Post by buffy on Nov 19, 2011 20:20:49 GMT -6
Name: Deerpaw
Age: 7 Moons
Gender: Male
Clan: ShadowClan
Rank: Apprentice
Mentor: Huh?
Love Interest: ...
Kin: Oakfoot ; Father
Birdtail ; Mother
Description: Deerpaw is young; he’s still small and still growing. If he takes after his father, he’ll be a big cat, but he’s just as likely to take after his mother and stay small. His pelt has no striking or vibrant colours, but he wears it well. He is mostly a solid, dark brown, but he has a thick stripe of white that spreads like a scarf over his shoulders and down his arms. He isn’t tabby – his brown fur is smooth and consistent in colour. Deerpaw isn’t skinny, but he can’t quite be described as muscular either. He’s wiry and lanky, with legs that are ever so slightly disproportionate to his body. His eyes are a dark, muted green with flecks of yellow around the edges.
That is the simplest way to describe Deerpaw. To see him simply sitting around, you’d think he was just an average cat. And he is. But when he moves, it’s almost as if his whole body is dancing. His haunches, his head and his legs move in a rhythmic way, almost swaying. He doesn’t run particularly quickly, but when he does it’s quite the sight. His mother often told him, “You blew in from WindClan,” as a joke. It’s true that his lanky build suggests a different Clan, but his ancestry is purely ShadowClan.
Personality: Deer are quiet, gentle and shy. That’s why Deerpaw’s parents chose this name for their son – they believed he would be like them; quiet, soft spoken and shy. Deerpaw’s not crazy or outgoing, but he didn’t turn out quite as expected either. He makes conversation easier than either of his parents ever could, but who knows where he picked that up. He’s fun loving and adventurous, but sometimes this leads him to do stupid things. He’s not the most thoughtful cat, and can make irrational decisions easily. This is ironic and hypocritical, in a way, because if there is one thing Deerpaw cannot stand is stupid cats. He hates it when others are given clear instructions and still don’t know what to do. You could call him impatient, short tempered or easily provoked, and you would be right. He has learned to hold his tongue to prevent lashing out at “stupid” cats, but he can still be snippy.
So, in a way, Deerpaw is not deer-like. But he never wanted his name to mean gentle, shy and quiet. He wanted it to mean him.
History: Deerpaw’s parents fell in love because they were similar. They were both shy, which you would think would just make things double awkward. But it didn’t. Oakfoot was big and broad, giving the small Birdtail the security and safety she lacked. Birdtail fell pregnant when they were both around 25 moons, and gave birth several months later. It was a cold winter, and only one of the three kits survived. Deerkit was no more than a moon old when he lost his siblings, and so never had time to grow attached enough to grieve. His parents never hid from him the fact that his two brothers were dead. Deerpaw grew up knowing it and it never truly bothered him. If anything, it made him feel lucky.
When Deerkit was five moons old, his father stopped visiting. His mother and the other queens in the nursery seemed to know something about it, but he was almost too scared to ask. Whenever Deerkit went outside he would look around, and sometimes he would whisper his father’s name behind the nursery, convinced his father would jump out and it was all a joke. But he never did. Warriors in the camp gave him looks that ranged from pity to disgust, and he didn’t know what to make of it. Finally, a few nights after he noticed his father’s disappearance, he asked his mother.
“Is dad dead?” He had heard of another kit who’s father had been struck on the thunderpath.
Birdtail sighed and looked sadly down at her son. “No. Dad left.”
This surprised him. Cats died all the time. If he heard that his father was dead, he would be upset, but he’d be able to understand it. “Why? Where’d he go?”
Again Birdtail sighed. “He... had a different life in mind. ShadowClan wasn’t his home anymore.”
Deerkit dropped the conversation after this. He didn’t know what his mother meant, and he didn’t think he ever would.
Deerkit became Deerpaw a moon later, and finally, through the gossip in the apprentice den, he found out what happened to his father. He left to become a kittypet. At first, he didn’t believe them. His dad – the strong one who always came back with the most fresh kill - didn’t want to be a warrior anymore? And he left without saying goodbye? No. It wouldn’t be true. But when Deerpaw asked his mother, she simply nodded sadly. “Yes. He left. But I’m sure he’s very happy now, and proud of you.”
Well, Deerpaw couldn’t do anything about it. His dad was gone and that was all. Adaptable and compliant as ever, Deerpaw kept going. At seven moons, he has barely started his training and has a lot to learn, but he knows already that, unlike his father, this is the life he wishes to lead.
Other:
Roleplay Example:Deerpaw bounded through the territory as the soft, wet earth sunk under his paws. He was light of step and the mud didn’t slow him down, he wouldn’t let it. He took deep breaths as he ran along, sorting out the different scents and trying to find the one of prey. He knew that to be a good hunter you had to be patient, a virtue that he lacked. He had sat in the reeds for over ten minutes waiting to catch a scent, and he hadn’t, so he was going to find it. He ignored the nagging thought that moving scared away all prey and, stubbornly, kept going.
When Deerpaw finally caught the scent of a mouse, he stopped so suddenly that he nearly lost his footing on the slippery mud. He crouched, straining his ears, eyes and nose to catch a trace of the mouse. There. A few fox lengths to his right. He stepped forwards lightly, swaying ever so slightly. He could see it now – a patch of grey in an otherwise brown landscape. His eyes narrowed and he held his breath. With a sudden, sharp jerk of his entire body, he brought himself closer and the mouse was dead, hanging limply in his arms. He purred with satisfaction. That wasn’t so hard! How could other apprentices not grasp this? It was easy if you listened carefully and knew what to do. His mind flashed back to the fact that he had found the mouse by chance, running through the marshes, as he was told not to do. His ears flicked back in annoyance. He had caught the mouse fairly, what difference did it make whether he ran or not? If he hadn’t, he’d still be sitting in those reeds and the Clan would still be hungry. With a smirk, he buried his prey and continued on his way.
That wasn't very good but I tried XD
