Post by Sydney on Feb 19, 2011 18:53:35 GMT -6
Name Thornstar
Age 47 Moons
Gender Tom
Clan SkyClan
Rank Leader
Life 8
Apprentice ---
Crush ---
Father
Mother Willowfeather
Older Brother
Description
Personality
Thornstar has been training himself his whole life to be the best, to be the strongest, to accept nothing less then perfection. It can easily be said, because of this, that Thornstar is a workaholic, a perfectionist, a stick in the mud, and many other things of this nature. He'll adamantly deny it, (he is fun, a perfect leader is FUN so by StarClan, he is fun) but, everyone knows it's true. His life revolves around SkyClan, making sure the apprentices are all properly trained, the Queens are fed, everything is perfect. There can't be any discomfort amongst the Clan, any problems, he won't have it. Everything has to be wonderful, perfect, otherwise it just will not do. Thornstar will not have anything less then perfect, his Clan will be the best, his apprentice will be perfect. It just has to be! So yes, Thornstar is a perfectionist, an anal perfectionist who craves organization and order above everything else and will sometimes fly into mini (private) panic attacks if his den isn't organized. (Moss is the right corner, the moss HAS TO BE IN THE RIGHT CORNER.) But, yes, he is a perfectionist.
Some might also describe him as “OCD”, this may or may not be correct. While Thornstar does enjoy organization, and having things perfect, OCD may be a stretch. He just does not enjoy chaos, he likes order, structure, and, again, perfection.
He's a bit of a workaholic- okay, he's a huge workaholic and, if he doesn't have something to do, he will go stir crazy. If he's not hunting, he's cleaning out the elders den or talking to Spottedsky, if he's not doing that he's out badgering the apprentices. He has to be doing something, no matter how trivial it may be, at all times. (This is why he usually gives himself an apprentice.) Thornstar needs to have a schedule for the day, a purpose, otherwise he'll just pace around his den or make up battle plans for hypothetical attacks. (Warriors would attack, apprentices would help the Queens, kits, and elders escape.) He hates sitting still, he hates sitting still and not even being able to talk to himself even more. It's not healthy, that's for sure but, it does have its bonuses. Being a workaholic obsessed with perfection has made Thornstar a dedicated tom, after all. It's also left the leader a strategic geniusv too, mainly from all his long nights making battle and defense plans to himself, though. He's intelligent, certainly (though his perfectionism may not be the cause of this), he knows how to ration foods during prey shortage, how to train apprentices, and tends to be able to keep his warriors in line with some suave comments. Of course, he's usually lying through his teeth when he tries to be suave but, it works, so, he's not complaining.
Being stern tends to come paw in paw with being a perfectionist so, yeah, Thornstar is pretty stern. He doesn't tolerate silliness or liars, he has standards. Not that many cats can reach his standards, of course but, he tends to lower them when it comes to new apprentices and kits. Though, if you have the bad luck to be chosen as his apprentice, his standards are raised twice as high for you. It's no wonder a;; kits dread being picked as his apprentice, right? That's not to say he's cruel, though! Oh no, Thornstar tries his best to be friendly but- .... Well, truth be told the tom sucks at socializing. He has no social skills at all, nada, zip, none. When he's making big, grand speeches he can lie his way through and make himself sound oh so charming but, when around others, when he's just chatting he's... Well, he's like a young apprentice talking to a pretty she-cat for the first time. He tends to forget names, pauses a lot, stumbles over his words and...
Yeah, you can see why he tries to stay in “Perfect Leader Mode” 24/7.
Though, even while in “Perfect” mode you can see a few traces of his true, bumbling self. He has no tact, for one thing, and he also tends to be blunt. Also, like stated before, he's a huge stick in the mud. Sometimes though, he'll remember that “perfect leaders” should be friendly and fun and will try to engage some apprentices or kits in games of mossball and tag. It's actually... kind of sad to see, because eventually he'll go overboard and get way into the game. (HE HAS TO WIN!) Then the kits will get upset and leave and he'll be confused and- Yes, it's kind of pathetic.
So, all in all, Thornstar is a giant stick in the mud.
At least he tries, though, at least he tries.[/ul]
History
”So, work hard, Thornkit, work hard or you'll never reach me.”
