#more cats in his clan = more support

[splinterclan]

Moon 25.6: Truth's out

I decided to go dialogue-less for this one, so if you want more thoughts on what everyone's thinking look in here ⬇️

Whorl and Moor: Prepared to stand by what they said. Told all the adults exactly what's been going on and what was said in the woods (and then a simpler, but still 100% truthful, version to the kids). Whorl especially wants clarity in all this and an end to the sneaking. She also lets the apprentices know she doesn't blame them, but that they can't do things like this going forward. "Splinterclan is a community and we lean on each other - we solve problems together."

Pansybloom: Is shocked, didn't think Cedar would hide something like this from her and their mom. Worry for him and anger at him lying and endangering the youngin's is warring within her.

Myrtleflower: Wishes it wasn't true - She never wanted to be presented with the thought that her kids or grandkits would ever be away from her and she's extremely upset at the thought. Just wants to do everything to restore normalcy/keep her family together.

Snom and Droplet: Both very surprised and worried, they liked Cedarheart but now don't know what to think.(And Snom has the added layer of knowing about Vinekit and being upset about that.) Focusing on comforting their apprentices and trying to be calm/steady. Support Whorl and Moor.

Burnpaw: Shocked and upset that Bess potentially wants them to leave the clan. She doesn't want to leave and she's very mixed up on how to feel about her parents right now. Never really thought they might be breaking clan rules before this point and is shocked her dad isn't the cat she thought he was.

Elkpaw: Feels guilty for lying and sneaking, but he liked seeing their mom. He hopes she will come and visit them in the clan or that they can continue to see her and that they all aren't in too much trouble. Is glad that Cedar came back and wonders why Bess isn't with him.

Prairiepaw: Is reassuring Myrtle that she never wants to leave. She loves Splinterclan! She didn't mean to break rules and she worries that she won't get to be made a warrior because of this.

Moonpaw: Loves their mom and is making sure that Whorlstar told Bess she could come see them in camp, right? Bess will come and see them if she's knows she's allowed to! Why didn't she come back with Cedarheart?

Vinekit: Grumpy that her excursion didn't work and that she's in trouble. Blames Cedarheart for making everything a mess now, but it really glad she's getting so much attention from all this at the same time.

Larkkit: Just worried, he doesn't want his clanmates and family to be sad :(

[fallenclan]

Pls ramble about Maplestar i didn't think much of him at all when he was around

:3

okay so imagine. You are born into Fallenclan as a fresh little kitten. You are told at a very young age that your mom isn't around anymore, but your dad loves you and your two siblings more than anything, and he will do everything in his power to make sure you all are happy and successful. Your siblings are louder than you, more outgoing than you, and arguably more likeable than you, but they look to you as the cat to follow when your dad isnt around, so it's your job to look after them. You're the oldest, after all.

Later into your kithood you are told that your mother died giving birth to the three of you. If you didnt exist, she would still be alive.

You become an apprentice. Your sister is mentored by the cool older cat that is also your friend's mom. Your brother is mentored by one of your dad's best friends, a cat you've known since birth. You are apprenticed to the deputy of Fallenclan--she cares about you, and the clan, but she's also strict, and tells you in no uncertain terms that she expects you to be great. Not good. Great. You think, "If I am not great, is it my fault?" You try your best. You wonder if it is enough.

You become a warrior. Your sister takes on a mate, your brother does, too. Both of them have kits. You never were interested in having a mate, but you can't help but wonder if that's what your clan, your father, wants you to do. Your father, in the meanwhile, takes over the job that your mentor had, and becomes deputy of Fallenclan. Then he becomes leader. He becomes legend. Cats at gatherings say to you, "You must be so proud!" You are. When your back is turned, they say "The son of Goldenstar, he'll be something special, I'm sure."

The deputy, a cat known for her strength, loyalty, and honor, retires, and chooses you out of everyone to take her place. Your father assures you that you'll do great. Your siblings cheer you on and offer their support. You refuse it, politely. You will be a great deputy if you have to pull out all of your fur to do it--and you will do it by yourself. Are you really great if some of your greatness is borrowed? The whole clan depends on you.

Under the cover of night, the clan is attacked. The former deputy dies. One of your best friends dies. Your brother dies. Four kits, six warriors, and one elder die. You are hardly wounded. For moons you keep the night guard and torture yourself thinking about what you could have done to change things. What you could have done better.

Time passes. You age, your sister ages, your father ages. As leader, he has nine lives, but they slowly dwindle. One evening, he's missing from camp longer than he said he would be, and you and your sister go looking for him. You find his body at the bottom of a cliff. You grieve until sundown, and then you travel to receive your nine lives. You see the faces of all the cats you outlived. All the cats you failed. Your niece and great-nephew, your brother, your mentor, your father, your mother. You wake up and it is only you and your medicine cat huddled together in a cave. Your skin hurts, you can feel each fur on your body. You walk home.

You discover that your former apprentice is a murderer. With no other options, you exile him from the clan and watch as he is escorted away. If you had been a better mentor, would he have lived a kinder life? Would he have forgiven his long-time enemy? You'll never find out.

A neighboring clan, which has had it out for Fallenclan since your father was an apprentice, declares war. You run yourself ragged making plans and trying to keep your warriors safe and alive. There are battles, there are scars, but there are no deaths, and the war ends only a few moons later. You congratulate yourself for this feat, and then wonder why it was only when you became leader that war was declared.

Every death that passes, you wonder if you could have prevented it. Every loss that your sister suffers, your nephews and nieces suffer, you contemplate how to fix. You are old now, and there are few Fallenclan cats that knew you before you were an apprentice, before you were a warrior, before you were deputy or leader. You're not a cat, anymore, you are a shelter; protecting your clan and paying little mind to your own needs.

You take a hunting patrol by yourself, late one night. In a dry riverbed, you feel the ground rumble, and look upstream to see a flash flood clawing its way towards you.

You wonder, "Am I fast enough to outrun it?"

You aren't.

[bonefall]

I'm powering through most of ASC: Star to get it over with (and planning to summarize all my thoughts in one big post instead of a liveread), but this part of the Curlfeather/Frostpaw interaction sticks out like a thorn to the point where I need to comment on it alone.

For context, Frostpaw is on her deathbed and this is the moment where she's having a very important, culminating argument with her mother about her motivations.

