Post by Enigma is a Narcissist on May 8, 2011 16:18:06 GMT -6
[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-image:url(http://i56.tinypic.com/2v1ndpe.jpg), border: solid #ffffff 5px; width: 200px; height: 500px;] but it's like you don't care no more for these moments we shared so true and dear just me and you and the peace of the quiet but now you seem faceless, oh when the lark last sung - - - - - - - - - ► HAILPAW Why do you shun me for who I am? FOR I AM Hailpaw of the great AspenClan Age six moons Gender she-cat Rank apprentice How can I hide in the shadows of the unknown? WHEN MY PELT IS silver tabby and my eyes are amber Scars none Appearance typical she-kit —> roly-poly, but with potentially elegant features —> long, sharp claws —> round, owlish eyes If you‘re looking for something spectacular, then you‘ve come to the wrong place; Hailkit is your typical five-moon-old kit, and she looks it, too. She isn’t particularly muscular, nor is she well-built, but luckily, this she-kit’s brains make up for her lacking strength. Her features are round, softened by minimal traces of baby fat, but have sharp cheekbones -- the tips of her ears are also severe, instead of being rounded like her mother‘s. These aspects suggest that, when she grows, Hailkit will be graced with the elegant, carved features of an exceptionally striking she-cat; but this is in the far future, and for now, she isn’t much to look at. Her pelt, however, manages to attract attention, but only because of its bright, platinum-silver color. Great StarClan, don’t even get me started on her pelt. It’s so light that, if it wasn’t for her dusky gray stripes, most cats would think she was more of an off-white color than anything else. Oh, yes, her stripes - can’t forget them, can you? As I said before, they’re a dusky gray (almost black) hue, and - her being a bengal tabby and all - they marble her pelt in an intricate mess of stripes, spots, and spirals. Only the lowermost of her paws are spared, as well as most of her face, with the exception of a few stripes curling from the corners of her eyes, and a fine pattern on her forehead. However, no matter how thick the striping is in some places, Hailkit’s silver undercoat always manages to shine through. Despite how thin and suitably kit-like they are, Hailkit’s claws are remarkably sharp, with long, curved tips. Over the past few moons, she has developed a habit of unsheathing and resheathing them repeatedly, which often prompts a reprimand from one of the queens - it’s considered unsavory behavior, at the least. Her eyes are amber, with a touch of green in the core, and seem round. Almost owlish, in a way. Why do you judge me for what I’ll become? JUST BECAUSE I’M quick-witted AND condescending Personality Hailkit is what you would call a… heartbreaker, but not in the usual sense of the word. She doesn’t have toms falling over her, nor does she have a particularly tragic history - or, at least, not in her opinion. Great StarClan, in everyday life, she doesn’t even act any differently than a normal cat. Which is, most likely, the reason why so many cats continue to approach her. Why is that a bad thing, one might ask? Well, you see, whenever anyone tries to bond with her, or even start a friendly conversation, this she-cat is (usually) as cold and icy as her name. Yes, she’ll answer whatever greeting or question a cat has for her, but she’ll do it bluntly and indifferently - that is, if she even bothers to pay attention to them at all! If she is interested, however, she may actually carry out an intelligent conversation. But, when she becomes bored, she’ll disappear without a word. There’s no sugarcoating or beating around the bush with this cat - if she feels a certain way, she doesn’t hide it, or even humor the conversant. She’s utterly transparent this way, and to tell you the truth, it isn’t pleasant. There are very few cats that she actually takes note of, and even then, she may ignore whatever they have to say if she doesn’t agree. In Hailkit’s mind, her opinion is the only opinion, and those who don’t agree with her are a bunch of mousebrains. Despite her rude, aloof behavior, Hailkit can be a good, loyal friend if her clanmates can keep her on her toes. She would never abandon another cat in the line of duty, and even though she may come across as hostile to come, she really does care about her clanmates…. no matter how utterly stupid they are. Preferences likes - intelligent conversation, action, excitement, quiet, etc. dislikes - noise, mousebrains, underdogs, being 2nd best, etc. Secret Ambitions To be the best, and only the best, warrior in the forest. and maybe... to have a special friend that understands her and her... quirky ways. Strengths/Weaknesses Strengths - solving problems, transparency, acting on emotions, tracking, rudeness, etc. Weaknesses - physical ability, socializing, respecting others, following the rules, etc. How am I punished for what my kin has done? EVEN IF MY PARENTS ARE Galefur AND Cedarheart Family Father - Galefur, Mother - Cedarheart, Sister - Littlekit Event