#i am getting a windclan vibe from her

[bonefall]

Sketch Request: Batch 1

So I said they'd be in pencil but OOPS they are in pen

Requests are still open, feel free to request the same character again!

Under the cut is Firestar, Bluestar, Runningnose, Flipclaw, Hawkwing, Violetshine, and Morningflower. Special guest appearances for Brokenstar and balding Lionblaze.

@doritopaw101 Firestar

FIRESTARRRR I want him to look like an anime protagonist. He starts off round, simple eyes, blush, and ends up as fire twink. The chest scars are from where Scourge killed him

I have never been able to imagine stripes on him. He is an orange crayon.

@nightly-ruse Bluestar

Ignore balding lionblaze in the corner we'll get to him

I usually just see a super basic blue cat when I picture her but Bluestar needs something cooler than that. I tried to channel a wolf, long face, tail's kinda thick, leg feathering. She also has a ThunderClan "mane," a feature I try to put on most TC cats

After the Tigerstar attack I love the idea she has tabby-like scars on one side of the face. Shredded ear, loss of vision in one eye. I also make it a point to always include her shoulder scar.

@runn1ngn0se Your Boy (scheme flavor)

Runningnose looks sticky, but it's all just natural markings. He's actually quite thick and fluffy (same build as Tangleburr).

His defining feature is that snot-streak, which is also just a very unfortunate birthmark.

He's pretty naturally dour. Serious expressions, gives the vibe that he's always analyzing you, he doesn't tend to speak unprompted. But he does smile a lot when Brokenstar's doing Evil Things with him.

He LOVES when he gets to start shit and hide in the fluff of his beloved supernatural manifestation of spite and rage. Special drawing of it since I already posted his full design waaay back.

Also side note Im obsessed with the cut disney song "Snuff Out The Light" right now and it feels like SUCH a Bonefall Runningnose anthem.

@elkpoint Flipclaw

So I mentioned Balding Lionblaze here because he's his grandpa! Flipclaw looks a LOT like him before he lost his hair. He's MEGA fuzzy. (In the rewrite though Fernsong is an ex-kittypet and Ivypool is Lionblaze's daughter)

I also can't imagine him as a brown tabby, he's this really nice brownish-gold color like a lion. His stripes are brown, though. He's also a total jokester, I think he was really close to his uncle Hollylark and misses him a lot.

Pictured is him saying, "look at me guys im walking like a twoleg!!" What a guy.

@purrsnickitty Hawkwing

I have always seen him as a mix between Tony Tiger and Batman. I am not sorry about this.

He is also a lynxpoint. When I make SkyClan cats I think of monkeys and aviator pilots for some reason, so they're all getting dextrous paws and prehensile tails.

His stripes are also all chevrons, and he's got TONS of tufts on his shoulders, ears, plus a puffy 'mane' that's part of the belly (don't ask me why it just reminds me of aviator jackets for some reason)

He is also an absolute unit.

@purrsnickitty Violetshine

Usually I need to do two sketches to get where I'm going with a design but not for Violetshine. First try, there she is. Monkey woman

Heart shapes for her, heart face, heart belly/mane. It also didn't come across well but her tail is LONG. Able to wrap around stuff easy. Mm, monkey.

I intended for there to be family resemblance because her and Hawkwing are bodied. They have LOTS of diameter. Complete volume.

@nightly-ruse Morningflower

Mentally I adopted your design of Morningflower because it's so good, but here's my old idea of her

Calico Morningflower my beloved

The coloring was difficult but I tried to communicate she has very little white. Most of her is bright orange and warm, sooty gray. She is the sister of Ashfoot (Onewhisker removed) so the gray is very important in my head.

I like WindClan cats to be very whispy, and they almost always have a white tail tip. Morningflower, instead, has an orange tip (which I may fix in another draft).

(I drew her training an apprentice, it was going to be Whitetail! But then I borked the eyes and it's pen so I can't fix it. She looks too scary. So I cropped her out OTL)

#Tags later #On mobile rn and there's a lot to tag

[vilejpg]

SO. I joined a new RP group, and so far these are the two characters I've thrown in it! Moonstalk (previously Moonmaul in another server) and Batkit (previously Batshade in another server, got a redesign for the new vibe >:3) I've only been in it for a little bit, but it seems like it's gonna be great! The lore is interesting, the vibes are immaculate, and I know most of the people on the server already, so I know they're all awesome people to talk to! That being said... if maybe YOU'RE interested in joining the group, feel free to give it a lil looksie! A lil peek, even! Check it out >:3 Will leave the link and some Lore under Read More!

