Starless Clan Pro Tags Edited

FINALLY someone who sees Squirrelflight the same way I do, not as the saint the fandom makes her out to be, but a character whose in the wrong and needs to get her shit together. I'm sorry but she and Brambleclaw have issues sure, but Bramble isn't just the one in the wrong. The fandom treats him like he's the devil (they treat Ashfur the same way, when I personally think his arc was interesting taking into account he found his mother as dog bait when he was a child and was basically left parentless, he and ferncloud took it very differently, fern going and becoming a mother to everyone and Ash trying to find love somewhere else and then getting rejected. Did he take it too far yeah, he did ofc but it's interesting to look at the psychology behind it) this fandom treats Squirrel and Leaf like their saints and can do no wrong but from where I see it. . .they cause plenty of the problems. Like why didn't they tell bramble about the three? How hard would that have been to tell squirrels mate, someone she trusts, what's going on?

since we talking about the morality/ goodness of Squirrelflight and Leafpool (and Brambleclaw and Ashfur) now I thought I would group these together and just ramble about Squirrel and Leafpool for a bit

I personally think that Squirrelflight and Leafpool are good people who had to make hard decisions that would inevitably hurt people in the hopes of protecting each other and their loved ones.

These two live in basically a cult and had to do some crazy shit to protect Leaf and her kits, and I don't blame them for what they chose to do in the situation they were put in. Were there ways that could have possibly been better? Ya probably, but they aren't evil for choosing to do what they did.

Also Squilf hurt the 3 by not telling them they were adopted, but also I feel like that's where her crimes end. Like Brambleclaw has been shown to be an abusive prick so I wouldn't blame Squirrel for not wanting to tell him the truth, especially when he's Thunderclan's deputy. I have a hard time believing he would have gone along with their plan, and he probably would have done something cruel and stupid if they told him. Yes him finding out did hurt him so I guess that's a crime in a way, but i really dont think Squirrel had any other options in that department.

I think out of Squirrel and Leaf, leaf is much more in the wrong here (love her and her bad decisions tho hehe). She had like some of the most illegal babies ever due to some really bad decisions (even if its unfair that her relationship was illegal) and then she let her sister take on most of the responsibility of dealing with her mistakes. Squirrelflight could have had a chill scandal-less life, but instead she took in her sister's kits and lied to the clan and her mate all to protect Leaf, when it wasn't even her problem and Leaf didn't stop her. Leaf didn't take on much responsibility for her mistakes, she just let Squif do that. I understand why but still if there's anyone to be mad it its Leaf and her bad decision making skills lol

I really love how complex their situation is, its probably one of the most interesting things that has happened in warriors. Its complicated, and the characters involved are good people who made bad decisions, and hard decisions. They wanted to protect the people they loved and it inevitably failed. I love a good tragic drama.

these two sisters are some sad soggy meow meows

I could go on even longer but I wont, could prob expand on Leafpool opinions too but i shall stop here.

Apprentice Games

Apprentice games are exactly that — apprentice games. They’re kept within the confines of the apprentices’ den, with threats of pranks and assessments gone wrong for anyone who breaches the unspoken rules of the den — if you tattle, you suffer the consequences.

Hollypaw shifts uneasily near the entrance to the den. She’d set her nest up there (instead of farther in, where there was more warmth) out of some need to be the first apprentice up, the first one working. Berrypaw could puke just looking at her nest, positioned so eagerly for work. And to impress the Clan, as if she needed to impress anyone.

Berrypaw levels a stare at the younger apprentice, and with a grimace, Hollypaw’s restless movements cease.

“Okay,” Berrypaw says, lashing his stub of a tail, “you all know why we’re here.”

“No we don’t,” Cinderpaw says, her voice threaded with suffering. “And I’m still not sure who put you in charge.”

“I’m the oldest apprentice,” Berrynose sniffs.

“Technically I am,” Hazelpaw counters, but she doesn’t get up from where she’s rolled on top of Poppypaw, pinning her into her nest.

“I didn’t agree to any of this,” Poppypaw manages, even as she’s crushed.

“You agreed to this when you signed up to be an apprentice,” Berrynose sniffs, hitting his sister over the head with a sheathed paw.

“Technically,” Jaypaw says dully, “the only one of us who signed up to be an apprentice was me.”

