My birthday was a couple days ago, and I got to see my bio dad for the first time in a while. He surprised me with the fact that I have a little half-sister, whom I've never met and who was adopted about two years back.
So, I wondered if any situations in BB mimic this or have a theme of "secret siblings" or "secret family"?
Sorry if this is a weird ask; this blog is honestly just such a cool little place and I love the way you approach the subject matter and take the flawed misogynistic foundation of the WC books and make them so much better (JUSTICE FOR BUMBLE!!!). I've also learned a lot about healthy and unhealthy relationships here and am really glad for your deep dives on Squilf and Bramble.
Thanks, Bones!
Not weird at all! I really like exploring all the little nooks and crannies of complicated familial dynamics. I think one of the untapped strengths of WC (that the writers seem to be unaware of) is how their MASSIVE cast allows them to present all sorts of unique dynamics. So I like to pick up on it, since they don't.
For secret siblings...
I'm pretty heavily leaning towards Ambermoon being adopted by Wildfur, as a surrogacy. Something feels correct about it. Especially since Icecloud is getting retooled into a post-Battle of the True Eclipse birth, and a major supporting character in AVoS-era stories as a friend of Alderheart.
Thinking about it, I should zoom in and expand this. Maybe have Icecloud, somehow, acquire forbidden knowledge that would invalidate the Queen’s Rights and he (transman) struggles with if he's going to use it to expose his parents as an excuse to help Ambermoon.
(Especially since Ambermoon and Icecloud are basically nothing alike. Amber is independent, bold, and vain. Ice is jessie pinkman big-hearted, disorganized, and deceptively meek if you look past his "chill" demeanor)
But that's wip-- there's also Breezepelt and the Three, who are going to have an actual friendship. In particular I can't unsee Breeze and Lion having a deep one. I know I commit the Cardinal Sin of borderline himbo-ifying Lionblaze in BB, but I can't help it.
Hollyleaf ended up nabbing a bunch of his most violent roles to make her villainous descent smoother narratively, so BB!Lionblaze's story ends up being more focused on Ashfur's abuse, comic relief with cats in other Clans (something that the very serious Jay and Holly have a hard time providing), and the emotional fallout of the big reveal and Bramblestar's turn on them. Breezepelt slots neatly into that.
They were friends. Lionblaze's whole life came down around the reveal, everyone looking at him and his siblings differently, like they're suddenly something terrible. Why can't we find a silver lining, Breezepelt? Why can't we call ourselves brothers if the whole world is going to do it anyway? So much is changing, but THIS doesn't have to, we will take their weapon and turn it to armor, my ally, my friend, my brother.
(and when Breezepelt is lashing out at the three because of the Dark Forest's influence, Lionblaze is there, taking the blows and trying not to give in to the impulse to send him flying with a single paw)
There's also Harespring and Kestrelflight of WindClan and Owlclaw of ShadowClan. All of them are from a single litter between Whitewater and Mudclaw. She was going to raise the three of them alone as ShadowClan cats, but when the sire was smote, Whitewater felt they were cursed.
She was able to give the oldest two to their bio-uncle, Torear, but the weather was so bad that day and the runt was so sickly and small that it surely would have killed him. I don't think Owlclaw ever finds out why his mother always treated him with suspicion, but it did mess him up horribly.
Over in BB!DOTC, Thunder Storm is getting more half-siblings earlier. Clear Sky and Falling Feather had two daughters-- Pale Sky and Tiger Sky.
I want to explore the way that the various stages of Clear Sky's life acted on his kids. How any little curiosity Thunder Storm had about the life he might have had if he wasn't abandoned is crushed by seeing kittens who weren't. How Clear's favoritism of his oldest child set the trio against each other from the start. How this idea of "love" is toxic yet intoxicating.
It feels good to be the golden child. The power it gives you over his sycophants is satisfying. To know you, and you alone, have what someone else craves. Problem is, that's conditional, and it's cruel.
What Thunder Storm learns from his time with his biodad is that Clear Sky is not his father at all. He's taught him exactly what he DOESN'T want to be. There may be similarities-- in temperament, in physical prowess (though BB!Thunder is three-legged, he's still ripped), in taste and senses. But Thunder Storm's father is Shaded Flower.
(BB!Gray Wing died in the first book, rescuing Shaded Flower from being trampled by a horse. Xey're a patron of wisdom, Shaded Moss is taking the role of fatherhood to Thunder)
His sister is Rainswept Flower. His mom is Bright Storm. If there was a bond he could have had with Tiger Sky and Pale Sky, it dies simply and cruelly on the knife they used to cut each other out.
Pale might have wanted to mend it, she was the gentler one. But she dies in the First Battle along with her mother. Tiger Sky is too stubborn to accept any help, should Thunderstar offer it, and Thunderstar isn't in the business of begging for others to like him.