ThunderClan... RiverClan... WindClan... ShadowClan... The four clans lived together in peace and harmony. Then, everything changed when Thorn attacked! ...Or something like that, anyways. In this group, RiverClan and WindClan have been recently demolished; what once was their territory being taken up by the other two remaining clans. ShadowClan is kind, while ThunderClan is extremely strict regarding the code; these are the core traits of both clans thus far! Due to the many, MANY deaths of these two clans' past leaders within the most recent moons, new leaders are chosen for each clan; a fresh slate, a new start, and all made in the hope that what happened in the past will never happen again. Honeystar of ThunderClan; leader by choice, but not because of any ambition. Honeystar is primarily a glutton, with the whole reason he became leader being that 1. No one else wanted to, and 2. As leader, he'd gain access to all kinds of treats, foods, and affections that were unreachable before! But while he may not have any ambitions of his own, that doesn't mean no one in the clan does... a cat whispers in his ear, and he listens. Roachstar of ShadowClan; unlike many others who hesitated, she had no fear of the target on her back nor the deaths which may come her way for the mere fact that she wished to lead the clan she loved the way they deserved. Beneath a goofy mask lie clever eyes and a cunning mind; she will rule her clan, twice as loyal as the cats before her, but nowhere near as forgiving. Right now in RP- 1/09/2024- there's an even going on, where cats may have the chance to get a fortune from StarClan themselves! There's so much more to explore in this group, and I am excited at the opportunity to be involved in whatever stories are cooked up. >:3

Kawaakari / River At Dusk RP Group

#warrior cats #wc #warrior cats rp #wc rp #rp group #roleplay group #warrior cats roleplay #wc roleplay #Kawaakari #River At Dusk #RaD #im genuinely vv excited to see where things go #already got some Plans for Batkit and Moonstalk bein cooked up #>:3 #and i cant wait to see what charas the others bring into the group as well!!!

[cagedcats]

I am getting Deerbelly vibes if she was a kittypet starclan wanted her to get lost in the mac n cheese

WindClan is keeping Deerbelly back from her true potential. She is absolutely a foodie.

#caged answers #I need to draw my girl #but I want to get a good grasp on drawing the other Clans #currently I only feel somewhat comfy with drawing Shadow and Thunder cats

[creampuffqueen]

i am seriously getting the desire to reread 'river' of asc. i liked it a lot and hearing other peoples' thoughts has made me like it even more. i am so intrigued and compelled by this story and i am so excited to see where they take it. obvi i'm trying to keep my expectations low. the past three arcs have all been super good at first, then sucky at the end, so asc could end up like that. but god i hope it doesn't

something i would like to see is nightheart and sunbeam NOT getting together. however, i think it would be hysterical if warriors pulled a fake dating plot. that would be so fucking funny. i saw something abt sunbeam getting with shadowsight and i actually love that a lot a lot. if half clan relationships are now allowed, will they discuss the medicine cat rule? i feel like they have to

which leads to another theory i saw- moth flight being the villain of this arc. which would be really cool actually. i love moth flight, and i think she was done very dirty by the situation she was in as the first med cat- young single mom, four kits, and a bunch of bad babysitters. i see exactly where she was coming from, and why she would react in a way that forbids med cats from ever having kits. ideal moth flight villain plot? she is the villain but we discuss her trauma, tell her it's not her fault she couldn't take care of her kits, and that things can be different. eventually leading to med cats being able to take mates and have kits, which would be awesome

i think windclan is hiding something. harestar's absence was pointed. i think there was a reason. i also think reedwhisker was murdered. i still think curlfeather had something to do with it; she was way too quick to dismiss the claw marks. i think frostpaw does not have the power she thinks she does; i think she gets omens of which cats are going to die, a bit like goosefeather but less insane. but she could get there! they've done an excellent job traumatizing her thus far!

and lastly, i think they're setting up for bramblestar to step down, or be removed from his leader position. he is clearly suffering awful ptsd, which nobody can blame the guy for, and he's not in his right mind all the time. the half clan relationship rule has already been plenty utilized, so i think by the end of the arc they're going to need to use the other one. bramblestar is the most likely candidate for this in my mind. riverclan is having a succession crisis, but they could use it as well and i wouldn't be surprised. shadowclan seems fine BUT berryheart's group could sway to get tigerheartstar removed possibly. i think windclan is up to something but i don't think they'll remove harestar. and i think skyclan is, as always, just vibing

anyway, river!!!! some thoughts about it. i love how different the plots are from each other, despite the main characters being the recycled trio from last arc. nightheart having his coming of age (trans awakening cough cough) sunbeam living her chick flic life, and frostpaw being the key to murder mystery. all at the same time.

my last hope is that we get the trio being friends. they tried to make bristle root and shadow friends but majorly failed, bris and root were obvi but they didn't really care about shadow. sunbeam and nightheart seem like they'll be friends, but i hope they meet frostpaw and our pov cast does stuff together!

#mal rereads warriors #warrior cats #a starless clan #warrior cat theory

[these-posts-arent-real]

warrior cats dash sim anyone?

#no canon characters #sorray guys thats too much #im just gonna do some made up dudes

0 notes

🔲 yourfave-tunnel-guy-deactivat

Guys I hate tunnellers. Lmao.

🌱 dirtdigger-23 Follow

By StarClan, I hate this mindset. Tunnellers are such an underappreciated part of WindClan society. Just because we don't do as much running or typical hunting doesn't make us less valuable than you. Op and cats like him are so stupid.