The writers decided that their thesis is that StarClan itself is what really makes the Clan cats warriors-- not necessarily an unchanging Warrior Code. The law might change, but unwavering faith in their religion will keep their morality straight through such times. Through Frostpaw and Curlfeather, this is is the point in the story where the narrative has to prove this. Or at least make a compelling argument in its case.

Problem is...

Frostpaw's sentiment here, that Curlfeather wouldn't have been able to get legitimacy as a leader, is just factually wrong.

StarClan has been shown to have absolutely no power to deny cats lives. They're also completely incapable of pointing out "illegitimate leaders" to the living cats.

Brokenstar and Tigerstar were already murderers who had eliminated political rivals when StarClan gave them "their blessing." They also completely refused to give Nightstar any lives, when they're shown to be capable of "life-splitting" in the case of Pinestar's successor, Sunstar. It goes back and forth between being "unable" and "unwilling" to influence the mortal plane, but the bottom line is consistently that they can't do shit.

This whoooooole book was also about how Splashstar, who also didn't accept the extra lives, was able to keep control over a frustratingly compliant RiverClan. You sit through entire chapters of RiverClan cats whining about Just Following Orders and the main characters being washed in pity at how hard of a situation they must be in. Curlfeather is demonstrated to be a hypocrite; but if RiverClan HAD followed the Warrior Code and killed Splashstar in "self-defense" like it stipulates, or moved to prevent the kits from suffering at his hands like it says, then she's correct.

The Warrior Code, as a system of laws, IS actually what makes them a proper society... at least, in this atomized fantasy where Clans aren't communities with a sense of interpersonal duty towards one another, but instead dedicated to process and pride.

Don't misunderstand me; Curlfeather herself as a character claims that what was bad about RiverClan, and needed to "change," was that they'd started caring about other Clans under Mistystar. This is nonsensical and clearly wrong; Mistystar was only slightly less isolationist than Onestar, and every time she'd helped another Clan was a good thing. It did not make them "weak," being a more "traditionalist" leader wouldn't make them "strong."

What I'm getting at is that her wider point, in the debate about Law vs Faith and which one truly makes a cat a Warrior, is supported by the entire arc. Faith in StarClan didn't stop any of this from happening, but a better sense of honor sure as hell would have.

I didn't think it was possible for them to make me more anti-StarClan after they enabled Ashfur's hostile takeover of ThunderClan in the last arc, but here we are.

[saltsongwc]

This was inspired by THIS ask I got about Tiger and his dynamic's, which I'll make more of later

And a little writting to acompany the art under the read more

The moss was starting to grow back, snow melting and allowing the new herbs and plants to finally reclaim the soil of new leaf, Tigerclaw didn't enjoy this step in the changing of Leaf-Bare to Newleaf, mostly because it made walking uncomfortable, with the wet snow clinging to his paws and fur.

It gave him an excuse to stay in his den when the storages were full, which he appreciated, the other excuse was the nursery duties that he'd rather perform instead of the apprentices, just to walk between his den and a cozier one.

Right now, there were only two cats sharing the nursery, Frostfur was sleeping the furthest away, her tail curled around her as she sleeped peacefully, 'Any day now' he reminded himself, he was getting the storages ready and extra moss to welcome the new clan members, he chuckles a bit under his breath, Lionheart would stand pacing around camp whenever not on patrol.

His eyes landed on the second shape, the golden molly whose fluffy tail was twitching up and down, Goldenflower had been the only queen through Leaf Bare, and her only company before Frostfur was the tiny kit currently entertained with her tail. Her eyes shifted away from the kit for a moment and gave him a purr in greeting, which he returned, pacing around her landed him right on the kit's field of vision.

"Tiger! Tiger!" the black and white tom used his mother's tail as support, staring at the larger tabby with glee "Can we play? Can we please?"

He sighed in faked dissapoitment, dropping the moss by Goldenflower's bed and shaking his head "It's sunset Swiftkit, how about tomorrow?"

The promise is enough to stop any dissapointment from the kit, who just exclaims "At dawn! Okay!" and curls around his mother's belly, knowing sleep just makes the sun come faster.

Tigerfoot smiles, staring at the small cat while he sits down, before his gaze returns back to the mother.

"...Stop smirking like that"

Goldenflower chuckles and shakes her head "You know, I think you'd be an excellent father Tigerfoot"

"Ha! Imagine a kit with my face" his ear flicks "I bring you moss and that's how you repay me? Mockery? Shame Golden, I thought better of you"

"If you claim to be friend you should expect this from me"

Her gaze returned to the small kit, now snowing peacefully and pawing the air, dreams already claiming his eyes, Tigerfoot caught however, the worried expression in her eyes.

"Mouse for your thoughts?" He asks, lying beside her in comfort while staring at the kit as well. Goldenflower hummed, licking Swiftkit's head gently.

"He's so... small"

The words echoed back to her first time seeing Swiftkit, and his sister before she passed, they had been so lucky Tigerfoot recalls, an especially harsh storm, he spent the night protectively standing guard by the nursery entrance, afraid anything would lurk inside and take the kits... It took one.

"...He's smaller than the average" two moons old, the kit didn't look more than one.

Some nights, he thinks of his apprentice days, some days, he's afraid whenever the kit rushes to him and plays with his tail or jumps on his back, it terrifies him.

"He takes it after his father"

Goldenflower had never confided in Tigerfoot who Swiftkit's father might be, while the whispers and gossips from the clan was Patchpelt (and the now elder had never disputed those claims), he was unsure, now, the fear at night is present, the ghost of someone guarding the fragile kit resting by his friend's belly is less paranoia, an active protector, a scourge from his past.

He should seek the cat, the black shape, but tomorrow he promised Swiftkit he would play with him at dawn, and tonight he wants to guard the den, to make sure the last of Leaf Bare's winds do not take the only kit as well.

[wing-ed-thing]

Childhood Friends to Lovers Headcanons with Madara

Tags/Warnings: No Reader Pronouns

𓆃 Likely the easiest way to build anything meaningful with Madara. At least something that'll make him think twice before he does anything stupid.

𓆃 Because he's stubborn and, like most people in the period of warring clans, likes to stick to what he knows. If you grew up together, you're likely an Uchiha or at least in a very closely allied clan.