Thornstar, from the start, had high expectations placed upon him. He was born many seasons ago, right as the leaves began to fall. He was the second son of Brackenstar, SkyClan's own leader, and Willowfeather. He was the younger brother of Snakefoot, the younger brother of a Tom that would go onto be adored by SkyClan. Snakefoot was, and always will be, the reason to Thornstar's rhyme. Snakefoot was perfect from day one, he had everything he could ever need from day one, and Thornstar- Thornstar will never be as good as his brother. He will never live up to the expectations his family has placed on him, he will never be like Snakefoot. He can try, oh he can try but, in his own eyes, Thornstar will always be five steps away from perfection.
Born in early leaf-fall, Thornstar and his brother did not struggle the first few moons of their lives. They were healthy, very healthy kits and, even from such an early stage in their lives, Snakefoot was able to show how much better he would grow up to be. Snakefoot opened his eyes first, Snakefoot talked first, Snakefoot did everything first. Thornstar followed behind at his own pace, a pace which, looking back, was perfectly normal. But, Thornstar has never wanted to be normal, he's always wanted to be perfect, like his brother. His brother, the one that always one-upped him, his brother, the better kit. He's always wanted- no, needed to be perfect, like Snakefoot, if not better. This need manifested early on in Thornstar's life, far before he even became an apprentice. He was a young kit when he noticed it, barely three moons old and still trailing behind his brother in every way.
Snakekit, the charming little one, had managed to convince his littermate to sneak out with him, out into the forest with some other kits. They were huddled beneath a little tree, talking in whispers amongst themselves (because they are worried and excited, because they know they will be caught and punished) while Snakekit clawed at the tree. “You'll never get up there,” they all chimed. Snakekit, though, proved them wrong, like always. He made it to the top branch and laughed like a fool while the others gaped. Thornkit tried, oh he tried to reach his brother, far away on his little branch but, he couldn't. The others laughed and laughed at his attempts and, after a while, Snakekit did too. “You have to work hard to climb trees!”
(So work hard, Thornkit, work hard or you'll never reach me.)
They were caught eventually, of course, carried back to camp like the naughty kits they were. The others forgot about Thornkit's failed attempts to reach his brother over time but, Thornkit never did. It was then that he realized how far ahead his brother was in everything and, it was then, that he became determined to catch up with Snakekit.
They became apprentices at the normal age and were both apprenticed to well respected warriors. The two warriors were brothers, even. Littermates, much like Snakepaw and Thornpaw themselves. They both trained their new apprentices in the same way but, Snakepaw, clever, perfect, Snakepaw excelled in his training. Thornpaw struggled, he trudged behind his brother in every way. He wasn't as strong, or as fast, no no, he was never like Snakepaw. But, he had to be, he had to be.
(Become strong, Thornpaw, train with all your might, or else you'll never reach me.)
Snakepaw became a warrior first, Snakefoot he was named, and even though Thornpaw joined his brother only a moon later, he still felt the sting of being the younger brother. Everyone loved Snakefoot, wonderful, charming Snakefoot. He was great, wasn't he? All the she-cats loved Snakefoot, everyone loved him. And Thorntooth? The younger, normal brother? Oh, he was alright but, it was always Snakefoot that caught their eye. Thorntooth had to work twice as hard, if he ever wanted to be as good as his brother.
So he did. He trained, and trained, constantly, always, that was all he did, He pushed away his friends, his mother, his father, and focused on one thing and one thing only: becoming better then Snakefoot. Becoming perfect. In the process he destroyed his social life but, his training did show, over time. He could defeat anyone in spars, he could even out hunt someone too, if he really pushed himself. He was becoming well known for his vigor, his dedication- but, it wasn't good enough. Snakefoot was next in line for deputy, once Rabbit-tail retired, everyone knew this. Snakefoot already had an apprentice, a pretty little she-cat with wide eyes. Once she became a warrior, he'd be announced deputy. It was inevitable, right?
So Thorntooth trained harder, he begged his father for an apprentice, and, eventually, was granted one. Cloudpaw was a scraggly tom, a dreamer but, Thorntooth managed to turn him into a decent cat, in the end. Decent in his eyes, anyway. But, he was still behind. Snakefoot's apprentice was a warrior, Rabbit-tail would retire soon. He couldn't let him get ahead of him.