🌻 l1llyst3m Follow

Crow-food-worth reading comprehension lmao. It was satire (the url clearly states "tunnel.") Also, her*

🌱 dirtdigger-23 Follow

Ok I see where that was probably satire (OP should have made that more clear though) Where are you getting "her" from though lmao. OP's url is "yourfave-tunnel-guy"

🌻 l1llyst3m Follow

I'm getting "her" because I'm OP. This is my new account. I'm trans. Hope this helps.

#i said so in the tags of the last addition #but as i said. crow-food-worth reading comprehension #prev probably didnt even read my tags lmao

2,209 notes

🌾 barncat-vibes Follow

I am goingto fucking kill Jadestar. Lmao.

🌾 barncat-vibes Follow

WRONG BLOG

🐱 berrrrry-o Follow

Clanblr user barncat-vibes is from rc confirmed??

🏞 trouttail-prefers-bass Follow

Haha I already knew that, I'm mutuals with them on their main, plus we're IRL friends. Forgot that wasn't common knowledge.

🐱 berrrrry-o Follow

tbh I always assumed they were wc since thats the clan closest 2 the barns...

🪵 i-eat-moss Follow

Uh sorry ar ewe just glossing over how @barncat-vibes and @trouttail-prefers-bass are IRLS???!!!!?

#mutuals i can understand since they have the same ideas on like #social justice stuff... they both post trans stuff sometimes #but #IRLS? #SOMEONE is fucking with me #i met trouttail once at a gathering #nice dude #suuuper weird to imagine him knowing barncat-vibes

27 notes

🌅 kit-names-inspo Follow

I've decided to make a full post on this, since I've noticed this issue a lot lately. So let me make this clear:

I am NOT comfortable with "transgender" cats using my name suggestions to pick out new names. The service I provide is to help queens who have or are having kits, not confused males who think they're mollies.

STOP using my blog for your delusions.

🌅 kit-names-inspo Follow

Go ahead and unfollow me. I didn't want you 200 transgenders on my blog anyway.

🛤 carnation-stem-02 Follow

Anyone else find it funny how after this post OP lost 200+ followers? Anyone?

Anyway for a better source of names for trans mollies, toms & enbies, @name-lists-by-theme has much better names, sorted much more cleanly, AND she's not a transphobe.

#trans #fuck transphobia #fuck transphobes #fuck terfs #<- kit-names-inspo is a self-proclaimed radfem&terf btw

17,092 notes

🔁 🐍xviper-the-fagx reblogged

🤍 snwtl Follow

I can't believe we're being told to "normalize" cats becoming kittypets now. Do you have any idea how many cats would just abandon their families if it became socially acceptable to run off and live with the twolegs???

🍲 ex-thundrclan-kipper Follow

Honestly (as someone who left the Clans because I had a mate in the twolegplace), I haven't seen this to be as true as you're saying. I've seen one cat who "abandoned" his family to become a kittypet, if you count his abusive ex-partner, but for the most part, the cats we leave behind are understanding and okay with the fact that we have to move on. I wasn't meant for warrior life, and I left it, and I'm happier for it.

🤍 snwtl Follow

The fact that you would even imply it's okay to abandon your family for a life as a kittypet only serves to prove my point. You make me sick.

🪺 robbbinpaw Follow

Crow-food-worth reading comprehension

#yeah #snwtl (snowtail i think?) needs to use their eyes lmao #starclan this place gets on my last nerve #thinking of taking a break from clanblr because of shit like this

847 notes

🌱 dirtdigger-23 Follow

Uhh... where am I. My dash looks weird...

#fakeposting #fake dash #dashboard simulator #dash simulator #warrior cats #warrior cats dashboard #cat dashboard simulator #fake dashboard #unreality #clanblr

[yourfavreadswarriorcats]

Kimmy Gibbler from Full House reads Warrior Cats

(requested by @avafilms)

#yourfavreadswarriorcats #kimmy gibbler #full house #warriors #warrior cats #i am getting a windclan vibe from her

[canon-notcanon-warriorcats]

I have spent some time coming up with cats that could have some novella potential.

bar my deep bias for her, I think mosspelt could be a great contender. especially now that all of her kits (feathertail and stormfur included) are either dead or in the tribe. this could be interesting to see how she reacts to her kin dying before her.

another soft spot of mine that has potential is the relationship between gorsetail(PoT) and beechfur(RC). simply how did they fall in love (even though I am worried that the erins could make it a warrior/apprentice ship at the start) how did riverclan and windclan (especially onestar) react to the kits. does anyone know or is it a secret that managed to stay hidden? (this should be a gorsetail PoV book, we need more female PoVs and windclan never had a novella for themselves) fallowtail and reedfeather could also have potential in the same zone. I simply don't understand what fallowtail saw in that bitchy man. so maybe a novella could explain it

speaking of fallows. a doestar novella centered around her family. from who her parents are (seedpelt and midgepelt) to her sister's(deerpaw) death and her potential relationship with fallowsong (I am the same anon that talked about doefallow as sandstorm's ancestors) this books would clearly not follow the headcanons I have. but learning more about doestar would be very interesting

some more obvious cats are nightstar, sunstar and featherwhisker (they could even share a super edition together), and willowpelt. both her littermates got novellas, she should get one too

and some cats that simply give me novella vibes are nightmask and greeneyes, two deputies, from skyclan and thunderclan respectively that only appear in one story of code of the clans. I don't know. a rivalry would be fun. but I don't expect a book written by the erins for these two. a cat that really should get a book but isn't very known is night. she is riverclan's deputy in DotC. she has never done a damn thing. she has been in riverclan since it has been a thing with river ripple's group. she was the first riverclan deputy. she could have a nice romancefriendship with dew, another molly that has been in the clan for as long as night. give riverclan (and female characters) some attention erins!