Naturally I'm lowkey obsessed with them lmao. I need to make a BB!DOTC overviewww
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"jack and bitty's wealth gap may seem significant now, but it's a non-issue in the long run because it's canon that bitty builds his own empire." yes. but also, consider this: jack took his first big paycheck and bought an expensive oven for a friend; bitty took his first big paycheck and took the train to boston and sat down with holster to figure out how to pay his parents' mortgage.
it's not because jack cares about family less. it's because jack never had to worry about that, or even consider it in his priorities. jack never had to prioritize essentials first and luxuries later. he's not a big spender, but that's a personality trait, not a conscious thought.
jack and bitty won't be arguing about income because they're both going to contribute equally at different points of their marriage, but they probably are going to argue about how to spend that money, and the fine balance between being too mindless and being too careful.
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I like to think shen yuan's relationship with his er-ge is messy and complicated and hurts but it's also... very close?? they yell and they fight and they most certainly never apologize, but they'd take a bullet for each other without having to think twice about it.
average siblings relationship basically LMAOOO. I bet his er-ge would never call him his friend. I bet his er-ge would run to an airport for him.
as for shen yuan's eldest brother... we know that he's apparantly gentle, but I like to think sy overthinks his relationship with him. thinks that though they don't hate eachother, he feels more like an acquaintance da-ge has to treat well rather than his little brother. his da-ge has always been so busy, shen yuan can't even name his favorite color if he tried.
(little does he know his da-ge always checks in with others to how sy is doing, always planning weeks in advance what to get him for his birthday when he can't make it, all of them unique and well thought-out. but he's always so nervous sending them. he wishes he wasn't so busy. he wishes he could listen to his little brother talk about those 2d men he doesn't really understand. but it seems to make his san-didi happy, and that's enough)
they both promise to make time for their a-yuan's 20th birthday. after all, they promised last year that they wouldn't celebrate in the hospital's artificial garden, but at their mother's butterfly garden. their a-yuan has always been the type to adore her butterflies, being able to remember their scientific names and patterns and even certain myths associated with them. he loves those butterflies almost as much as he loves sea animals. they'd make it this time, they would. they'll all spend shen yuan's birthday together. once their sister picks up a-yuan, they'll make it up to him.
that day, they get a call from the hospital.
they don't see their sister until the funeral, with newly cut and choppy hair.
none of them mentions it.
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ROTTMNT Headcanons: based on my childhood
The twins used to spread misinformation on purpose
They told Mikey if he jumped from a tall area he could fly
Mikey broke both his legs and the twins got grounded for two weeks
(Jokes on them Mikey can use his mystic powers to levitate)
They also told Raph if he left his allowance under his pillow more money would appear
Somehow Raph’s money disappeared and the twins had a bag full of candy
They got grounded for two more weeks and Raph got all their allowance and their candy
(yes these are lies my older siblings told me and yes I did fall for them)
(In my defense I was 5)
The boys hate eye contact
Absolutely despise it
Splinter labeled Leo a “little liar” cause his kid could never look him in the eye when he told him a story
And sure Leo did lie about some things but being labeled a liar was kind of harsh in his opinion
The boys quickly came to his aid and told their dad that eye contact made all of them uncomfortable
And Splinter said it was a damn shame because eye contact can make bonds stronger
He also claimed eye contact brings people closer together
The boys freaked out because they thought they weren’t as close as other siblings
Mikey cried because he felt that they didn’t have a strong enough bond
In reality, they’re a lot closer than most siblings and they’re all neurodivergent
The boys took the whole “bring people closer” a little too seriously
To substitute the whole “eye contact” thing they would just close their eyes and put their foreheads together
They still do it to this day
When they know their siblings are stressed or angry or sad they’ll touch their foreheads together
To remind them “hey I’m here for you” and “whatever you’re going through will pass” or “calm down you got this”
April used to think it was a cute sibling bonding moment that she would never be apart of
And then one day she came to the lair stressed out after a long day
And Leo took one look at her, gently placed his forehead against hers, and asked “you want some of my calming tea?”
She was a sobbing mess and he had to carry her to the kitchen
When Splinter dropped the whole “blue you are the leader now” bombshell on them Leo got so overwhelmed he became nonverbal for a week
And once week two hit April decided she had enough
She walked over to him (softly) headbutted him and said “I made your favorite”
Leo broke down sobbing and April had to guide him to the kitchen
“Thank you” was the first thing he said in nine days
Leo used to be terrified of the dark
He couldn’t sleep alone until he was 13 because he was genuinely worried that some monster would snatch him up
So Donnie made sure that there was a nightlight in every single outlet
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