𓆃 Not to say that being a Senju and having a relationship with him similar to Hashirama isn't possible, but it's more likely that you'll encounter interpersonal issues the moment village politics come into play.

𓆃 Being with Madara from the start is sure to get you major points in the long run, because no matter where your journey together takes you, he understands that you went through the same things together.

𓆃 This understanding is paramount if you want a deeper relationship with him.

𓆃 Your history also makes it likely that Madara will make exceptions for you that he wouldn't have otherwise made for anyone else. Any of your quirks automatically border on sentimental and even battle prowess can be overlooked given your deep childhood friendship.

𓆃 Perhaps the side of Madara that you unlock isn't necessarily cuddly, but he will demonstrate time and again through his actions that he cares deeply about you.

𓆃 He will have your back in battle, shouting out compliments at your performance even if a sword is at his throat. Or if you're a non-combatant, he's always prioritizing your safety whether he's guarding you himself or sending Izuna to bring you to safety.

𓆃 Madara takes on quite a few roles for you that are best not to think too closely about. It doesn't matter if he's younger or older, he's comfortable inserting himself in your affairs, sometimes overriding your decisions if he believes he knows better about what's best for you.

𓆃 Despite his quirks, it's very clear to everyone that the two of you have a unique bond. It's not very often that you're separated, and even when you're together it is very clear that Madara allows things from you that he wouldn't allow anyone else.

𓆃 Attitude and even blatant feuds settle into banter. Disrespect is regarded with an eye roll. Step out of line at an important figure and Madara silently and stoically has your back.

𓆃 A relationship akin to two cats that can't be adopted separately. Any mutual feelings are gradual and, to both of you, obvious. You've always stuck together, how is it different when you're adults?

Thank you to all who liked, reblogged, followed, and supported. Your support means so much and is greatly appreciated.

[willicebattlecatsblog]

chemicals in the lake are making the cats GAY >:(

Basically a masterpost about this specific AU

-Lionblaze transman, autistic and won't pick up any social cue.

-Lionblaze is not a calico, he is a chimera

-Lionblaze big guilt and OCD over his power

-Lionblaze fears he will end up like Scourge as a part of his OCD (i have to find a way to let everyone know that Scourge is related to Firestar tho....)

-Lionblaze and Toadfoot only aknowledge each other in The Fourth Apprentice when they are on their way to the beavers and they become gay

-Lionblaze keeps his personality from late po3 (kind of dumb, can't pick up any clue, very ocd, is socially very awkward and clumsy, clearly needs help to navigate social situations properly)

-Lionblaze is very much the same as in canon, very flawed, he is still the most forgiving of the 3 and does try to talk it out with Squirrelflight and Leafpool, he feels very isolated in his clan due to the prophecy, the lies around his birth and Hollyleaf being presumed dead, which makes him more prone to have a relationship with an outsider instead of a thunderclan warrior

-Toadfoot also went through losing a sibling (Marshkit), he doesn't have a canonical father so I think he would be very attached to his mom (Tallpoppy) and remaining sibling (Applefur), he is also seen being playful, friendly and understanding towards Flametail I love toadfoot

-Lionblaze and Toadfoot have big rivals to lovers energy and it was my favorite weird "crack" ship when I was 13

-The AU also centers around the flaws of StarClan and their weird mechanic that keeps changing over time (ashfur goes to starclan because he just found his way there, and leafpool gets to go through a whole trial somehow???)

-Living cats and StarClan fight dark forest first, and then living cats turn more or less against StarClan for being as incomprehensible as possible, doing blatant favoritism, letting bad seeds get in and throwing out overall good cats, and the warrior code will also be reformed because it's way overdue grrrr

-Maybe Dovewing and Ivypool are the babies of Hollyleaf and Cinderheart instead of Birchfall and Whitewing ? I never really liked that Dovewing was indeed linked to the 3 but she was so far away in family tree tbh :((

-Lionblaze will have babies with Toadfoot as some point (Maybe adopted ? I don't know yet) and they won't have many children, and I will do everything in my power to get rid of all the current incest in the books >:(

-I think the babies of Lionblaze and Toadfoot will look like Tallpoppy and Leafpool because i love them

-Leafpool, Squirrelflight and Tallpoppy will both be aware of the relationship at some point, but they will keep their mouth shut and be supporting mothers because they are very cool and progressive

-I don't know if I will ever write fanfiction about this, I am already working on a clangen project, so if I do anything about it it will only be a small side project ! I use this AU to rewrite things that make me happier than the canon version (like making transman OCD autistic lionblaze, i find it easier for me to relate to him) :)

I hope you like it, I shall disappear again for a while now, I have art fight attacks to work on >:)

[utahimeow]

we all know gojo is a girl dad for life, but what if he had a boy? do you have any more gojo dad hcs

we kind of know what kind of boy dad he would be from his relationship with megumi - very playful and teasing but also fiercely supportive and encouraging of him

with a son it’s easier for satoru to see himself in him, especially if he gets a lot of his physical features. this is terrifying for satoru - he’s determined that his baby boy gets a proper childhood full of the love and care that he never really got, being the heir to the gojo clan and having his cursed technique and whatnot

he’s determined for his son to choose his own path and encourages every interest he finds, pushes him to try every hobby, even from when he’s little and prefers one toy over another

LOVES to carry him around. he’ll do chores around the house with his baby boy in a sling. when you go out together you never need to bring the stroller because satoru wants to keep him in the carrier strapped to his chest (plus he likes the way people coo over it). you carried him for nine months, it’s the least your husband can do to show his gratitude

is not afraid to utterly embarrass himself and act a clown to make his baby boy laugh. like he’ll use his cursed technique to hover up to the ceiling and drop himself to the floor because it makes his son shriek with laughter. he doesn’t hesitate to act a fool in public either, like he will start singing in the middle of the restaurant you’re in if your baby looks even the slightest bit unhappy

he’s horribly mischievous and teaches his son to be the exact same way… they LOVE to pull pranks on you—silly harmless ones like hiding from you when you get home from work or jumpscaring you. things that make you just a little bit mad because satoru thinks you look adorable when you’re trying to be angry but simultaneously holding back your laughter

gets obsessed with dressing him as different kinds of animals when he’s a baby. i mean bear, cat, and bunny onesies and hats and sweaters. all the time. it’s dangerous for people’s hearts

lets him have too much candy all the time :( it makes you sooo angry but it’s not the baby’s fault he inherited his dad’s sweet tooth!