i agree with all of these

just in general i want more background character stories, i want more just random cats of the world being explored instead of having huge arcs that the authors struggle to create content for whole series

[brambledpelt]

Marion reads “The Darkest Hour”

This post was brought to you by: the dread I feel before opening this book knowing it is the first time I’m opening a warriors book since starting this years nanowrimo project -It hits me that like, its really ironic to specify “Toms and She-cats without kits” like there are 100% some fathers in there -Like all of shadowclan is ex rogues now huh - BLOODCLAN?????????????? -I get why the names of bloodclan aren’t all listed, I knew about scourge but nothing could have prepared me for what actually reading him would be like this is not what I expected his entrance to be okay -Bluestar :( -The recaps, Good God, the recaps, I know, I KNOW it makes the emotional moments hit less when you recape everything, if it was just Fireheart remembering the big shit it’d hit so much harder despite how early in the book it is

-Getting the word out about their mistyfoot and stonefur’s lineage really does make the most sense as a defense against any plan Tigerstar may have but it still does feel weird huh -Uh oh! -”You’re young” yeah no shit,

-Fireheart being scared by the dog and Cinderpelt by the road, these cats are so traumatized :( -I wonder if windclan is more likely to visit the moonstone with regularity given how close to it they are -I complain about these books a lot and with good reason, but I do think some of the rituals and traditions are interesting -LIONHEART....... -How can having a partner prove unfaithfulnes to a cat you had a crush on, fireheart, c’mon, -FIRESTAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! -Love the visuals that show up in the dreams, am not very found of vague prophecy trope

-it was interrupted??? by who the fuck?

-I love Barley, he’s got this shit figured out, good for him -MORE FUCKING RECAPS I KNOW WHO RAVENPAW IS!!! I KNOW HIM!!!!! I KNOW THIS CAT ALREADY -Finally whitestorm as deputy, I stand by he should be leader right now -Okay....Okay this conversation with bramblepaw is cute, I want Bramblepaw to be a good cat, please, let him be good. -DID THEY GIVE A KITTEN FUCKING RABIES???? -NOOOOOO THATS ALMOST WORSE -WHO THE FUCK POISONS A KITTEN WHY WAS THIS SCENE NECESSARY -THANK FUCK, WHAT THE FUCK -Okay I know why the scene is here now but s t i l l -Thornclaw!!! -Brightheart!!! -storytime -Bastard Darkstripe, there really was a part of me that hoped he’d be innocent, I wanted to see how that would be handled -if Sandstorm gets mad again that it wasnt her ill lose my mind, it hasnt happened but im worried -recaps. all the recaps.

-”Of course I’m loyal! as I give another leader the ins and outs of our politics” -I mean it tracks she wouldn't trust Tigerstar but still, there's a hint of irony here -I get where he’s coming from but does it not occur to him or Whitestorm to ask Tawnypaw and Bramblepaw what they’d like

-The bastard man has arrived to yell about his war crimes -”MAKE IT GREAT AGAIN” IM LOSING MY FUCKING MIND I know this book is several years old but still that fucking strikes a nerve of COURSE it comes from Tigerstar! -Cloudtail continues to be resident cat atheist -He’s an apprentice asking a question Firestar :(

-I would commit Arson for Brightheart

-Is he asleep now?? -no okay just a special occasion

-Poor Tawnypaw -So he’ll let Featherpaw and Stormpaw choose but not Tawnypaw and Bramblepaw

-Hi Ravenpaw! -well shit -stonefur nooo -please tell me its fight time don’t let these cats die here

-There is something that feels almost too convenient about them choosing now to investigate but still please don’t let them die if we’re getting convoluted at least let the cats live -Convenient time for a speech, perfect for drowning out a scuffle -”We can’t tolerate half clan cats but merging the clans is the perfect thing to do” -Stonefur I love you so much -NOOOO -This is a children’s book huh, children’s books get away with so much violence when it’s animals -no lie if Ravenpaw rejoins the clan after this I’ll be kinda mad, like its cool that he’s helping but some cat should be able to just vibe in a safe place damn -Ravenpaw I love you -”The prisoners have escaped” is not a yowl you freeze to, fucking run -TAWNYPAW NO -OKAY I will give these books that, the set up and eventual hit of making at least Firestar focus his distrust towards Bramblepaw and then have Tawnypaw be the one that leaves, interesting but also :( -Genuinely taking notes, there’s a lot I can say against these books but there is something to be said for the balance in this particular book of maintaining tension by means of offering brief moments of respite from the action, and taking the time to do simple things like Stormpaw’s ritual becoming Graystripe’s apprentice, and the talk about the smaller things like Sandstorm helping Mistyfoot mentor. -Damn. -I knew Thunderclan and Windclan would join, it was pretty obvious but, hey its a kids book, I wasn’t expecting this much blood behind it -it worries me how deep into this I am and I haven’t seen anything of bloodclan yet -It’s weird knowing a sparse handful of spoilers, there’s only a couple cats I’m relatively confident will survive this -speaking of which, if Whitestorm dosen’t survive to retirement I’m suing -Tawnypaw :( -Bramblepaw should get to commit patricide I think -aaaaand there’s bloodclan!