that Lead to being a Warrior N/A - still a kit History Hailkit’s birth was an accident. A mistake. Sure, her parents had loved one another, but a kit - let alone two kits, both in need of an attitude adjustment - wasn’t exigent on their to-do list. They were too young, too inexperienced to be parents - or, at least, that’s what they were notorious for saying, whenever the subject of having kits was brought up. Which is why, when the medicine cat disclosed the news (and with a big grin, too) that Cedarheart was pregnant, the lovely couple panicked. Tears were shed, but ones of sorrow, not joy - a strange reaction to receiving news of two vigorous, most likely healthy kits. They didn’t want this; this wasn’t the plan! The last thing they needed was to be restricted by the bonds of parenthood… but what could they do? It was done - Cedarheart was carrying kits, and as moons passed, they became closer and closer to being born. And they could no nothing about it. Or… maybe they could. Desperate to set him and his mate ‘free’, Galefur casually stopped by the medicine cat’s den, and inquired if she needed any assistance. They conversed for a while, then when the medicine cat turned back to her work, he asked, in an aloof manner, what herbs they used for a nursing queen. Because he was the potential father of Cedarheart’s kits, this question wouldn’t seem odd at all; the healer rattled off the different plants and poultices, gesturing to each one as she did so, and when she reached the little-known parsley plant, Galefur’s heart leapt into his throat. He had seen the herb before on a hunting patrol, but hadn’t thought much of it; if only he had known about this herb sooner! It would of saved him from moons of anxiety. Hiding his excitement, the tom thanked the medicine cat with a laid-back grin, then, almost immediately, dashed to his mate’s side. By now, Cedarheart’s usually slim physique was plump with kits, but as Galefur put his muzzle by her ear, whispering his solution to the beautiful she-cat, her expression of delight remained unchanged. They put their heads together, finding comfort in each other’s warmth, and once again, tears were shed - but this time, it was from joy. They were saved from this horrible curse of responsibility before it even began, and despite the nearing birth of their kits, the two cats felt as if their world had returned to normal. Then, soon after, the kits came. It wasn’t a particularly hard birth; in fact, it was over in minutes. The fellow queens, either expecting kits or nursing them, congratulated the new parents with mews of approval. The two she-kits looked like their mother - Cedarheart should have been proud. And, to the rest of the queens, she did look proud. She even gave them their names: Hailkit and Smallkit. But internally, she glared at the kits with stony indifference. Perhaps, if it wasn’t for her mate’s plan, she would of felt a bit of compassion towards them; whether she wanted them or not. But now, Cedarheart was about to give up her life as a mother - getting close to her daughters would only make things worse. For a few minutes, everything seemed normal. Then, inevitably, the kits were encouraged to nurse. Instinct, as well as the guiding paw of the medicine cat, lead them to the soft curve of their mother’s belly, but when they tried to suckle, nothing came. Cedarheart’s milk supply was as dry as a bone, and it was all thanks to the parsley. At that particular spot in the forest, Galefur had collected enough of the herb to keep her from producing milk for moons, but gradually, as so the observant eyes of the medicine cat didn’t notice any missing. Of course, they weren’t about to let their kits starve to death - there were plenty of nursing queens available this time of year. A particularly warmhearted one by the name of Quailwing volunteered almost immediately. She loved kits more than anything in the world, and even though the two she-kits weren’t her own, she didn’t hesitate to treat them so. And when Cedarheart left the nursery as quickly as her exhaustion would allow her, without sparing a glance towards her two lovely daughters, it was official. Hailkit and Smallkit were now considered the adoptive daughters of Quailwing, and her equally welcoming mate, Redstripe. Hailkit never even questioned this fact, and as she aged, she offered her birth parents as little attention as they had offered her - they were scum in her eyes. No, lower than scum. There were no words for their treachery. Growing up, Hailkit was a nuisance, to say the least. She refused to respect the laws of the nursery, and, truthfully, she didn’t respect her ‘mother’ either. This, however, didn’t bother Quailwing in the least; she was used to the rebellious sort, and always insisted, ‘she’ll grow out of it’. Smallkit was the redeeming child of the litter. She may have been playful and loud, but she was kind - her sensitivity complemented her sister’s aloofness. The two reached five moons rather quickly, with a few arguments and many adventures, and as her apprentice ceremony nears, Hailkit finds her