ROBIN-NOSE

REDWOODCLAN

long-haired classic black tabby with green eyes

Robin-nose is as nonchalant as she looks. Her lackadaisical demeanor is evident in the slouch that curves her back, and the bent in her forelegs that make her seem much shorter and smaller than she actually is. Robin-nose holds herself with the same lukewarm apathy that unfurls each time she talks. If she was to stand with her legs straightened and her chin pointed, she could be a tall she-cat, usual in the redwood forest, but she does not. Robin-nose instead sits with a lull, her head idle on her shoulder and her gaze stilled as a hot, stagnant breeze. The she-cat is lithe in musculature, body primed for slipping through the dense foliage and chasing after prey.

Her dusted sable coat is thick and feathered. This does the she-cat a favor, since it masks her careless saunter with an alluring charm. Cats are drawn to Robin-nose and the classic pattern that weaves over her flank. The sables and chestnuts in her coat are betwixt a rich black that runs over her back and swirls across her fur in a mesmerizing coil. The same rich black dons her forearms and hind legs in thick tabby stripes, while her forehead carries the classic tabby m. Her tail is covered in the same rich black sort; however, due to hours in the sun, the black has faded into a dark, hickory brown.

Robin-nose has a cream colored chin and the same off-shade white in her ears. Her face is narrow, almost long. This makes her usual airy demeanor even more-so peculiar, since it would almost look pensive on a more thoughtful cat. Robin-nose instead knows how to use it to parade her boredom. She has a quick, uninterested gaze. It flits over others, mere seconds, the soft, new-leaf color, almost missed, and then its gone; her gaze, more often then not, closed and dozing in the redwood forest.

Sociable and compassionate for her Clan-mates, Robin-nose is a discernible figure within her Clan, often found lounging outside of the warrior's den in a sunbeam, ears angled toward conversation. She loves participating in the social aspects of RedwoodClan, whether it's checking in with the apprentices or chatting with her fellow warriors. The lithe she-cat enjoys being in the 'know' and keeping up with the lives of her den-mates. She is a fan of gossip, and has been known to be particularly nosy concerning her clan-mates' secret affairs. Occasionally a rumor has started from her lips, though she'd never admit to it being her fault.

Witty and humorous, Robin-nose often shows her affection through playful teasing and jabs. She struggles to speak openly from the heart, finding it mushy and stupid. While she's gotten better at professing her love for her family, she is not one to freely compliment or shower a den-mate with appreciation.

While apt to the social circles of RedwoodClan, Robin-nose is a rather apathetic warrior concerning her duties. Despite being a competitive huntress and formidable opponent on the field, the she-cat would much rather spend her time in leisure, lounging about camp. She enjoys napping, idle conversation, and sharing tongues with her loved ones. Robin-nose is not a morning warrior, much preferring sleeping in, and will purposefully avoid the dawn patrol at all costs.

A seeker of pleasure, the she-cat is quite in tune with her sensuality, and in her youth, was a notable flirt until eventually settling down. Robin-nose is a romantic at heart and enjoys peeling away from her warrior duties to spend time with Tigerpool, whether they're simply lounging together or journeying into the woods for a midnight romp.

While long suppressed and tamed from her youth, Robin-nose harbors a nasty competitive streak, one that rears its ugly head whenever provoked. Perhaps it's the reason she avoids taking her duties more seriously. But if pushed into friendly competition, the she-cat will slip into cutting insults and taunts and take it more seriously than intended. She secretly hates losing and will summon every excuse in the forest to explain away her loss.

Robinkit was born to Fawnheart and Thrushface. She had one litter-mate, a brother named Gullkit. Charismatic and likable, he was adored the moment he could meow. He garnered the adoration of their parents, den-mates, and slowly but surely, the rest of their Clan. Robinkit found him insufferable, but she was also green with envy. Trying to replicate her brother's charm, Robinkit poked her nose into everybody's nest and chirped into every conversation, much to their chagrin. She ultimately lacked Gullkit's social-awareness and couldn't sense her peers' growing irritation. While he was suave and witty, she was loud and abrasive.

She was trying too hard.

Catching onto her jealousy, Fawnheart tried to softly steer her rambunctious daughter in another direction. She didn't have to copy her brother to earn her love. She just had to be herself, but Robinkit was naive. Her mother's lesson fell on deaf ears.

The rivalry with her brother only exacerbated when they became apprentices. While Gullpaw quickly made friends and found his own circle of buddies in the apprentice's den, Robinpaw was an outcast. Most of her den-mates found her constant gossiping and playfulness annoying.

Fortunately, her mentor was the gentle and thoughtful Owl-leaf, a skilled huntress and warrior. The she-cat found Robinpaw, and her boundless desire for attention, charming – albeit misdirected. She made sure to tell Robinpaw on a regular basis to never care about what others thought.

Again, this was met by deaf ears.

Trying a different tactic, Owl-leaf urged Robinpaw to use her envy to hone her skills as a warrior. Owl-leaf discovered that with the right motivation, Robinpaw was a fierce competitor as both a huntress and a fighter. She was a fast learner, and with the temptation of beating her brother and earning her den-mate's respect, she only pushed harder. Gullpaw, on the other paw, struggled with his training. It did not come as naturally to him.