-BYE TIGERSTAR

-Of course it couldn’t be that easy, see I knew Scourge was a villain, but I didn’t know what he wanted -Okay it is very much so a power move to spend several books building up an antagonist and building towards his fight with the main character only to have said antagonist brutally murdered in an instant leaving the lead to face off with said murderer. It seems like the kind of thing that can easily feel cheap if done wrong but I think it works here, not sure how much that stance is skewed by the fact I knew the murder was coming but not the aftermath. -Bramblepaw..... -the people who own that farm just kinda have barn cats show up huh -I adore Barley -Princess!! -”It can’t be what starclan wants” hey maybe talk to Cinderpelt, hey maybe remember that whole “blood will rule the forest” thing, hey maybe don’t pretend you didn’t see Tigerstar get cut down so brutally -y’know the way to save the absolute most members of your clan? fucking booking it, Bluestar said it herself, you got the choices. -Bramblepaw is going to leave to be with his sister isn’t he -Yeah it sucks but you can also just fucking leave -if you think you can form a fighting force surely you have enough strength to help kittens and elders through a journey to safety -Now would be a good time to console your apprentice -”Bloodclan has no respect for the Geneva convention healing out in the open puts not only you but your patients at risk hiding where only our side knows you are will be better for every cat” might be more effective than that Firestar. -If brightheart dies I’m suing -Whitestorm is gonna fucking die and im not ready -”If you’ll have us” as though he didn’t already agree to accept their help earlier -They are putting a lot of trust in the youngest leader there -Prediction: Firestar is gonna lose the first of his lives here -Darkstripe you fucking indiot -WHITESTORM :( -There it is, the first death, I knew it -Title drop -”YOU KILLED ME BUT I GOT BETTER” -Victory -I THOUGHT SHE MEANT MORE BLOODCLAN CATS FUCK -”No longer Allies” ok but what if you were though. you can be separate clans and like...be friends about it -Another book done.

#warrior cats #Marion Reads Warriors #the darkest hour #book reaction #I kinda wanted to see them go home and see the elders and the kits again but oh well #I'm gonna have to make another library trip soon

[ailuronymy]

Book Club: Tallstar’s Revenge, chpt. 19-27 overview.

Meta analysis of Erin Hunter writing tropes and trends, courtesy of two acclaimed e-sports commentators: 

“[Erin Hunter is] like, we need these characters to seem smart, so they will be the ones to call out all the bullshit. But they [the writers] don't go, wait, why is the bullshit even happening, it doesn’t make sense, and then write something better in the first place. I guess because we read these books on such a meta level so often, it really feels like watching one person play ping-pong against themselves, but one persona needs to look good so the other persona keeps giving themselves wedgies at the table and holding the paddle the wrong way. Which is... less impressive overall than just watching a nice normal game of ping-pong.” - S.

“Erin Hunter, about to self-own: I'm gonna pull what's called a pro-gamer move,” - K.   

“Literally! I can’t get past it. I know both players are you, Erin Hunter. I can see you putting on your dunce hat and walking to the other end of the table. You’re not tricking me.” - S. 

This week we’re discussing this chapter through these nine questions. Please feel welcome to do the same and @ailuronymy + use the tag #ailuronymy writing challenge. Happy reading and I’m looking forward to seeing your feelings about this book.

1. First impressions?

K. Oh boy. Lots of emotions, lots of rollercoaster moments. I'm actively hating the things that are happening, all the time, forever.

S. Mood. I would say actively detesting what's happening is the primary emotion now.

2. How did you feel reading this section?

S. Very much bounced between anger and frustration, with moments of genuine delight. Very much extreme ends of the negative and positive spectrum.

K. I don't think I've been more confused and full of pure venom in my life. As a writer I am appalled, and as a reader I am... so uncertain. The good bits were truly lovely to read, though. They made it feel worthwhile, when they shone through.

3. What chapter did you find most interesting/moving/effective, and why?

S. I think it's got to be the conversation with Heatherstar and Barkface. I think that most hooked me. I was also interested with the Flailfoot conversation, although I hated the turn it took. It will be different in my version.

K. Chapter Twenty is the one that actively had me yelling aloud. I was so ready for the Erins to make Tallpaw a tunneller out of sheer fear, and so to see the back-to-back catharsis of Heatherstar disbanding the tunnellers and then Dawnstripe being so A+... god. It got me good.

