WOOO CHARACTER SHEET FOR MY GIRLY POP VAL!!!!!!!! LIVE LAUGH LOVE MY SPIDER GIRLY

WOOO CHARACTER SHEET FOR MY GIRLY POP VAL!!!!!!!! LIVE LAUGH LOVE MY SPIDER GIRLY <333

its her, doveswing

Even though some might not be happy about fan fav Squirrelflight choosing fan fav Ivypool as deputy over a newer character and/or one with less spotlight, I do think Ivypool is definitely the best cat for the job right now.

So when the other clans learn that Bramblestar decided to step down, regardless of reason, to them that makes ThunderClan look weak. And we all know what’s just happened after another clan looked weak. If she were to choose a younger cat like many older leaders do, it would look like a weakness having an inexperienced cat by her side. If she were to choose a cat who would challange her on her views in order to help her expand her viewpoint and think about other perspectives, at this point it would also be seen as weakness.

Squirrelflight needs a cat by her side who is strong, respected, experienced, and level headed, and with similar views to herself in order to show a strong united front within ThunderClan. Especially if she is planning on going to war. Ivypool is the cat for that job.

Not only does she fit the bill, she also has that extra power on her resume of spying in the dark forest on behalf of the clans. Her name likely inspires a bit of awe amongst younger warriors who have heard the stories, and that kind of presence is exactly what is needed right now.

I’m very normal about him :)

Just testing some designs for Grian, more designs to come for him and other hc, and life series members hopefullyy

I went ham on cuteguy idk why (inspired by periwinklemoonlight’s cuteguy design it’s very slay)

don’t enjoy colour-picked grians 

“There’s no such thing as normal people,” I said, a desperate flailing. “There’s just people, and some of them are miserable, and some of them are happy, and you’ve the same right to be happy as any of them—no more and no less.”

Naomi Novik // The Last Graduate

Realistic Cat behavior: Fighting

Just some warning, some description of violence and gore to discuss realistic fighting in cats.

Most of us can agree that the Erins description of the clans fighting style is woefully lacking. In most cases however when we talk about a  “realistic” fighting style, we tend to heavily focus on posturing, but i think personally that that would leave out some detail for the discussion. Also plenty of people have talked about how posturing would affect how the clans actually fight, so Im going to focus on some other aspects of fighting.

How do real cats fight?

Cat fights are brutal and loud. There is posturing beforehand, spitting, threatening, trying to get the other to back down. But once an attack is made, they go straight into a brutal grapple, locking their arms around the others neck and side to hold them together, and then attempting to find a place to bite, such as face and neck. This grapple offers them the opportunity to use their back claws to rake at their opponent’s belly.

Most injuries to cats will most likely be to their underside, neck, and face, and ears from wild swipes from their opponents, or bruises or scratches from flailing around on their backs. While their claws are sharp, they are unlikely to open up super deep wounds, but have lots of shallow sometimes long scratches and lost fur on their belly. Their bites are more dangerous, as their teeth are made to rip and rend and tear. Its still unlikely they would rip the throat out, but it is possible that bite wounds would be more painful, deep, and somewhat horrific, with chunks torn out. This is why a medicine cat would need to clean wounds as soon as possible, and this is where the greatest threat to a fighter’s life would be.

For some visual help and understanding of what I mean, here is a decently long video showing different cats fighting (warning it is violent and fairly loud):

Behavioral wise, cats attack only when one wont back down. This happens between males who are defending their territory and right to mate (such as in a colony), between females with disputes, or in general if cats feel threatened. Usually a smaller cat will be smart enough to back down, but in some cases, this may mean that the bigger, stronger, or braver cat might jump them anyway as it was a sign of weakness. If there are multiple cats who are in general allied with each other, they will quickly gang up on the one cat.

Cats are sneaky, and smart. They wont get into a fight unless they think they can win, or were attacked, and want to end it as soon as possible. 

How would the clans fight? 

I think its important to consider two things when writing clan fighting. 

