I found my mini rant in my google doc about how making mousefur a lesbian would’ve fixed spottedleafs character.

I really do think it is a great piece of writing that stands out in comparison to the majority of warrior cats. more than anything fireheart is scared, really scared. he’s facing losing one of his mother figures and the main source of stability, wisdom and authority he has now that bluestar is so unwell. in the back of his mind he knows if she dies, cinderpelt will suddenly have to carry the burden of the entire clan’s care (including bluestar) all by herself and he is scared for her, as well as scared of telling her. he’s scared because he is only in this moment realising that she really, truly believes she is bad inside.

all this time she has actually believed she is rotten in her core and now she is about to go meet god thinking that she isn’t worthy of heaven. he’s horrified by the fact that there is just nothing he can do to fix that now. it’s too late. he’s out of time to try and convince her that she’s good. he has no way to comfort her meaningfully in her last moments. of course he’s going to try. he would eat her shame if he could. but he feels so terribly inadequate in this moment, and he has lost his yellowfang, and he has failed her by not realising how deep her wounds went. arc 1 warriors was at its absolute best when it was getting into adultification and this book did it spectacularly.