Post by dumpster on Nov 25, 2020 15:46:34 GMT -6
smokejaw
thistleclan
a black and red torbie behemoth with sharp green eyes
senior warrior
female
59 moons
A p p e a r a n c e
Standing well over a head and shoulders taller than her compatriots within ThistleClan, Smokejaw is perhaps the most easily discerned from a crowd due to her gargantuan proportions. A class of her own within her Clan, Smokejaw seldom encounters a true size-match at all – and certainly hasn’t among her brethren. Broad shouldered, thickly muscled, and stout of the limbs, Smokejaw is as out of place in her Clan as a turkey among hens. She carries herself in a way that boasts a distinct awareness of her stature and the strength it holds and often uses her goliath physique to her advantage in both combative and social situations.
The mistake of assuming some of her bulk and mass is made up merely of a thick pelt has been corrected many times in the past—beneath a short furred coat of brindled torbie markings of black and red, Smokejaw sports a thick, scarred hide that has weathered a great deal. Bald, knotted ridges of scar tissue exist on her legs, across the bridge of her nose, and thoroughly coat the backs of what remain of her ears; chipped and rent and tattered and malformed as they have become through constant combative abuse.
With muscled jowls as thick as any tom cats—and even broader than some—Smokejaw is frequently misgendered. She sports a broad muzzle with large teeth outfitting its recesses that are regularly displayed in seemingly jovial grins that seldom reach her eyes. Were it not for her eyes and the obvious intelligence housed within them, many would likely underestimate Smokejaw to detrimental effect. As it is, there is a plainly evident calculating glimmer and a distinct perceptiveness that pervades her gaze… and she misses very little.
The mistake of assuming some of her bulk and mass is made up merely of a thick pelt has been corrected many times in the past—beneath a short furred coat of brindled torbie markings of black and red, Smokejaw sports a thick, scarred hide that has weathered a great deal. Bald, knotted ridges of scar tissue exist on her legs, across the bridge of her nose, and thoroughly coat the backs of what remain of her ears; chipped and rent and tattered and malformed as they have become through constant combative abuse.
With muscled jowls as thick as any tom cats—and even broader than some—Smokejaw is frequently misgendered. She sports a broad muzzle with large teeth outfitting its recesses that are regularly displayed in seemingly jovial grins that seldom reach her eyes. Were it not for her eyes and the obvious intelligence housed within them, many would likely underestimate Smokejaw to detrimental effect. As it is, there is a plainly evident calculating glimmer and a distinct perceptiveness that pervades her gaze… and she misses very little.
P e r s o n a l i t y
abrasive, outspoken, incisive, overprotective, chummy, progressive, decisive, perceptive, earnest, principled, alert, confident, domineering, impatient, strong-willed, vindictive, grudging
a·lert: quick to notice any unusual and potentially dangerous circumstances.
similar// vigilant || Shifts in social situations that could turn potentially dangerous or unfavorable to her and her clanmates are quickly picked up on by Smokejaw. She's been the first to notice more than once the moments rival patrols share that spark border feuds and skirmishes, and has occasionally been able to defuse such situations in the past. Due to her need to keep herself busy and all parts of her mind occupied at all times, she has also managed to hone her senses to an enviable degree - particularly her sense of hearing and smell. "Shut up-" she would say, placing herself between her companion and the source of her abrupt demand mere moments before either a predator or a rogue would make themselves known.
im·pa·tient: having or showing a tendency to be quickly irritated or provoked.
similar// curt || Due to her desire for activity and progression, Smokejaw holds little patience for anything that would stay her paws for longer than she thinks is necessary. Long-winded explanations are met with strained stares, stutters are abruptly cut off and have the blanks filled in, and hesitant cats often find that Smokejaw has a habit of talking over them rather than waiting for them to work through whatever it is they're trying to say. Her blunt nature only compounds the blows to self-esteem that this particular aspect of her personality is capable of causing.
cou·ra·geous: not deterred by danger or pain; brave.
similar// strong-willed || The first to put herself in harms way and the last to leave the fray, Smokejaw is willing to put herself between others and danger at almost any given time. Her body is testament to this - riddled with scars upon scars from over the long moons - and it seems that she is undeterred by the prospect of adding even more to her hide. Torture would be entirely ineffective against this molly, wounds sustained from combat are suffered through without complaint, and if ever there was a final bastion of defense needed to sacrifice themselves for the sake of others - Smokejaw is as eager as she is selfless in her willingness to volunteer. She shows her truest affections for others through that which she is willing to endure for them.
vin·dic·tive: having or showing a strong or unreasoning desire for revenge.