4. What chapter did you find least interesting/effective/most frustrating, and why?

K. I honestly blue-screened throughout all of Chapter Twenty-Seven, the last chapter. Without anything happening at all,  I saw a swathe of unending, dull descriptive text and my mind just blacked out to save me from comprehending any of it.

S. Was that the moonstone one?

K. Nope, that's like, the very last chapter of our reading. When he leaves the Clan and finds some rogue cat to lead him in the direction of a house.

S. Oh right. I forgot that too. I'm going to go with the Moonstone chapter, though. I fell asleep and dreamed of a better book for that whole time.

5. Is there a passage that stuck in your mind–for good, or not-so-good reasons? What is it, and why did it stand out? Try breaking it down and analysing what this passage does and how.

S. There were several things in this chapter I loved and that really resonated with my concept of Tallpaw and my writing. 

S. “He’d be a warrior soon, then a senior warrior like Hareflight. One day he’d be an elder, limping like Whiteberry and sharing stories from moons ago with his denmates. Above the vast sky stretched toward distant horizon. The Clan looked small and fragile beneath it. Was this it? His life laid out before him like an old story, told again and again through countless moons? Tallpaw’s chest tightened. Suddenly he felt trapped, as though he were in the tunnels once again.”

S. “A thought flashed in his mind. We’re just visitors, like the rogues. We arrive, we eat, we sleep, and then we move on to StarClan. The only difference was that Clan cats stayed in one place their whole life. I’ll only ever see heather and grass and sky. Tallpaw felt WindClan’s borders pressing closer.” I loved this kind of thinking showing up in the story, and I’d have loved way more of this and far far less of literally everything else. You could honestly cut out all of the Sandgorse angst and just lean into this, because it's good and it's real.

S. I also lost my whole mind at this bit: “They’re survivors, like you,” Barkpaw purred. They walked in silence for a while. Talltail gently steered his friend toward Outlook Rock.  “I love this view,” he mewed as he led Barkpaw out across the stone. Barkpaw peered into the night-shadowed valley. “Why? Everything is so dark and far away.”  Talltail sat down, beckoning Barkpaw to sit beside him with a flick of his tail. “Just wait.”  “For what?” The sky was growing pale as the sun pushed up toward the horizon behind them. Glancing over his shoulder, Talltail saw weak rays seeping through the bare branches of ThunderClan’s forest. “You’ll see in a moment,” he told Barkpaw.  As he spoke, the sun lifted above the trees. Sunlight swept the moor and lit up the tips of Highstones.  S. I was basically like fist-pumping. Canonical evidence that dawn is Tallstar's favourite time of day. I didn't know this before I wrote my other story, but damn it feels good. I love when things line up serendipitously like that. 

K.  Absolutely. Those felt so good to read. Not a very long passage, but: “How could his Clan be so unfeeling?” — This isn’t a galaxy brain take or anything, but I do love how evident it is that Tallpaw is just. Solidly projecting his own feelings onto everyone else. They’re not unfeeling, dog! You are!!

6. What themes have you noticed in this section? Are these themes a continuation of the themes you noticed in the first section, or has the story’s focus changed since then?

S. In the first chunk, I picked out "division" as a theme. And that feels very true still, as far as what's happening in the story. It's even more emphatic, with Palebird pushing Talltail out of her family (or so he feels, and with reason, in my opinion) and his self-imposed removal from the clan.

K. "Desire" might also be poignant for this section, actually. Talltail's desire to go off on his own, Barkface's desire for Talltail to be happy, so many other background characters doing something with their lives to have a new start (while Talltail broods).

S. Yes! I agree there. It's actually pretty interesting how the clan's unity in the face of tragedy and their kinship with the visitors is actually a big catalyst for Talltail to feel that division happening. The more together they are, the more apart he feels. I think desire is true of this too. There's--as always--a lot of emphasis on individuality, and choosing your own destiny and doing what you want.  It reminds me of that line from Hawkheart that I really liked, how every cat has to choose their destiny.

7. If you were going to learn a lesson from this section, what lesson would it be? What message stands out to you most clearly? Do you agree with it?

S. I think insofar as I can glean a lesson from this section, I'd go with learning from Heatherstar: sometimes it will be difficult to help people and they might resent you for it, but if you have the power to make a positive change, you should act, even though it's hard. S. That feels very appropriate, given the state of the world right now. So many people are angry that authority figures are telling them to stay home and prevent the spread of COVID, and are resenting the very people who are trying to save their lives. I can see that same issue playing out so clearly in these chapters, after the death of Sandgorse in the tunnels.

K. Absolutely. It's so, so easy to direct anger towards something or someone tangible, rather than accepting that there are things that Just Happen and there's nothing you can do about it.

K. I was going to say something very similar: the things you need to make yourself better aren't always the things you want to hear. So many people try to help guide Talltail away from his anger or towards other, much healthier ways of thinking -- all of them trying to tell him he doesn't HAVE to be a tunneler is one moment -- and he just HATES hearing it, every time. He doesn't want to accept it. It feels better to be in his emotions about it, even if that's most obviously the worst thing he could be doing for himself and for others. Sometimes you just have to let other people give you the honest to god vibe check and learn to put your heart down for a bit, to see what you need to see.

