External Self Vs. Internal Self

External Self vs. Internal Self

Here’s an alternate version since I drew a different pose and liked it as much.

I’m still learning tumblr so sorry if any of this looks weird

Figured I’d use my first post to introduce my fursona/avatar/basically me: Waffleheimer. Long story short, I made him back in middle school and he started out as a squid, then became a German Shepherd that got a ton of design changes over the years. He has a form with an alternate color palette named “Ghost”, which he turns into when he’s feeling negative or whatever. Recently I messed around and decided to draw him as a rabbit, and then a Wolpertinger (one of my favorite mythological animals). The last picture is just a fun alternate pattern idea for his wings.

"Swiftpaw, from this day forth you will be known as Deadthroat. Perhaps now, in your silence, you will think about your actions instead of blindly moving and foolishly attempting to guide your clanmates into a fight they could not win."

Bluestar sees Swiftpaw's muteness as a punishment from StarClan for rallying cats into what is essentially a suicide mission, and a warning that her leadership is not infallible, that cats will always do things to work behind her back. She recedes more, trusting her Warriors less and less.

Swiftpaw, now Deadthroat, is infuriated at her. Bluestar should be honoring his bravery for doing what no other cat would dare to do, not calling him foolish! Furthermore, she's insulted him and Brightpaw with such... awful names. Of course, he can't speak out about it, which serves to frustrate him even more and he takes to lashing out however else he can. Claws and glares can say as much as words, after all.

Brightpaw (Cloudtail refuses to call her Lostface and Swiftpaw wouldn't say it either if he could) is there to reign him in, and she becomes his voice in a way. He still has some affection for her despite knowing her heart is with Cloudtail, and though Swiftpaw harbors jealousy for the tom for undeservedly receiving a Warrior name before the rest of the apprentices, he has been nothing but supportive of them after their run-in with the pack.

Picture showing his scar under the cut

I found some drawings in a sketchpad that made me flip my lid because I completely forgot that I’d drawn a slight redesign for him and actually given him a name so I had to do this. His neck is long extra floofy, he can swivel it around like an owl and fold it downwards to give the appearance of a shorter, rounder stature. If he moves with his neck out it’s kind of a goofy raptor-bob motion. Colors are mostly the same, though I also reduced his body colors down to two slightly darker greys instead of three to keep it simple and more cohesive. I adjusted his proportions a bit since they looked weird on the old ref, and his posture is more hunched.  The other details are pretty much the same, though.

Just had a thought for what I guess could be called a Warrior Cats equivalent to internships.

As part of each apprentice’s Warrior training, they’re required to visit the other clans for, say, half a moon each (or maybe they just pick one instead)? This way, they could learn about the cultures within each clan to build better understandings between them and pick up new skills.

This could also serve as a source of conflict, since there are going to be cats who would see this as nothing more than glorified spying, maybe refusing to let their apprentice take part and impeding their progress. And of course there’s always that Forbidden Romance Drama™.

He is soft, he is moth, he will eat all of your cloth