similar// grudging || She is not known to forgive or forget easily, particularly when it comes to the lives of those she holds dear. Her desire for vengeance extends so far that Smokejaw would be willing to abandon almost everything that she holds dear to achieve her goals... perhaps even her personal moral code.
a·bra·sive: showing little concern for the feelings of others; harsh.
similar// blunt || despite being an intelligent and tactically minded molly, Smokejaw puts absolutely no thought into how she voices her thoughts to others. She is blunt to the point of often times causing unintentional harm or detriment to the feelings and self-worth of others and occasionally placing herself in rather sticky and undesirable situations. This is primarily due to the environment she has grown up in; full of snark and snide that, as a youth, often found itself directed at her by others for one reason or another - be it jealousy of her natural aptitude for success, discomfort at her unnatural proportions, or simply sour attitudes of others. She developed a thick skin, both literally and figuratively, and expects that others have gone through similar experiences to render them tougher interpersonally and able to withstand barbed or rough tongues.
similar// blunt || despite being an intelligent and tactically minded molly, Smokejaw puts absolutely no thought into how she voices her thoughts to others. She is blunt to the point of often times causing unintentional harm or detriment to the feelings and self-worth of others and occasionally placing herself in rather sticky and undesirable situations. This is primarily due to the environment she has grown up in; full of snark and snide that, as a youth, often found itself directed at her by others for one reason or another - be it jealousy of her natural aptitude for success, discomfort at her unnatural proportions, or simply sour attitudes of others. She developed a thick skin, both literally and figuratively, and expects that others have gone through similar experiences to render them tougher interpersonally and able to withstand barbed or rough tongues.
out·spo·ken: frank in stating opinions even if critical or controversial.
similar// forthright || One does not have to guess where they stand with Smokejaw - she will happily express as much with or without request. She will not keep thoughts or opinions to herself that she deems as important or in need of addressing and as a result has caused rather awkward incidents for all involved - she is quick to call out lies, mistruths, and hypocritical standpoints that others try to put forward and has left plenty among her Clan feeling the sting of social embarrassment in the past and present, and is very likely to continue doing so.
similar// forthright || One does not have to guess where they stand with Smokejaw - she will happily express as much with or without request. She will not keep thoughts or opinions to herself that she deems as important or in need of addressing and as a result has caused rather awkward incidents for all involved - she is quick to call out lies, mistruths, and hypocritical standpoints that others try to put forward and has left plenty among her Clan feeling the sting of social embarrassment in the past and present, and is very likely to continue doing so.
in·ci·sive: intelligently analytical and clear-thinking.
similar// perspicacious || pieces of the puzzle fall together very quickly for Smokejaw. She is able to connect the dots between seemingly unrelated events and suspicious activities with little to no issue whatsoever and often times finds her mind occupied with its breakneck ponderings of why A is directly related to E, based on the events of 1, 2, and 3. She does not find her thoughts muddied by close relations or shared histories with her companions and has at times found herself narrowing her eyes with suspicion at even those she deems to be her best of friends and their actions. Lies fall apart like brittle leaves under foot any time they are presented to Smokejaw - their telling often found by perceptive eyes and ears within the subtle shifting of other's expressions, wavers to their voice... or even in the steely determination some adapt when trying to get through something deceitfully.
similar// perspicacious || pieces of the puzzle fall together very quickly for Smokejaw. She is able to connect the dots between seemingly unrelated events and suspicious activities with little to no issue whatsoever and often times finds her mind occupied with its breakneck ponderings of why A is directly related to E, based on the events of 1, 2, and 3. She does not find her thoughts muddied by close relations or shared histories with her companions and has at times found herself narrowing her eyes with suspicion at even those she deems to be her best of friends and their actions. Lies fall apart like brittle leaves under foot any time they are presented to Smokejaw - their telling often found by perceptive eyes and ears within the subtle shifting of other's expressions, wavers to their voice... or even in the steely determination some adapt when trying to get through something deceitfully.
o·ver·pro·tec·tive: having a tendency to protect someone excessively.
similar// punctilious || though Smokejaw herself is rather independent in nature and relies on herself and her own abilities as much as she possibly can, she does not seem to expect the same behaviors in others and in fact can find herself becoming somewhat nosy when it comes to those that she is attached to. This is the case in particular with any apprentice she has mentored in the past or presently mentors - sometimes her 'looking out for' these cats can prevent them from experiencing events necessary for their own personal growth. In the past, it has been necessary to snap at her to, "just let me try!" Though she is rather far from being motherly in any sense, Smokejaw goes overboard when it comes to acting as the protective older sister. Even still - her insatiable urge to protect those she regards as 'her own' has actually saved lives in the past... further reinforcing her habits.