S. Definitely. I feel that getting better necessitates taking responsibility for yourself. It seems like Talltail is resisting that, maybe because it's difficult to be honest with yourself. If you try, you risk failing. And the problem with any kind of self-improvement or recovery is that it's overall made up of little moments of trying to be better every day. That's so much failure to face, it can feel insurmountable. Whereas one grand gesture of revenge? So much easier.  Anger is a motivating emotion, so if you stay in anger, you can often get things done. But anger is also an emotion that makes it harder to react with patience or think clearly. A double-edged sword, if you will.

K. Absolutely. Pinning "if I complete X Task, I will feel better and fix myself" on some big goal is way easier.

S. I think that's what's happening for him at this time. He's not willing to do the mundane, scary work of trying to be better each day, and is going for something he thinks will alleviate guilt instead. But of course it won't.

8. The title of this novel is Tallstar’s Revenge. How do you feel about that title so far? Does it reflect the content of the story well, or would you choose a different title? What alternative title would you suggest?

S. I personally feel the title sets up the story poorly. Because I knew it was hinged around revenge, I was alert and looking for it from the start. I was paying attention to potential betrayals or crimes, so on. And when I realised this extremely unlikeable awful character, Sandgorse, was the catalyst, I got real mad.

K. I don't even know what better title would work, since I'm honestly not very fond of the Super Editions titles. They just... all do the same, on-the-nose shit and it makes it very boring from the start.

S. I think if we were allowed to tweak it a little, The Forgiveness of Tallstar, would be a title I would potentially enjoy more. There's an ambiguity to it, re: who is being forgiven. Is it Tallstar who needs to be forgiven, or is it Tallstar doing the forgiving. And I think you could thematically tie that in so much better to the kinds of beats this story is already showing up.

K. The only like, quote from the book that I think you could mangle into a title is "We guard the edge of the world," which like... I dunno, having something like "On The Edge" included in there feels right. The book's obviously full of big tension and drama within Windclan, while also noting that they literally are on the fringe of Clan territory.

S. I think maybe Beyond the Edge of the World? Since that’s essentially where Tallstar’s journey takes him? 

K. Yeah!

9. Many of us read because we’re curious to find out what’s next. How has curiosity featured in your experience of this book? What’s motivated you to keep reading?

K. Hoo boy. Honestly, half of the reason I'm reading is just with crossed fingers that somehow, SOMEHOW, Talltail becomes better. I know he must. He has to.

S.  For me, curiosity is a big part of why I'm reading--and continuing to read--this book. I want to know what happens next! I'm just usually expecting not to like it.

Final notes:

K. I'm excited for Jake to show up, because I feel that'll help break up whatever the hell Talltail is doing. He needs an excitable twink to break him from the evil fog he's in. S. I don't know if Jake is a twink, honestly. K. Oh, very true. We do love a good himbo. S. He's a bit of a rolypoly boy, according to the wiki. K. OH, even better. K. I forgot that Talltail is the twink. S. He's just a long sad string bean.

K. I AM APALLED AT THIS TURN OF EVENTS, ERIN K. This book is… it’s like being consistently starved to death and then given like, a single apple slice and going ravenous for it. There are so many moments that FEEL great (even if they’re not miraculous, writing or content wise), almost solely because so many things that precede them straight up cause my reader brain to flatline. The despicable one-two punch of Chapter Nineteen into the handful of great moments in Chapter Twenty makes me feel like I’m being waterboarded by Erin Hunter. K. Erin Hunter, holding my head down into the waters of godawful content, before yanking me up for air to see Heatherstar and Dawnstripe saying Good Things just to shove me in again. S. I can't disagree with you. S. I genuinely had moments of going "yeah!!!" followed by "NO!!!" like that one John Mulaney skit.

S. Anyway, I'd like to start us off with a familiar old Erin Hunter classic theme, quoting my notes:  - "Is it even a Warriors novel without multiple birth scenes?" - "Oh excellent another peripheral birth scene, I felt that there wasn’t quite enough in this book so far" S. If I don't have multiple women moaning and/or shrieking and/or groaning from birthing pains in my Warriors novels, I'd be devastated. K. It'd break the immersion.

K. I am very happy to see Deadfoot on the scene though, even though he shows up for like. .5 seconds before he's gone. A very good and lovely baby boy. S. “Tallpaw turned back and tucked his nose under the black tom’s belly. “Hang on!” he warned, flipping the kit onto his shoulders. Tallpaw purred as the young kit dug his tiny claws into his pelt, and carried him over to his littermates.” uhhhh what the fuck K. YUP K. Y U P K. HEY ERIN S. Let me just uhhh toss this child like a sack of potatoes over my cat shoulder real quick. K. Tiny Tim over here S. I lost it. I'm like, you really don't care what cat bodies can do, do you?  K. Erin Hunter: hmmm what if we just pepper in some wack shit. Like, what if it's just. Nonsensical as fuck. Who's gonna tell us we can't? Harper Collins? S. And the answer is: of fucking course not, kitty kung fu time.

