#swtwimb

[mallowstep]

Feathertail huffed, but the sound was still affectionate. “Well, you didn’t hear it from me, but his mate had their kits. He’s been trying to find a way to see her — and them.” Hawkstar sighed. It wouldn’t be right to bring this up with Breezepelt, given it meant betraying Feathertail’s confidence in him, and he was Breezepelt’s leader. Breezepelt was liable to explode if the subject was breached, and once the Clan knew, anything short of a serious punishment would be decried. “Don’t worry about that,” Feathertail said, resting her head on her paws. “He’s got a good head on his shoulders.” Hawkstar wasn’t sure, but he wasn’t about to argue with Feathertail.

i want for you this: that you are well

[mallowstep]

I'm really curious to see what exactly leads Hawkfrost into becoming Hawkstar / a better version of himself. Is it really just because Feathertail didn't die? Did he still train with Tiger and Bramble in the Dark Forest? Did he still try and help Mudclaw win the Windclan Civil War? I'm just so curious!

basically yeah.

look. feathertail was a mother figure to them in canon. play it up or not, they looked up to her. hawkpaw was really hurt when she pulled away from him.

so you know...if you want to do sympathetic hawkfrost, hanging feathertail's death as a catalyst for his actions works really well. so i did.

but...there's more to it than just that. mistyfoot is taken, so he's deputy for longer. feathertail doesn't die, but she is injured, so he's kind of distracted from the civil war to try to be with her. i don't know Exactly what happens, but it's kind of like...

feathertail not dying functions as a bit of a turning point where many things change. it changes things with hawkfrost, it changes things with mistyfoot and mothwing, with stormfur, with crowfeather, and that continues to ripple.

i Think he probably has to deal with tigerstar saying something about feathertail and being half clan and that's hawkfrost's mom the fuck?? and he does help with the civil war but that sort of...spooks him. his ambition has grown. he needs to back down.

that's about as much as i've figured out.

[mallowstep]

“Go to my den,” Hawkstar said. “If you want.” The elders’ den was close to watertight, but Feathertail was soaked and it leaked in heavy rain. Mothwing didn’t permit wet cats in the medicine den, barring emergencies, but the leader’s den stayed dry in all but the worst weather. Hawkstar had waited out more than one storm with kits sharing his den.

i want for you this: that you are well