Deeply competitive, this delighted Robinpaw.

Hoping to hone this and find her apprentice a friend, Owl-leaf assigned Robinpaw to her training partner around her ninth moon, a new apprentice by the name of Heatherpaw. The dark-pelted she-cat was fiery and harbored a sharp tongue and temper.

They initially tried to outdo one another, but with direction from their mentors, they learned how to fight together and play into each other's advantages like true RedwoodClan warriors. Quick on her paws, Robinpaw's nimble body and Heatherpaw's heavy and aggressive hits complimented each other.

They became fast friends — Robinpaw's only friend.

Shortly after, Robinpaw found herself developing a crush on one of her den-mates. His name was Antlerpaw. He was two moons older than her, almost a warrior, and the object of affection for many young she-cats in their den. Too nervous to approach him, Robinpaw decided to swallow her affections and focus on her training. Even Heatherpaw could tell it was affecting her performance. But then her brother, of all cats, started dropping in on her training sessions, unannounced and a sly look across his face.

When he finally spoke to her, he told Robinpaw that Antlerpaw had a crush on her too. Robinpaw couldn't believe it. Her? Really? She spent many nights in her nest, turning over the possibility a hundred times in her head, until finally, she mustered up the courage to talk to him.

She found Antlerpaw chatting with two other she-cat's, Dawnpaw and Curlypaw, near the fresh-kill pile one afternoon.

“Nice job out there.” Robinpaw meowed, referring to their training practice from earlier that morning. Antlerpaw flicked his ear in her direction but continued talking to the much prettier she-cat. Robinpaw faltered. He usually answered back in her head. “I said nice job out there,” she repeated, a bit too loud.

Antlerpaw glanced over his shoulder, his gaze uninterested. “Thanks.” His words were flat. Robinpaw eased in closer to the two apprentices. “Are you ready for the big hunt tomorrow? Owl-leaf said if we all do well, we could all become warriors soon.” Antlerpaw exhaled. “Yeah…real…exciting.” Robinpaw continued. “I wonder maybe — if we could team up together and do the big hunt — um like, with each other, Antlerpaw? I'm a really good hunter actually—"

“Do you ever shut up? I’m trying to have a conversation here, Starclan.”

Robinpaw froze. Her stomach descended into her toes. She wanted to apologize, but her mouth refused to move. She mumbled an incoherent collection of words and retreated into her den. She felt like such an idiot. She should have known that Anterlpaw would never be interested in a she-cat like her. She was too loud. Too annoying. Too much.

She spent the rest of her night crying in her nest.

She hated Gullpaw for lying to her!

But worse, she hated herself.

Robinpaw finished her apprenticeship under a shroud of apathy and became a warrior at thirteen moons. But even her warrior ceremony felt like a slap to the face. Finchstar named her Robin-nose. Convinced it was because she was a gossip and nosy, Robin-nose sat her vigil in mild annoyance.

Owl-leaf tried to convince her it was because of her great hunting skills, but Robin-nose only snorted in disbelief. How could that be? She did even care about that anymore. She did not care about anything. Nose was an insult.

Life as a warrior was tough for the she-cat. She pulled out of everything remotely stinking of responsibility and essentially gave up. She slept in until noon-high, lounged about camp and napped, and did her best to avoid her warrior duties. Heathermask, shortly named a warrior after her, tried to get the she-cat back on her feet and into training, but it was impossible. Robin-nose did not care anymore.

They drifted apart, no longer fighting buddies or much of anything for that matter.

Every patrol she was forced on became a joke to Robin-nose. She'd poke fun at her den-mates, and flirt with the toms if only to bristle their pelts. She didn't take anything seriously, including the growing war with LichenClan. A strange shift was churning inside of her, and as the moons passed, the shroud of depression and apathy lifted, and she felt weirdly free. No longer trying to beat her brother, a cat she rarely spoke to, she started to focus on her own enjoyment.

Which led her to the Sandy Creek one late and balmy, green-leaf afternoon.

Lounging near the waters, she was joined by an older den-mate, a tom named Tigerpool. Sixteen moons her senior, they rarely interacted with each other, besides the usual patrol. He was an attractive warrior, massive and muscular. Her eyes danced over his body. Feeling mischievous, the she-cat joined him on his evening stroll. They flirted with one another until parting.

They begin spending time together, Robin-nose always longing for more. For the first time since her warrior ceremony, she found herself caring about something. So after moons of flirting, she gathered the courage to ask him about his feelings for her. A tiny part of her feared a repeat of Antlerstrike's cruelty, but Tigerpool's answer was simple and nondescript. They were attracted to one another. This he acknowledged, but romantically? Tigerpool was unsure. Robin-nose brushed it off, not wanting to appear overbearing and lose her cool, but it escalated when he tried to sleep with her.

She didn't just want to be another name to him.