[space-blue]

Distant cousins of the jungle's stingbat, the aptly named stunbat (Tsealìm in Na'vi) is a native of the Txepìva volcanic plains that hunts by diving from great heights and colliding with their prey head-first, stunning them.

Their head is blunt, with a threefold crest reminiscent of the great leonopterix's dual one, but significantly more ossified. Their neck is thick and muscular, to help support the structure, but also to weather the high velocity impacts.

The hands, small and with fused fingers in jungle stingbats, are much larger here, and used to catch stunned prey falling from the sky, or pick them off the ground as they swoop down. It also allows stunbats to eat on the fly, as it were, as the plains' chaotic environment doesn't always provide them with safe perching opportunities. 

Stunbats have short, prehensile neural queues that retract under thick, keratinous neck frills. The extra mobility of this limb allows them to make quick connections while in mid-air, front to back, back to back, or belly to belly, the latter being the more commonly seen one, accompanied by a stabilising "handshake".

The stunbat's vision is excellent. Early research by Eyris Makri with the Tuin clan of the Txepìva showed that their domesticated stunbats were able to spot prey up to 4 miles away, seeing clearly at ten times the distance of their Na'vi handlers. Their primary eyes show a high concentration of foveas, giving them enough focus to clearly distinguish prey moving against the complex backdrop of the plains and lava fields. 

Although the stunbat's barbed tail has lost most of its poisonous sting, it is still used in defence against larger predators. Their best defence, however, remains a Na'vi bow.

It is hard to tell exactly when domestication started, though the olo'eyktan of the Tau'un clan claims one of his ancestors was the first to tame a stunbat. We're told this happened during the "Time of Long Nights", but dating that event is equally complicated. Current estimations are a minimum of two millenia.

During that time, the stunbat's range remained tied to the volcanic plains of the Txepìva clans, although the species has been observed by Serafiina Hukkala as far out as Mons St. Helen. One must note that the stunbat is unlike our previous study case of the Viperhound, which are bred for various purposes. Interviews with Txepìva hunters (Makri et al.) suggest that their relationship to the Na'vi is similar to that of cats and humans, with multiple domestication events, beneficial to both species. Na'vi led breeding appears to be very incidental, as stunbats tend to fly off to find mates in the wild, rather than mating among their clan's flock.

This species is significantly larger than their forest cousins.

The most common uses of stunbats are for scouting and hunting. While hunting of small game is extremely similar to what humans once achieved with eagles, stunbats also take part in hunting expeditions for large prey. 

They are used to follow the movements of herds, but also to help separate young calves from their mothers, or the weak and wounded, by dive bombing them (Hukkala et al.) They understand complex orders, communicate with clicks and shrieks, and will come to hang on the queue or harness of their paired Txepìva to share more detailed visuals through Tsaheylu.

This is also how they are used for scouting. Serafiina Hukkala postulated that the stunbats' mated pair lifestyle influenced Txepìva culture by making the act of scouting a couple's task. Scouting, we must remind the reader, is a lot more crucial to the Txepìva, who have no qualms waging war against each other for the domination of water sources and fertile land. Raiding parties, while not frequent, are a banal part of life on the plains. Even small children learning to work with stunbats will be sent on sentry duties, often on the back of a Lenonin Hound. 

The reason mated pairs of stunbats are favoured is because of their long flight range and their ability to connect together in mid-air. This means one side of the couple can move far ahead, and report back to their partner, already extended to the edge of their range. A couple of scouting stunbats effectively covers double the range a single hunter would.

Stunbats are occasionally used to communicate with similar techniques. While one half of a pair can be sent to deliver a message to another tribe, the other remains with their clan (often brooding). The homing individual (whichever has best endurance, as both sexes feed and brood chicks at will) can find its way back to them even if the clan is on the move. More research is needed on their communication capabilities. 

When travelling or staying in temporary camps, stunbats are housed in loose baskets designed to let them hang onto the side. These carriers are custom made by every clan and come in many forms and sizes. Brooding stunbats are carried, either by a Na'vi who will fashion straps to turn the basket into a backpack, or tied to the back of Leonin Hounds.

In more permanent camps, the Texpiva craft treillis to give them places to hang from. Serafiina Hukkala reported a clan that arranged dried branches and material for firewood as perches, while Eyris Makri stayed with a couple who fashioned fake branches at the top of their tents, like rafters. Both heard reports of clans that house their stunbats along with their livestock, but the practice seemed frowned upon.

The bond between Na'vi and Tsealìm needs further study. It isn't as exclusive as with an ikran, but much more complex than with direhorses. Stunbats bond strongly with a small family node, and more weakly with the extended family and friend group. Tsaheylu is typically only done with their main Na'vi hunters, although the stunbat can be introduced and passed down to children. 

Emergency tsaheylu was witnessed twice by Makri, when a scout had urgent reports and the stunbat was sent ahead. Connection was made with the clan's tsahìk, who had a habit of bonding with every newborn stunbat. The practice, we were told, can be controversial. 

Hunter depicted without ornaments, to highlight the process of Tsaheylu.

Some clans craft harnesses for hunters to better carry and support their stunbats, while others prefer natural body-to-body contact. The folding or tying of the neural queue to allow for better access to the kuru/tendrils seems universal among all interviewed hunters and scouts. Different styles were observed and will be presented in our published notebooks, after our paper on the use of stunbats in skirmishes and outright warfare, as the Txepìva practice it.

Part II of @straydaddy (art and design) and @bluedaddysgirl (lore concept + final art entry) in-world collaborative study, "Introduction to the Txepiva clans, their nomadic pastoralism and niche selective breeding practices in species of stingbats and viperwolves". On twitter we are Knarme and Bluedaddysgirl

[blimbo-buddy]

Okay a lot of this is based on how I interpret the two but Fuck man I just think about how no matter who survives between ShadowSight and BristleFrost, they’re still gonna be miserable in life. They both live with guilt of the others death, yes, but there is more to their misery.

ShadowSight lives not feeling like he stopped anything, in the end AshFur still took someone he held dearly to his heart. Cats still look at him like a monster for what he’s done, he feels hollow and the only thing that could have kept him going was his family and newborn baby siblings. But even then, poor RowanKit still dies. He still has to be the one to help smear the scent of death off of his baby brothers fur in preparation for his funeral. Who’s to say he wasn’t the one to discover that he had passed? He feels horrible. He lived, and everything is worse now.