It was the moon before Rabbit-tail had decided to retire though, that something finally changed, putting Thorntooth ahead of his brother. Snakefoot, in all his wide eyed glory, got sick, and died of greencough. Imagine that, greencough, doing in the Snakefoot. Everyone was devastated, even Thorntooth in his own way but, life must go on. Rabbit-tail did retire, as originally planned, and, instead of the now late Snakefoot, Thorntooth was chosen as deputy. He did it, he finally did it.
But there was still that aching feeling, even during all his joy, that no, he wasn't as good as Snakefoot. He'd still have to try harder.
Twelve moons ago, his father died. He became leader, a dream of not his but, Snakefoot's. He's finally better then Snakefoot, he's finally ahead of him! He's happy now, or at least, he should be but, there's still that feeling that, perhaps, he's not good enough. He's already lost one life, one life because of slipping on some stones. Would that of happened to Snakefoot? No. He'll just have to try harder, try so much harder.
...Maybe, in the end, in his own mind, Thornstar will always be the mewling kit at the bottom of the tree and Snakefoot, he'll always be the little kit on the branch, far, far away.
So work hard, little Thornstar, work hard or you'll never reach him.[/ul]
RolePlay Example
But, still, this wasn't very fun.
The forest, it was- it was scary and big, really big to tiny, three moon old Thornkit. It was windy, too, really windy! He was sure he would blow away eventually, it was just so windy. He didn't understand how Snakekit could walk like that, so strong, so sturdy. He didn't even bend when the wind hit his sides! Snakekit was so much bigger, and stronger, then Thornkit himself. But- but, his mother said he'd catch up soon! Snakekit was just a faster growing kit, was all. Thornkit believed her, too, because mothers are smart and wouldn't lie to their kits, right? Right! So Thornkit was sure, once he grew, he'd be just like Snakekit. They were already so much alike, pelt wise, they'd probably be identical once they were both warriors! That would be fun, yup!
“Thornkit, keep up!”
The little kit squeaked, lowering himself to the ground at his brother's call. Right, he had to keep up! Skirting along the floor of the forest, the little brown tabby shot towards the other kits, gaping at the tree they had stopped under. “What are we doing?” “Waiting for you!” “Oh- sorry...” Keeping his belly against the ground, the little kit watched as the other three kits all talked excitedly amongst themselves. “This is so fun!” “We're going to get in so much trouble...” “Who cares!” They were all having fun... why wasn't he? W-well, they weren't going home yet, so there was still time! Yes, there was still a lot of time.
“You'll never make it, Snakekit!” The little tabby swiveled his head around to his brother's form, the larger kit was currently clinging onto the side of the tree for his dear life. He was trying to climb a tree, wow! “Oh, watch me, Goldenkit!” The little she-cat scowled, turning away from the scene. “Well, when you fall!” Thornkit laughed, watching his brother as he made his way up the tree. “Snakekit won't fall, see?” The other kits gathered round, gaping as the little kit finally made it to one of the top branches.
“Look at me, everyone!” “Wooow!” “That's so cool!” “Can you touch the clouds?”
Snakekit beamed from his branch, tail dangling off the edge. Down below, Thornkit gaped with his companions, before beaming. “I'm coming up there, too, Snakekit!” Grinning, the little tom threw himself at the bottom of the tree, claws digging into the bark. He would get about two mouselengths up the tree before falling back down.
N-no! He could make it, too! That looked so fun! If Snakekit could do it, so could he!
So, he tried again.
And he fell, again.
The other little kittens, all gathered around, bellowed out with laughter, tail twitching at the sight of the tiny kit. “Give it up, Thornkit!” “N-no! I can do it!”
But, he couldn't.
He couldn't.
It wasn't fair- It wasn't fair! Snakekit could always do the fun things! He could- why couldn't he ever be as good as Snakekit! It wasn't-
“You have to work hard to climb trees!” Thornkit's ears pulled back and the little tom glanced up, glaring at his littermate. “So, you gotta work hard, Thornkit, or you'll never reach me!”
Never reach him.
No- no- no.
He would work hard, he would work hard. He'd reach him, no, he'd pass him! If not today then, one day. One day he'd pass Snakekit.
He'd be better, one day. [/ul]