careless personality changing. Things keep catching her eye - things she has never noticed before - and she’s becoming more and more confused with where her loyalties lie… Sample RP The sky was clear when Fadedstripe breezed into the moonlit clearing, his amber eyes shifting from side to side as he checked the air for hostile scents. There were none, of course, unless you devised the dank and fading scents of other clans as ‘hostile’. Ever since the clans had started meeting at the Great Hollow, very few creatures had dared to enter, especially those that the warriors preyed upon. It was a pity, once you thought about it - it deprived the clan cats of a midnight snack, though StarClan knows what kind of fights it would start. Maybe the lack of prey here was for the best. As he raised his eyes to the sky, Fadedstripe saw that Silverpelt gleamed brightly overhead. The swathe of stars that represented their fallen warrior ancestors usually did this on the nights of Gatherings, but he still took this as a good omen. He wasn’t exactly what you would call the superstitious type, but this was his first Gathering as a deputy. He deserved to be welcomed by StarClan. He had served his clan for many moons and nothing - not even StarClan - was going to stand in his way. Confident in his position as well as his abilities, Fadedstripe looked around. What he saw (or what he didn’t see) left him slightly surprised. FrostClan usually arrived first, but this time CloudClan had reached the Hollow early. It was the second time they arrived at the Gathering first for the past two moons. A rare feeling of pleasure lit up his gaze as he noted this. Good, he thought - mentally, that means we have the upper paw. He hoped that Jadestar would make a habit of getting here this early; CloudClan had been the underdogs for far too long. They needed to seize any advantages they could get their paws on, no matter how insignificant, and this was one of them. When they reached CloudClan's usual side of the clearing, Fadedstripe realized that his gait was starting to surpass Jadestar's. Pelt slightly hot, he reminded himself to stay a step or two behind his leader - the dark tabby wasn't the head of the clan yet, no matter how much he would like to believe it. Despite his caution, he remained where he was for a bit longer. His leader had always approved of discreet cheekiness rather than complete obedience, as it hinted towards an independent spirit, though Fadedstripe knew he was going a bit too far. At least he was close to achieving his goal - that counted for something. Jadestar was old, very old, and that meant that she would retire soon. Yes, retire. Fadedstripe wasn't nearly ambitious enough to have his leader killed, as many cats had done in the past. That was too cold, too evil. He never wanted to go that far. Letting out a puff of air, Fadedstripe slowed his pace a bit, hoping that no one would notice his quiet surrender. His slender black legs moved to match the gray leader's gait perfectly, but he allowed himself to fall behind to trot at her flank. As he walked, his jagged stripes seemed to warp and slither across his pelt, disorienting any cat that dared to stare at them for too long. Unsurprisingly (or at least to himself) quite a few cats had done so on previous occasions. Especially she-cats - they were the worst, always drooling over him and giggling behind his back. It was just plain creepy. Luckily, those select few had decided to keep their gazes down. Any of them that still remained smitten with him (or so he would like to believe they were) had learned their lesson long ago. The shuffling gaits of numerous cats pulled Fadedstripe out of his musings, and he averted his gaze from the back of Jadestar’s head - why in StarClan’s name was he even staring there to begin with? - and onto the group of warriors heading his way. It was FrostClan, and at their head was - you guessed it! - Seastar. The lithe tortoiseshell looked quite well for a cat who had just taken a deadly tumble from the Great Sycamore at the previous Gathering. Fadedstripe hadn’t seen it, but he had heard enough about it to know how serious it was. He wasn’t exactly surprised at her recovery, though - that was expected of a leader with StarClan at her side. All leaders had that special connection, so he wasn’t about to place her above any of the others, but he had to admit that she was quite a she-cat. Fadedstripe blinked, his sharp amber eyes momentarily hidden by intricately marked eyelids. He would have to be wary of her; she was the last cat he wanted on his list of enemies. The dark tabby offered her a nod, though she was probably focusing her attention on Jadestar rather than him, then turned once again as yet another clan entered the Hollow. It had to be SnakeClan - IvyClan was always late, the no-good devils. When he became leader, there would be changes, and the IvyClan problem would be one of them… You call me by the name I’ve lied I meet in secret with those who’ve died Though life is not’ but treachery This life is all the life in me a life we can only wish |