And BristleFrost, oh she dreamt of starting a family with RootSpring. The tragedy isn’t that she didn’t get to have kids with him, but the fact that had she lived, she would have started a family with him. Had she lived, she would think she’s content in life, she has her children and her mate. But those were dreams fueled by the Clans emphasis on a molly’s devotion to her tom and she had only realized that when it was all too late. She’s nothing more than RootSpring’s wife. And it’s not like her parents would be any support either. Her father promised her mother that he’d be there for their kids but where was he when she was being exiled, where was he when she was having nightmares as a kitten, providing no warm fur for her to cuddle into for safety. And her mom? She doesn’t know if she truly knows her, same for her father. Bristlefrost, had she been the one to live, would have thrown her life away for a tom, and it’s only until now that she realizes this fate worse than death itself.

[tropicalcryptid]

Ok y'all I have a confession.

...Tigerheart/star is my favorite living warrior cats character and I'm tired of pretending he isn't XD

He was a questionable boyfriend, but he's an excellent husband, father, and leader. He's far more like Firestar than Bramblestar ever was. He's proactive and is willing to break rules for what he believes is right. He gave up territory for SkyClan when no other Clan would. He willingly takes in and shelters cats who are unfairly banished from their own clans--Icewing, Harelight, Mothwing, and most recently Frostpaw (geez RiverClan). He stood up for Rootspring and Bristlefrost's love and advocated to change the warrior code to allow cross-Clan relationships. He will go to any lengths to protect ShadowClan and especially his children--but he seems truly motivated by love and not a desire for power. He takes amazing care of Shadowsight and stands by him constantly. Most recently, his "invasion" of RiverClan was shown to be 1) actually necessary, and 2) he did, in fact, keep his promise and back out when his conditions were met.

His decisions aren't always the *best,* but he's motivated and active (and delightfully meddlesome) in a way that no leader since Firestar has been. I LOVE that. I love him! Big stupid hot-headed well-meaning stripey man! Go invade RC again and kick Splashtail's, well, tail! <3

Also! ASC! You made ShadowClan the best clan how did that happen??? I'm so mad that Sunbeam is in ThunderClan now because I don't caaaaaaaare about TC lol I want more SC perspective.

So this is a lineup of my fav cats from the current arc: Whistlepaw (your honor I love her), Frostpaw (you're doing amazing girl, sorry about all the trauma), Icewing (hopefully next leader of RC come on WC team), Fringewhisker (full-time ass-kicker), Tigger boy <3, Shadowsight (my poor bby you're so good), Puddleshine (when did you get to be such a likeable character?), Bayshine (what a bro, seriously), and Harelight (we stan a supportive mentor, sorry about "Wind" buddy).

Honestly ASC is great so far. Can't wait for the finale. Also let the lesbian medicine cats kiss omg. I don't really bother shipping warrior cats because *gestures wildly* but nah, Whistlepaw and Frostpaw are the cutest lesbians and you can't tell me the "It was all worth it if it was for you" conversation in "Wind" WASN'T the most sapphic thing ever. Break ALL the boundaries girls be BOTH gay *and* nuns. We stan.

[sparrowsoupp]

so a ‘swiftpaw lives’ au is nothing new here BUT hear me out:

in this au, everything happens as it does in the first arc up to the night where swiftpaw and brightpaw sneak out of camp to fight the dogs. as they are leaving, cloudtail somehow sees/hears/notices and is obviously suspicious so trails them into the forest secretly.

as they get closer to the dogs’ den he realises their plan and confronts the pair, trying to get them to return to camp. swiftpaw is defiant and argues back, escalating into a fight as cloudtail tries to physically knock some sense into swiftpaw. brightpaw looks on in horror trying to break up this fight. this is obviously not a very quiet battle, considering the participants are two bullheaded teenage boys, and so the dogs are woken up anyway.

swiftpaw leaps into action as brightheart freezes in paralysing fear. as a dog lunges at her, cloudtail notices and leaps into the dog’s jaws, pushing brightpaw out of the way in the process. in a burst of fear and strength, brightpaw notices swiftpaw unconcious and unable to move with a missing leg and grabs him to run away, escaping from the dogs and leaving cloudtail to bleed out and die (hence the main catalyst for differences in this au: cloudtail dies in swiftpaw’s place). she doesn’t realise this at the time, hoping cloudtail will understand since he is still up and fighting, and not thinking about the consequences of leaving one cat alone to fight a pack of dogs.

bluestar renames them in the same way lostface was named in the original arc, brightpaw being renamed lostface and swiftpaw being named dogleg, and fireheart is ANGRY with the pair (and himself) for the needless loss of his nephew’s life. no renaming ceremony is held, and they are made to keep their names in rememberance of their foolishness. (sidenote: i think this would also spark a major shift in fireheart’s good nature and personality, leading to MAJOR knockon effects for the rest of the series, but i haven’t thought about it too much yet and also i need to reread the books) and because cloudtail isn’t around to advocate for lostface’s warrior retraining, she is relegated to be a medicine cat and never really emotionally recovers in the same way she could in the books because cloudtail isn’t around to offer her that emotional support. she also very much blames herself for letting him fight a battle that he never signed up to fight and dying in the process, the overwhelming levels of guilt weighing on her constantly to the point where cats are a little creeped out by how empty even her remaining eye looks.

on the other hand (paw?), dogleg is left seething with anger and bitterness towards his clan. (i imagine him after the attack as a somewhat ashfur-like character, except much more extreme) a lot of his toxicity and anger would be taken out on lostface, one of the only cats he talks to anymore, and instead of brightheart and cloudtail entering a very healthy and positive relationship instead lostface ends up in a secret (VERY toxic) relationship with dogleg. she remains attached to him i think because of the trauma they experienced together. i have to think more about that, though. (maybe even kits?)

in the end something something dogleg forces lostface to start poisoning food as the clan’s medicine cat to take revenge on other cats like bluestar or fireheart. i think this culminates in dogleg turning very traitorous somehow.

that’s what i have so far! feel free to sends asks/tag with suggestions or ideas of knockon effects of this change. thanks for reading this big ol paragraph of me rambling about cats lol, appreciate y’all 🦭👍