Angry over his advances and angry with herself, Robin-nose rejected his come-on, and they began to avoid each other. But their relationship, or whatever it was, kicked the she-cat back onto her feet, and for the first time since her apprenticeship, she dug her claws back into her training, if only for the much needed distraction. It was around this time, she was assigned her first apprentice, a feisty she-cat named Windpaw.

They didn't immediately get along, but eventually a tight bond blossomed between the two, even if Windpaw regularly bristled her pelt.

Shortly after, a Tribe cat appeared during a Gathering and RedwoodClan took the tom in, which earned them LichenClan's wrath. The following dawn, they launched a gruesome attack on their camp, and Robin-nose was thrown into the fray. Initially fighting outside of camp, she made her way back through the hollow, only to discover Tigerpool locked in a deadly grapple with the LichenClan deputy, Hemlockheat. In mere seconds, the gruesome tom delivered a devastating blow, nearly severing Tigerpool in two.

Time stood still.

Then Redfox, her own deputy, entered the fight and fended Hemlockheart off, allowing Robin-nose to rush forward and grab Tigerpool by his scruff. They took shelter in the medicine cat's den until LichenClan retreated. Tenderly they cried into each other's pelts, and when he was finally cleared to leave the den by Orchidshade, they ventured into the redwood forest and apologized to each other. They decided to remain friends, and slept together on an old weather rock, just thankful to be in each other's company.

It took nearly a season of 'being friends,' for Robin-nose to cut the fox-dung and properly confess her feelings to him. They decided to take it slow, a deep love unfurling between them. Very soon after they became mates, and it was with Tigerpool's urging, she began to find herself as a warrior, as a she-cat of both her past and present selves: someone who found joy in training apprentices and hunting for her Clan, but also someone who couldn't resist the temptation of a sunbeam or a juicy piece of gossip.

With Minnowstar's increasing vengeance and a declaration of war, her Clan saw a lot of battles, some lost, some won. Many times, Robin-nose was forced to remain in camp as Tigerpool was sent off to fight. As one of their strongest warriors, he couldn't stay behind. RedwoodClan needed him, despite her feelings. So desperately she'd wait, pacing with the others who were left behind. It was during these times she forged a deep companionship with her den-mates. Warriors she once avoided became her friends, like Dawnlight, Curlycloud, and Forestflight.

After Windpaw earned her warrior name, Robin-nose began helping out with the apprentices, often accompanying Tigerpool during his training sessions. She soon gained a new apprentice, another she-cat named Lightpaw. Robin-nose imparted all of her hunting wisdom with the she-cat, but unfortunately had to cut their time together short, for she was pregnant.

At first delighted by the news, the she-cat looked forward to raising a family with Tigerpool, but anxiety and fear soon took over. A lick of her competitiveness returned, only this time regarding motherhood. Robin-nose entered the nursery during a great time of growth for RedwoodClan, despite the threats of war by their neighbors. Nearly five other queens occupied the nursery, and instead of relying on her fellow queens for help, Robin-nose became reclusive and overwhelmed by her new role, fearful of being judged for her inadequacy.

Her three children, Fawnkit, Rook-kit, and Milkweedkit, grew up sheltered, despite her best efforts to organize play and encourage safe excursions outside of the nursery. Robin-nose didn't want them to lose their kithood to the war, or grow up envious and competitive like she did. She wanted to nurture individuality and safety, despite being possessive in other ways. Robin-nose was protective almost to a fault, often denying other, rougher and mean-spirited kits from playing with her brood. Tigerpool silently supported her, even when the other tom's gossiped and prodded.

When they were apprenticed, Robin-nose struggled letting them go. It was only with Tigerpool's help and gentle reminders that she was able to silently support them from afar. It didn't, however, stop her from giving them an ear or paw whenever they needed it.

Having gone through her experience and nearly four seasons old, Robin-nose found herself in a strange position. She was often looking after new queens and helping them with their own maternal dilemmas. It gave her a sense of purpose in her kits' absence.

As her children aged into warriors, war ravaged their camp in bloody battles. Even she could not protect them from Minnowstar's wrath. Again she found herself back in camp, waiting with the others for their loved ones to return. Only this time, it was worse. Not only did she have to fret over Tigerpool, but her own kits too, particularly Fawnstep. Gone was the she-cat of apathy and lounging naps. Robin-nose had purpose, but it was a double-edged claw.

She had so much more to lose.

As the season pressed on and the cold winds of leaf-fall returned to the island, RedwoodClan entered a bloody battle alongside ThistleClan and the LichenClan rebels, which would eventually become known as the Great War. Under Finchstar and Icesong's direction, RedwoodClan defeated Minnowstar and put an end to their suffering.

Grateful for her family's safe return, Robin-nose rejoiced in the end of the war and the new era of peace. But as she nears her fifth season on the island, the she-cat grows wary. She is no stranger to declarations of violence, and alongside her mate, she pushes for more training and a more offensive future in her Clan, though not as militant as some of her peers. Apathy, a feeling she knows well and still harbors from time to time, is what got them into this mess under Heatherstar's rule. Caring, she decided, for all of its heartache, will ensure RedwoodClan future, and therefore, her family's future for generations to come.