“And we’re all glad you’re here!” Poppypaw says, her voice surprisingly chipper for someone who has half of Hazelpaw resting on her back. The other half has migrated to Honeypaw, who looks more amused than anything.

“Anyway,” Berrypaw says, irritation sparking in his limbs, “we’re here to discuss our crushes. Our RiverClan crushes.”

“RiverClan?” Hollypaw squeaks.

“Oh, don’t be so sanctimonious,” Mousepaw grouches. “Everyone has a RiverClan crush. It’s practically a rite of passage.”

Hollypaw still looks deeply offended. “Oh yeah?” she challenges. “Then who’s yours?”

“Minnowpaw,” Mousepaw says, as if this should be obvious. And it should — StarClan knows that Mousepaw has been hanging off of Minnowpaw’s every word at every Gathering since they were apprenticed.

Hollypaw looks appalled. Honeypaw sighs. “You have a crush on Willowpaw,” she informs the black she-cat. “Me next. Pouncepaw.”

“Pouncepaw?” Lionpaw pipes up, his voice high and reedy. “Him? Of all cats?”

Honeypaw eyes him. “I don’t see you doing better,” she says sourly. “Besides,” she says, looking toward her sister.

“Also Pouncepaw,” Poppypaw affirms.

“You’re both crazy,” Cinderpaw says. “Dapplepaw for sure. She’s got such pretty fur.”

“You’re only saying that because you like looking at yourself in puddles,” Mousepaw argues. “Minnowpaw is clearly superior!”

Hollypaw groans.

How can anonymous be so dumb?!

Let me just make a list of stuff Squirrelflight did to him that would definitely piss him of.

- she pushes him into stuff. She asked him for more kits over and over and he reacted to her telling her to stop.

- she lied to him. Of course he can be angry at her and using some words. He loved them and she lied.

- she went against everything he ask. She pushed him around until she got tiered of it and ran of clearance upsetting him.

- She asked about kits once. She dropped it when she realised he didn’t want that and tried her best to hide her hurt. Kits only got brought back up in Squirrelflight’s Hope when Bramblestar brought it back up (largely at times he was using this topic to manipulate her)

- Her lying about the three was completely wrong I agree. But she had good intentions in order to protect those kids and her sister. But Bramblestar should have known. It was completely wrong of her not to tell him. But also at the same time he has lied to her by omission. He has never told her about training in the dark forest with Hawkfrost - something he did repeatedly and ultimately almost got Squirrelflight’s father killed.

- She doesn’t go against everything she asked. Apart from going to investigate the territory I don’t recall one time she has directly disobeyed him as deputy. Going to investigate the sisters behind his back was wrong and she shouldn’t have done it even if her intentions was good.

But the bottom line is this. No matter what Squirrelflight may have down to anger Bramblestar, she did not deserve to be domestically abused. There is absolutely no excuse for what Bramblestar did to her.

Bramblestar is an abuser. There is never any excuse for that.

one time i saw someone try to say "um actually squirrelflight IS just as bad as brambleclaw in tnp bc shes constantly trying to tear him away from his only friend" like um......are u forgetting who that "friend" is. are u forgetting that one of hawkfrosts main character traits is that hes manipulative. are u forgetting that hes literally training w bramble and their dead evil father who bramble expressed his hatred for in the previous arc. like. if my partner was being manipulated by someone who i KNOW from personal experience is an asshole w a suspicious history (see: leafpools experience w him, mistyfoot expressing her own suspicions abt him, him ADMITTING to being part of mudclaws coup), i dont think it would be abusive or controlling of me to say "dude stop hanging out w this guy hes evil as shit"

i think its rly funny how ppl are acting like squirrelflight is "overrated" when she was one of the most hated/villified characters in the fandom for YEARS and ppl are only just now starting to appreciate her

Reading Shadowpaw's chapters and I think it's cute how much he likes Rootpaw

I feel like a Shellfur novella/graphic novel would be neat in order to explore his conservative upbringing and how his brother’s rebellious actions and falling in love with Fernstripe probably caused him to re-evaluate the views he had been brought up with. It also wouldn’t hurt to get to know his sisters better, they’ve barely done anything so far.

Some are offical, some are mine. What do you think?

Shadow doodles! inspired by some images I found on twitter!