[wormstar]

making wc ocs for like the first time in years. positing a challenge to myself to make characters themed around individual tmv songs.... planning to make a good couple of clans that live around the galapagos islands. more info under cut

these guys come from flowclan, a clan living near a mountain known as the cloud cliff. stories of the cliff bursting and unleashing fatal viscera have been passed down through multiple generations, though such a phenomenon has gone directly unobserved for decades.

sniffstar is an old old man and unfortunately (in his opinion) the current leader of flowclan. a former healer-turned-warrior and part of a political coup in his youth, he aided in the assassination of the previous leader, blossomstar, who was planning to send out a patrol of cats to make the week-long journey into dustclan territory as a feint to encourage war between the two clans. following blossomstar's death, his deputy finchtail, who was a spy for the coup, ascended to leadership and elected sniffstep as her successor. sniffstep supported finchstar's somewhat more just rule, though often butted heads with her for her laissez-faire attitude toward external clan affairs, as he believed that the only way to live in good conscience was to unite the island clans into one. following a bout of sickness, finchstar lost most of her lives. sniffstep secretly snuffed the last one and became leader himself. moons and moons have passed and his diplomatic ideals have become somewhat of a joke among a good sect of flowclan, and especially among the other clans. dustclan is the only clan that has agreed to form a 'connective alliance' with flowclan to honor the coup preventing a war. becoming jaded in his age, sniffstar has become much more meek, especially in the face of other leaders' aggression. these days he is honestly just waiting for starclan to take him.

i have much less for snakebird but vague idea is that she was accused of heresy against starclan by the leader of another clan and was abducted and executed and posthumously mutilated. she was buried far from clan territories to avoid her ascension to starclan, though this was not distant enough — various spirits eventually reached her within the course of a moon and, miraculously, managed to resuscitate her. she made an arduous journey back to flowclan territory and resumed her position, is probably training an apprentice and keeping undercover, restricted to flowclan's camp

[fallenclan]

Would you like to explain more what is behind those reactions in the latest comic? I mean those panels with Littleleaf ect. What are they feeling and why?

(Love the expressions btw)

sure :)

-Kestrelfeather (61 moons, he/him) He's happy for Wolfbite! That's his best friend and he was probably let in on a lot of the information that Wolf got regarding Ravenstar's murderings, so he's not only happy that Wolfbite succeeded her mission, but also that Ravenstar is toast lol

-Ospreyswipe (113 moons, he/him) Very similar reasons as Kestrel, he's Feathersight's mate and he knew most of what was going on, so he's happy that Ravenstar isn't leader anymore and he's also happy that Feathersight finally completed the mission he'd been on for years

-Myrtleclaw (112 moons, any pronouns) & Juniperfoot (113 moons, she/they) Myrtle and Juniper were Sandsnap's mates. Not only are they filled with a mix of grief and joy at seeing Sandsnap's murder avenged, they're also feeling a lot of emotion seeing their daughter, Wolfbite, be the Big Hero. They probably weren't let in on what was happening, but they're relieved she's okay nevertheless.

-Littleleaf (83 moons, he/him) His brother, whom he dearly loved, who was only ever loving and kind to him, just died. How do you think he's feeling?

-Darkstone (38 moons, he/they) Overjoyed. Darkstone has always had a bit of a mean/slightly bloodthirsty streak, so while most of the cats watching this have an undercurrent of "oh shit that guy just died horribly", he's just kind of laughing about it. If he could hold pompoms he'd be doing a little dance about it

-Honeysong (53 moons, she/her) She's in pain and exhausted but she's also very happy that Ravenstar isn't leader anymore. She's also a pacifist and somewhat disturbed by Ravenstar's gory death, so she's hiding her face in Darkstone's fur as well as using him as physical support.

-Feathersight (112 moons, he/she/they) Relief. He's known something was wrong since Ravenstar became a warrior and he's carried the burden of Poppyfeather, Cherrystar, & Sandsnap's murders with him for so long, knowing that he's been one of the main forces bringing Ravenstar down has made him more stress-free than he's been since he was a young cat. He will be breaking down in tears later that night.

-Flamefall (72 moons, he/him) Shock. Awe. Grief. Ravenstar was his friend for longer than he was his enemy, so there's a definite feeling of sadness within him at seeing that cat die, but he was afraid of Ravenstar for a long, long time, and seeing that cat be taken down is. Really something. He's felt irredeemable for many moons, and knowing that this wouldn't have happened without him is bringing a new light into his life.

-Mistlefrost (107 moons, he/him) & Inkynose (40 moons, she/her) Mistlefrost and Inkynose were two cats who were punished for speaking up about Ravenstar's actions. They both have a little bit of a vengeful streak, so they're reveling in seeing a cat who made them suffer suffer. They're also both extremely loyal to Fallenclan, so they're overjoyed to see the world realign itself.

-Patchback (105 moons, she/her) Patchback was one of Ravenstar's most loyal followers. She was kicked out of her old clan for being too cruel, so when she joined Fallenclan she kept it all on the down-low. Then comes Ravenstar, a cat with the same ideals as her who praises her for her strength. Her ability to put her clanmates in their place. Now that cat is gone. She's grieving and furious.

-Levi (109 moons, he/him) Levi is a cat that follows power wherever it goes, and he just watched his chance at leadership get thrown out of the window. He was loyal to Ravenstar, sure, because that was his best option of getting to where he wanted to be. He saw Ravenstar die, adjusted, made an attempt, and realized very quickly that without Ravenstar to back him up, he wasn't much of anything.

-Sleepydawn (74 moons, he/they) Sleepydawn was resistant to Ravenstar's loyalty at first, but a little manipulation brought him right around. Before he knew it, he was doing whatever Ravenstar told him, desperate for the validation and ignoring his family as they tried to pull him away. Ravenstar was his pillar of support--Sleepydawn did what he said because he was the clan leader. It was the right thing to do because he was the clan leader. Now, he wasn't the clan leader anymore. What does that mean for Sleepydawn?

-Bearspring (56 moons, she/her) After her mother, Cherrystar, died, Bearspring was left with a gaping wound. She was bitter at the loss, and angry, and Ravenstar, who had always been a good friend to her mother, took her under his wing and taught her ways to get that anger out. She was loyal to him, unfailingly, and then her mother's ghost appeared and said that she was murdered. And then Ravenstar died in front of her. There's a lot going on inside her head right now, but the largest emotion is probably guilt. She thinks she's been betraying her mother all this time.