One- Apprentices have had ample time to practice their fighting skills

Two- They always have back up 

So part of the reluctance to fight, besides a common sense that no cat wants to get hurt, is diminished. Most cats would have had some basics in fighting, which I will explain later, and should always be backed up by clanmates. Cats are not encouraged to seek out fights alone in the clans, because thats almost suicidal and detrimental to the overall clan health and ability to produce.

Fights that are more likely to occur are when a patrol from one clan comes across trespassers, and ambush them because of superior numbers. Battles are rare, and only occur every once in a while, as clans for their own health will not engage in battles back to back. As a result, wars and disagreements might last moons, as grudges settle and the clans wait until they believe they are healthy/in a strong enough position to fight again, with the intent of getting the other clan to back down/get into peace or truce talks to end the aggression.

Each clan also has their unique style of fighting. 

In canon I find it likely that these would be the strategies:

Thunderclan is said to be big, and likely the reason many detest them is from their big airs of posturing, and their thick fur which can be very protective. They meet their problems head on and dont resort to sneaking around. When they fight, they fight, and dont really like to retreat until they have wounds which need attention. They dont get wounds as often as those with shorter fur and less protection, but when they do their warriors are out longer.

Riverclan is less big, but they are generally healthier, and have a tendency to recover quicker, due to their more abundant supply of food. They are more able to quickly recover from fights, which means they will likely be able to harry their opponent more often and in shorter bursts. But because they have more food, they are less likely to want to war, after all they usually have most of what they need, so they dont often set out to fight in the first place.

Shadowclan is strong, but they are also sneaky. They keep grudges the longest and often make long term plans to get what they need and get back at their enemies. They are the ones who make the greatest use of ambush and subterfuge to take their opponents by surprise, often a requirement when dealing with Thunderclan or Riverclan. Shadowclan often avoids direct confrontation, due to the higher likelihood of getting hurt and a higher chance of getting sick.

Windclan is interesting. Because of their size they are generally at a disadvantage to the other clans. They have to compensate for this somehow. Usually this means that in a fight, they skip the posturing phase altogether and just straight up launch themselves at an enemy, attacking them but then wiggling away to surprise and gang up on another cat. They are the ones who will fight quick and dirty, often engaging multiple opponents in the same fight. But they dont often seek fights themselves. They excel at playing the clans off each other, because realistically they dont have as much chance of winning a fight or a dispute. They always choose a neutral position if they can, and act as mediators, or schemers in regards to the others.

Now those are what I would consider the best option for canon strategies towards fighting. In your own clans it will be different depending on the overall attitude of the clan and their strengths and weaknesses physically and culturally. But this is an important thing to consider when thinking about how conflicts will work between your clans.

How do we apply this to training in fighting?

Well I have two very silly cats who I watch play fight all the time. I know its not serious, usually, because its quiet. They constantly play fight. its the way all young cats would practice their skills. In the clans however this is more of a guided exercise. For the clans, its a matter of survival that their young know how to fight and defend themselves, because at some point they will need to know how to do it. And if their apprentices are prepared, they are less likely to die from stupid mistakes. Education, preparation, and familiarity with what they will be dealing with can help change a lot of situations. Specific things which mentors might address for their apprentices when fighting are:

-How not to panic on the battlefield.

-How to know when to retreat.

-How to use whatever signal the clan has to ask for backup/help.

-How to wiggle out of another cats grapple.

-How to aim claws and teeth effectively.

-How to hold on to another cat.

-Discussing the differences between clan fighting styles. 

-Just becoming familiar with the sensation of rolling around on the ground.

-How to leverage to be on top.

-How to use your hind legs to protect you/hit someone else if they disengage or some other cat pounces on you.

-How to keep your ears flat to avoid them getting sliced.

-How to try to protect your eyes in a fight.

-How to try and protect your neck in a fight.

-How to keep your body tensed but not frozen or locked.

-The ability to recognize any signals the clan has for battle, either verbal or physical (like when to attack/when to retreat/who the main target is).

-What to do in the aftermath of a fight (cleaning wounds as best as possible, maybe recognizing shock symptoms).

-Basically just becoming familiar with fighting and trying best to learn how not panic or make mistakes to seriously injure oneself.

I’m sure there are more, but this is a good start hopefully, to help everyone consider how the clans fight and where and when.