of a character in the title. Anyway though, this song is all about beginnings and wanting to be something (while also being a protaganist) and who could fit better than Firepaw? I mean one of the lyrics is literally: “Because compared to every child you know, you’re something else”. Tell me it isn’t about Firepaw.

Far Away by Nathan Sharp: Spottedleaf - This is a song sung by a female about the character from the previous song on this list, who knows that the character is destined for greatness. Tell me it isn’t sung by Spottedleaf. 

Time to Go by Nathan Sharp: Yellowfang - Yellowfang is the grumpy grandma we all know and love. If you know her and then listen to this song and say she didn’t sing it you’re so wrong it’s unbelievable. Did her savior just wake up? Yes. Is she going to push him out and force him to save the world now? Yes.

Drowning by Nathan Sharp: Bluestar - Look at the title. Okay but the song is about losing everything in your life and well, the water metaphors :}

Shell by Nathan Sharp: Bluestar (w/ Firestar) - I think this fits really well for Bluestar and Firestar’s relationship. Bluestar after having been almost murdered by her trusted deputy, Tigerclaw, has lost faith in everything. Fireheart is desperately trying to keep her what remains of her, alive. The chorus speaks for itself, she is a shell, almost entirely withered away. Just, it’s mostly Bluestar but the way the lyrics go it sounds as if someone is speaking to another character about Bluestar, which in this case is probably Tigerclaw and Firestar.

The Evil King by Nathan Sharp: Tigerclaw & Firestar - This is their final battle in song form. At the end it becomes a duet, but for the majority it’s Tigerclaw monologuing about why he should and deserves to win. How Firestar should’ve never come to the forest, as he was meant to rule the forest as his father did before him, unfortuneately this is a YA novel which means that evil can never win. 

Unaligned by Nathan Sharp: Ivypool - I imagine this is when she’s starting to realize that the Dark Forest isn’t good. That it’s full of evil cats, but because she’s only started to realize this their abusive teachings are still in her head, thus “You took me in, showed me love when I had nowhere to run” is a lyric. She’s done bad things by joining them, she doesn’t know if she can be good but she knows she doesn’t want to be bad.

Dead Silence by Nathan Sharp: Mothwing - Mothwing can’t get it out of her head that she is the daughter of Tigerclaw. The worst cat in the history of the Clans yet she chose to be a medicine cat, a peaceful cat who does no harm. Her intrusive thoughts won’t stop reminding her of how brutal her family as been. Her father first and then her brother, Hawkfrost, second. Maybe she is destined to be a violent monster, she knows it isn’t true but those evil thoughts say otherwise, and she can’t ignore them any longer.

Epcoh (TLT Remix) by Salvonic: Hollyleaf - After she ran away from the gathering, she had a lot of time to think about everything. She had time to regret her actions and came back to apologize, and hope that she would be accepeted. Just about everything in this song fits her and someone needs to make a map for her with this song because it fits her so fucking well it’s insane.

Terrible Things by Brick + Mortar: Ivypool - She sees no difference between her and her sister, Dovewing, yet her sister is consistently praised more than her and gets more attention. Ivypool then joins the Dark Forest as they claimed to have seen in her, what her Clanmates saw in Dovewing. Instead of dreaming, she fought hard to get the attention and mild praise of a few dead cats. She murdered cats for them and all she got in return was a free t-shirt.

Burn The House Down by AJR: Squirrelflight - Honestly this just gives me some lighthearted Squirrelflight vibes. More so when she was still an apprentice and wanted to be treated with the same amount as respect as a warrior but she tried to gain their respect in ridiculous ways, such as joining Brambleclaw on the journey to the Sundrown place, for instance.

G-G-Ghost by Steven Universe: Fallen Leaves - He’s just a ghost boy who wants someone to notice him!

Noticed by MandoPony: Sol - This theatre gay just wants someone to pay attention to him! And if you do look away, he might have to kill you. M i g h t

Nothing Personal by Night Riots: Darktail - He came to erase the Clans. He will wash away their history, he will make himself the leader of his own group and lead them with an iron fist, his ideology is correct. To the members of his group he is a shining star, a beacon of light and truth.

Contagious by Night Riots: Shadowpaw - This is more speculative but it seems to me that he could definitely start to think that he is bad, wrong. Because of the voice in his head. He is plagued with lies, just by existing he has broken the code. He has to remind himself, it isn’t his fault that he is shunned, looked down upon. But everything is wearing him down. Reminding yourself that it isn’t wrong to exist is tiring.

On the Line by Night Riots: Tawnypelt - Tawnypelt is the type to give all she has for her Clan. Sometimes she gets nervous but she fights through it because her Clan is what matters most. 

She Wants Me Dead by CAZZETTE: Crowfeather - This is just every female in Crowfeather’s life at him.

Bet on You by The Man Who: Mistystar - Back when Mistystar was known as Mistyfoot, she crtiticized her leader, Leaopardstar harshly. The latter did let her brother be murdered. Though Leopardstar would’ve risked her own life, among everyone in her clan’s life, had she tried to stop it from happening. Leopardstar made many mistakes throughout her life but Mistyfoot always came back to her, in the end she knew Leopardstar was only doing the best she could. 

Choke by I DON’T KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME: Darktail - Only he would say the most fucked up things while having a genuine smile on his face and making it sound nice. He only cares for himself, and a distorted love for his mother, painting her as this perfect being who was ruined by his father. I have no doubt that he would do all the things in this songs, given he were able to of course.

Crossing a Line by Mike Shinoda: Leafpool & Squirrelflight - This is all about the truth of Holly/Jay/Lion and how they want to tell them, but don’t know how, and just that whole mess is this song. 

Play with Fire by Sam Tinnesz: Brokenstar - He is one of the most evil characters in the series, using child soldiers will do that though. He takes pleasure from seeing cats die, especially kits. He enjoys watching others suffer, especially if he can gain something by it. He forced WindClan out of the Clan territories because he wanted the extra hunting land.

Monster (Under my Bed) by Call Me Karizma: Tigerclaw - After his father left, Tigerkit felt alone. His sisters were dead, and his mother was heartbroken. He looked for friends in the shadows, hoping that they’d take form and want to play. It took some time but they took form in the shape of a cat. She was a transparent tortoiseshell, claiming to be of ThunderClan’s past. It didn’t matter to Tigerkit though, she promised to make him the strongest cat in the forest, in all of the Clan’s history even. That’s what mattered to Tigerkit. He wanted to be strong enough to take down any of his enemies and most importantly, his father.

Wolves (You Got Me) by DREAMERS: Fire/Raven - Firepaw is the new apprentice and oh no there’s a cute anxious boy. “Guess we’ll fall in love” they said, and then they did. Firepaw learned how to hunt, and fight. Though it was a bit harder because he was absolutely smitten with Ravenpaw.

Our Song by Vinyl Theatre: Sandstar (w/ Clan) -  (Med-Cat!Fire AU) This happens before the battle with BloodClan, when they’re still preparing. 

High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco: Hollyleaf - (Wind!Holly AU) - This is her coming home after leaving the tunnels and rescuing Dovewing, and Ivypool. She is welcomed back warmly by her mother, brother, and best friend (Heathertail)