-Marshjump (56 moons, he/she) Marshjump is Bearspring's brother. He never fell under Ravenstar's paws, always too soft-hearted and relying on his father more than anyone, but he saw how his sister did. He didn't know the extent of Ravenstar's cruelty until now, when he saw his mother's ghost. Now, not only does he see that, but he sees his sister, trembling in guilt and rage and grief, and knows he has a chance now to bring her back to him. He's grieving, but he also feels shock and joy and terror.

also bearspring. lmao

[bonefall]

It's a shame Tree is so poorly used because playing Clangen made me think about how much drama a mediator could cause even if they have good intentions. Like trying to get two cats to get along but only making their relationship worse or committing a big political faux pass with a rival clan when they need their support at the brink of war. Conflict through diplomacy can be fun if you commit to building tension and consequences with it.

Do you think mediators will eventually become a thing in all the BB!Clans?

Mediators are a great game mechanic in Clangen. Absolutely fantastic design choice, giving you better influence over the relationships between cats in a game all about managing relationships between cats. The people who came up with that one should be kissed on the mouths.

I'm not sure how much I'd get out of them as a storytelling element for BB, though.

It's not a complete no-- Clangen's mediators are pretty close to that "Therapy" rework I floated. Making their role more about interpersonal conflict, giving advice, helping individual cats work through their issues.

At the same time though, I find that the sense of community is so much stronger when that isn't someone's "job," but just something someone in the Clan can relate to.

Jaypaw could have had some sessions with a hypothetical therapist to confront his internalized ableism-- but isn't it more interesting for him to realize that by calling himself worthless for his disability, he's directly insulting his mentor Longtail too? And that Longtail will invoke his Battle Cat right to FIGHT for his honor?

They could consult elders, find a surprising connection in a Clanmate they'd never paid attention to, reignite an old friendship they thought they lost forever. There already feels like so many possibilities, and all of them feel more intriguing than "goes to the designated therapy guy."

If there's anyone like a political diplomat in BB though, it feels like it should evolve from Merchants. Ive got some stuff about trading and bartering in the works, and I think there's more space for interesting ideas there.

[m6rija]

⟡ ⠀through your eyes⠀⠀⊹⠀⠀ soshiro hoshina & you

gn, flower shop owner reader. soshiro realizes how much you mean to him, and how afraid he is to admit it. hurt/comfort. this is the part 2 of my scaredy cat series.

it had been a busy few months for both of you. hoshina had finally been accepted into the defense forces while you busied yourself moving into the heart of tokyo, setting up a modest little shop adorned with the seasonal flowers.

however, you made plans to say goodbye soon, as the man would be heading back south as he was assigned a base in the area. you had always remained close to each other since your childhoods and had formed daily habits that went around that, so it was a bit of a shock to hear the news.

but you would still support him from afar— even with empty words as you watched the tv hoping to see his smiling face on some news. you wished the best for the man even though you lacked the right words to express it in front of him.

you had watched him strive since he was a little boy; when he trained with his brother, when calluses began to grow on his fingers after carrying swords for long periods of time and how he explained his techniques to you with fervor.

you always felt that he deserved the best— the nicest compliments and the sweetest words, for he had worked so hard.

and somehow, you wanted to be the person who showered him with such praise. no matter how much your lips trembled as you tried to say something that would sound corny, or how much your hands clenched the fabric of your garments as you blushed in embarrassment, thinking of something nice to say to soshiro.

you hadn't changed a bit since you were a little kid, you knew that. and that was only highlighted by the way your eyes were fixed on a null point as you felt firm arms wrap around your waist with a certain warmth and utmost care.

you felt your cheeks burn, and silence greeted you as you shared that embrace that was beginning to linger longer than it should.

his head rested on your shoulder and you could feel his breathing vaguely bump against your ear.

you didn't know that his eyes, likewise, were looking at a blank spot behind you. you meant so much to him emotionally— even though he didn't mention it and you remained unaware of it.

you were the first person who welcomed him with open arms without judging what he did and how he did it. the first person who was interested in learning his techniques and who was genuinely intrigued by his extracurricular activities.

at that age he was used to hearing the opinions of only his clan, so seeing something different than that was special to him.

you were just a curious child from a family that happened to live not far from the hoshina settlement. during the summer vacations you liked to go visit him to hang out with him and watch him train until night fell and you would say goodbye with a broad smile.

every day he waited for you, even if he didn't say it out loud. he always took time off for you, to greet you and chat a bit while he rested from his practices— his older brother teased him by saying that he was in love, and he deeply denied it.

but perhaps soichiro's words weren't too far from the truth.

soshiro began to integrate you into his daily life and unconsciously dedicated part of his busy schedule to you just for the whim of seeing you; to see your smile, to hear your voice while you explained something to him, or simply to watch you while spending time together.

he appreciated you a lot more than he did any other acquaintance and that only reinforced the theory that he liked you

as much as he was afraid to admit it

as much as he knew that it was a huge liability because of his line of work

for he didn't want to put your life at risk, or involve you in the intricacies of his work that might escalate to something bigger

for he knew that your life was volatile, fragile in the sight of a kaiju

he would never forgive himself if he was seriously wounded one day and saw you looking at his bandaged body in distress. he would never forgive himself if he lost his life in combat while you waited for him at home, patient and innocent.

so he turned away from you before his body betrayed him, before he felt the need to cling to you and ignore his duties as part of the defense forces. because you meant so much to him and soshiro wasn't yet ready to say goodbye.

so he would force it.

"soshiro?"

your voice, trembling with obvious hesitation, left your lips in an almost silent trickle. you dared to observe the scowl that adorned his face, how his lips were pressed into a thin line and how those crimson orbs were somehow avoiding looking directly at you

a knot was born in both of your throats, as you clung to each other because of the weight you assigned to the other's presence in your lives. you were like puzzle pieces— made to be together, hands intertwined, close.

so this sudden event would cause certain repercussions in your lives. consequences that both would evade and hide when facing the uncertainty, not knowing how the other would react when declaring something as heavy as love.

[warrior-cats-rewritten]

If I had to rewrite Changing Skies:

Tawnypelt

The Clans are going to fight the humans.