K. “You’ve turned mean, Tallpaw,” Reena spat. “ That’s why you’ve got no friends anymore. Whenever a cat comes near you, you bite their head off.” “So?” Tallpaw hissed. “At least I don’t kill them.” “See what I mean?” Reena’s gaze hardened. “Why don’t you talk to me once you’ve finished feeling sorry for yourself?” — God I love Reena, calling it like it is. S. Mood, but also: hate Erin Hunter for doing this to him, over Sandgorse. K. "Flailfoot is trying to reason for a Sandgorse Redemption Arc and I will NOT be having it, you LOSE sir, GOOD DAY," S. Note two from my notes page: "I DON’T CARE ABOUT SANDGORSE" S.  Gets abused by father. Father dies in what is objectively an accident caused by his own defiance and hubris. ??? Goes on a hateful revenge spiral to try and make daddy proud. K.  The worst part is that, unlike Bluestar's which was a fucking awful mess the entire way through, this one gives us just enough to show that the Erins are capable of like. SOMETHING. They can write okay things! They know what they're handing us is bullshit and they do it anyway! It's infuriating. S. From a writing perspective, it's kind of fascinating to see this all happen, because like. What a fucking horrorshow. S. Really feeling in this moment for the people who think Erin Hunter is a good writer. They're getting swindled on Sherlock is Garbage and Here's Why levels. S. Where's the secret good fourth episode, Erin???

K.  “Tallpaw’s wish to learn the skills that led to his father’s death shows true courage.” — HEATHERSTAR WITH THE PREMIUM ROASTS K. Followed by: image: “fuck them [tunnels]” K.  “Shrewpaw!” Dawnstripe glared at the apprentice. “Show some respect to your Clanmate.” Hareflight joined them. “Stop teasing him, Shrewpaw!” “This has gone beyond teasing!” Dawnstripe snapped. “If Shrewpaw were my apprentice, I’d claw his ears.” — HOLY FUCK, GET HIM K. The fact that nobody has noticed Shrewpaw using his claws during training is fucking ridiculous, though. He's done it the whole book, Erin. They would know. They would know. S. Admittedly don't love how everyone's concept of discipline is straight to violence, but we'll overlook that, I guess. K. I understand that like, bullying is something that can go unseen very often, but like. Come on, man. S. Yeah. It's like wearing knuckledusters to a playground fight. Hard to overlook.

S. It's what happens when your characters don't have internal worlds. They're just props standing there until you need them, not people watching and listening to what you're writing right in front of them. S. The problem with Erin Hunter's writing for me is that by this point it's hard to read their female characters generously. S. Most of the time I can go, "okay but if we pretend this woman is real, what rich inner world does she experience?" and try to pick up where lazy writers leave off, but like... Erin Hunter's characters are so vapid. K. It's horrible to read. It's just the worst. S. Not just the female characters, but especially the female characters. And I hate it. K. I'm genuinely surprised that Dawnstripe and Heatherstar haven't been mangled already, but honestly, half of my rage at this book comes from their moments, because it shows that the Erins know exactly what they're doing and how bad this fucking plot is. K. Two major background characters are constantly talking about how things Should Not Be The Way They Are, and it just makes me wanna bang my head on a wall. I know you can see the elephant in the room, Erin. You know this. You know the bad things you're making. S. I genuinely feel that’s why they do it. They make bad plots because it’s easier to make certain characters seem smart or likeable if everyone’s a rude idiot.  S. They’re like, we need these characters to seem smart, so they will be the ones to call out all the bullshit. But they [the writers] don't go, wait, why is the bullshit even happening, it doesn’t make sense, and then write something better in the first place. S. I guess because we read these books on such a meta level so often, it really feels like watching one person play ping-pong against themselves, but one persona needs to look good so the other persona keeps giving themselves wedgies at the table and holding the paddle the wrong way. K. FUCK, THAT'S EXACTLY IT S. Which is... less impressive overall than just watching a nice normal game of ping-pong. K. Erin Hunter, about to self-own: I'm gonna pull what's called a pro-gamer move, S. I just can't get past it. S. I know both players are you, Erin Hunter. I can see you putting on your dunce hat and walking to the other end of the table. S. It makes it really hard to sink into the story. Whenever something stupid happens, I'm brutally yanked out of the narrative, and it's happening constantly at this point, because of the direction they're taking Tallpaw. S. I've tried to like, put that aside and imagine his perspective, but it's so challenging for me to envision an experience where I'm a nice boy on a moor with an idiot backwards dad who bullies me and tries to control my life with emotional manipulation and disregard for authority, and then he dies of the thing everyone was saying was super dangerous and off-limits, and then I lose my mind because I didn't make him proud while he was alive (which he's not anymore, because of tunnelling) so I need to do the thing that killed him (which is tunnelling). S. Tallpaw can't be smart and also have this characterisation for me. It's too incongruent.

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