#longfiresand

I love the idea that Sandstorm looks very lion-like, but Lion as a prefix, historically, has been considered a very masculine name. She might've had two dads, (Redtail is a trans!icon in my book) but the idea of her getting a Tom's name was out of the question at the time. She's equal parts slinky and buff - still the best hunter in the clan, but can also kick your ass in the sandy hollow too

The SSS warrior cats' design of Longtail is absolutely iconic, but I saw @bowiestarzzz's design of color point tabby Longtail and haven't been able to go back. I also love the touches of white on his toes to make him look a touch cutesy to match his massive tsundere crush on a certain ginger ex-kittypet

Firestar gets to keep a relatively generic protag look, but i love the idea that his semi-fluffy tail streaming out behind him looks somewhat flame-like to tie into his name

wideband gene theory from messybeast. using this because it's the easiest for my tiny brain to comprehend. is it accurate? who fucking knowwwss

the S/W-S/S-W/W white system is outdated. i know. i find this version easier or fake cats

i screwed up leaf's design a little. it's because i forgot she'd have widebanding until i'd already colored her and i didn't want to redraw her

extra accurate leafpool would have a tarnished-rusty golden color for all her non-striped fur, with her stripes being full colored (black and ginger). the patches would also likely bleed into the rest of the fur with a sorta fuzzy look

to make leaf look the way she does in the photo, longtail would have to be different (likely a fawn tabby)

OR you'd have to make squilf trans (see below) but i only realized that too late and didnt want to make a whole ass new drawing. so.

i will probably fix/swap to trans squilf once i continue

trans squilf. you agree? you love? i also love but im burn out. if you desperately want this, here's what i'd do (phenotypically):

swap the sisters (squilf is longfire, leaf is firesand),

make squilf Trans (and therefore can only be orange. she would be golden-orange and would have dark-er red stripes with a paler gold-orange body),