Tigerstar is too busy leading and keeping everyone calm, so he sends Tawnypelt and whatever friends she wants to go on a mission to find out how they can stop the Twolegs.

Tawnypelt doesn't really WANT to, but does it because she wants her son to know she trusts his judgment.

She brings along Crowfeather (let me cook) and Brambleclaw. (LET ME COOK)

First major event is Crowfeather dying. He gets a terrible wound on his back leg from doing something Tawnypelt TOLD HIM NOT TO, and the infection kills him.

Tawny and Bramble are on their own now, and tensions are high. Not only that, but they have NO CLUE what to do, and the Twolegs are getting closer every day...

The only clue they have is with a strange kittypet named Rufus, wearing a strange bulky collar.

Tawnypelt is getting angry, and tired with Brambleclaw. He isn't the brother she thought he was, and their relationship has been fractured since the reveal that he trained in The Dark Forest. Sure, she supported him during TBC, but that ended up not being HIM and it was a terrible mistake to make...

It's his insistence that she listen to him, that he "prove himself", that he is the choice-maker and... Tawny's had enough.

"Brambleclaw, you're older than most cats around the lake, for Starclan's sake, GROW UP ALREADY!"

He leaves, insisting that he knows what is best, and she'll feel so sorry once he's right! No one ever believes in him, just because of his father!

She finds his body the next day. Rufus helps her bury him, but there isn't time to dwell, she needs to keep going. Rufus keeps walking up to humans wearing sleek white pelts that hild little flashing boxes up to Tawnypelt, he keeps saying it's fine but the way he lets them PICK him UP is going to give her a heart attack!

Kids these days. (Affectionate. Bewildered. 3 seconds from signing adoption papers.)

Leafstar

Leafstar is suffering from depression, and notices that her sight is starting to dim.

Fidgetflake tells her that she is developing cataracts, and Leafstar just takes it as "one more thing to happen to me". Her mate has died, her daughter Stormheart was killed in the horrific war against Splashstar and Berrystar that she herself barely made it out of with her last life... Her children have grown and have kits of their own, they don't need her anymore, cats don't want to talk with her...

She's completely lost her spark, and finds no joy in anything. She's not only losing her vision in a physical sense, but she's lost her 'vision' for Skyclan.

She also needs to hold the election for a new deputy, as Skyclan does things differently, and Hawkwing has been killed by a polluted stream.

The candidates are: Violetshine (who now has trained Beetlepaw instead of Reedclaw), Macgyver, and Rileypool (death swapped with Sagenose and mentored Kitescratch).

Violetshine is selected, and immediately some cats are calling for her to be made leader instead. A vote goes through, but not enough cats vote in the theoretical Violetstar's favour. (She doesn't mind!)

Leafstar is distraught when the construction comes Skyclan's way, poisoning their main stream and leading MANY cats to sickness, including her sweet granddaughter Wrenflight, born of Harrybrook and Bellaleaf.

The others Clans have less sympathy. Skyclan is using kittyp-er Daylight Warriors, they'll be fine if they just go back inside their homes. Maybe Starclan's angry that they're taking resources.

She slams her paw down onto the Moonpool's thin frozen surface, it cracks beneath her paw, the cold water spreading its horrible chill, ignored as Leafstar snarls at Starclan.

"Answer my pleas, stop punishing me, or my Clan, or I am taking us back to The Gorge, Other Clans be damned. Help us, or you will prove to me that you truly are a bunch of useless dead cats parading around with sparkling fur and empty promises!"

A ghostly figure appears, just for a moment, whispering to her.

"You may not have sight any longer, and I know all hope seems lost, Leafstar, but brighter times are coming. Do Not Let The Moon Fall."

Moonpaw

Since the writers wanna be awful about Sunbeam, I'm going to one-up them and do this pre-emptively.

Nightheart brought Sunbeam to Riverclan. He wasn't made Leader or Deputy, no, that was given to Icewing and Minnowtail.

Sunbeam, tragically, passed in childbirth soon after she got pregnant by accident... She left Nightheart with a single kitten, a tiny tortoiseshell tabby molly with a white chest, and wide blue and yellow eyes.

Nightheart, still stubborn about names and meaning and holding a grudge against his mother for not providing him with the Orange Gene, names his daughter Moonkit, determined to constantly remind her how she Doesn't Have To Be Like Sunbeam. She has quite a few friends, some in different Clans!

Moonpaw is apprenticed to Flame. An ex-Kin member that joined Riverclan during WCR!AVOS who Nightheart hates with a passion. Guess why.

Moonpaw is a good kid, but her relationship with her father is strained beyond belief. She wishes he would stop... Acting like this. Like he's the only cat to have ever suffered, stop arguing with her sweet mentor over the pettiest thing, stop comparing her to her mother in the most backwards way he can by trying to push her to somehow be the opposite of a cat she's never met...

She is good friends with Frostfeather and Whistlemoon, especially Whistlemoon, for obvious reasons. Moon buddies!

Moonpaw is dared by an older apprentice, Rapidpaw, to "go spend a night at the Moonpool when it's a new moon with all the ghosts!"

She's scared, not of the dark but if her dad finds out. "Sunbeam LOVED breaking rules!" He would always say, "But you can be good and do what YOU want. Just because your mother liked to stand out, doesn't mean you always have to! You can be special in your way!" She always saw Frostfeather glaring when he said that...

"Rule breaker." Frostfeather would scoff. "Didn't know her at all..."

Anyways, aside from a fright from a possum, she makes her way to the Moonpool with ease.

Too much ease.

She walks around, stepping into the pawprints on the ground, and batting a little plant that's growing at the entrance.

Not scary!

She walks into the main chamber, eyes sparkling and growing bigger as she lays eyes on the Moonpool for the first time.

It's the most beautiful thing she's ever seen.

In awe, Moonpaw slowly steps up to it, looking at her own reflection in the sparkling, crystal water, she pokes a paw in.

The gentle ripples lap at the edges, and Moonpaw swears she can hear a soft whispering.

Immediately though, she is bombarded with noise, giggling kittens, cats chatting with one another, and a soft warning.

"Careful, don't fall in!"

Moonpaw looks around for that voice, softer than any others, yet more clear. She stares into the crystal clear, sparkling water of the Moonpool, deeper, deeper, and deeper, drawing her in and making her more calm than she's ever felt...

She falls into the Moonpool.