similar// punctilious || though Smokejaw herself is rather independent in nature and relies on herself and her own abilities as much as she possibly can, she does not seem to expect the same behaviors in others and in fact can find herself becoming somewhat nosy when it comes to those that she is attached to. This is the case in particular with any apprentice she has mentored in the past or presently mentors - sometimes her 'looking out for' these cats can prevent them from experiencing events necessary for their own personal growth. In the past, it has been necessary to snap at her to, "just let me try!" Though she is rather far from being motherly in any sense, Smokejaw goes overboard when it comes to acting as the protective older sister. Even still - her insatiable urge to protect those she regards as 'her own' has actually saved lives in the past... further reinforcing her habits.
chum·my: on friendly terms; friendly.
similar// palsy-walsy || usually spotted with a grin pulling at her maw, Smokejaw puts up a front of sorts of a consistently cheerful mood - but someone perceptive enough would notice very quickly that her smiles rarely actually reach her eyes and are lacking something that would render them truly genuine. Despite this, she's known for being less moody than most and more stable in the presentation of her state of mind. She uses her smiles as a weapon of sorts; a challenge to her companions. Her generally positive attitude and the rarity with which true anger is displayed by Smokejaw was a habit she formed during her youth. She learned that others were far less likely to target her maliciously if she kept a smile on her maw and presented herself as a friendly pal to any and all she interacted with... she also discovered that she was far more likely to get away with jabs of revenge if others assumed they were simply coming from from a poorly rendered joke or quip issued to her offender.
similar// palsy-walsy || usually spotted with a grin pulling at her maw, Smokejaw puts up a front of sorts of a consistently cheerful mood - but someone perceptive enough would notice very quickly that her smiles rarely actually reach her eyes and are lacking something that would render them truly genuine. Despite this, she's known for being less moody than most and more stable in the presentation of her state of mind. She uses her smiles as a weapon of sorts; a challenge to her companions. Her generally positive attitude and the rarity with which true anger is displayed by Smokejaw was a habit she formed during her youth. She learned that others were far less likely to target her maliciously if she kept a smile on her maw and presented herself as a friendly pal to any and all she interacted with... she also discovered that she was far more likely to get away with jabs of revenge if others assumed they were simply coming from from a poorly rendered joke or quip issued to her offender.
pro·gres·sive: advocating progress, change, improvement, & reform.
similar// innovative || Smokejaw is willing to give just about anything a good and honest try when it comes to rules, techniques, or plans for the Clan. If there is a chance that it could improve the lives of ThistleClanners, she is quick to become a voice of reason and an additional push towards such ideas... for as long as it takes to figure out if the things she supported actually do benefit the Clan. If they do not, she is just as quick to step forward and demand further reform. Since she is quick to offer others the chance and respect of following through with their plans and ideas, she expects the same in return from virtually anyone she has supported in the past and will not let them forget times when she had their backs. She remembers those who refuse to offer mutual support of innovation as well as those who generate plans that consistently fail... and Smokejaw becomes less and less quick to step forward in support of their ideas in the future.
similar// innovative || Smokejaw is willing to give just about anything a good and honest try when it comes to rules, techniques, or plans for the Clan. If there is a chance that it could improve the lives of ThistleClanners, she is quick to become a voice of reason and an additional push towards such ideas... for as long as it takes to figure out if the things she supported actually do benefit the Clan. If they do not, she is just as quick to step forward and demand further reform. Since she is quick to offer others the chance and respect of following through with their plans and ideas, she expects the same in return from virtually anyone she has supported in the past and will not let them forget times when she had their backs. She remembers those who refuse to offer mutual support of innovation as well as those who generate plans that consistently fail... and Smokejaw becomes less and less quick to step forward in support of their ideas in the future.
de·ci·sive: showing the ability to make decisions quickly and effectively.
similar// resolute || Due to the breakneck pace at which Smokejaw connects events and seemingly unrelated happenstances, she is quick to make decisions - sometimes dizzyingly so. "Trust me," is something she has frequently muttered to companions before simply acting on whatever resolution she has come to. This habit can cause anxiety in those around her from time to time, as she rarely gives others steps to follow or any hint at what her goals might be if she doesn't think she has the time to do so. She is quick to analyze situations and even faster in acting in what ways she believes she needs to to handle said situations. Changing her mind is not impossible, but a good argument must be presented... and there isn't always time given to others to try in the heat of the moment. She is not above miscalculations and misjudgments, but to her credit - she is very quick to admit when she was wrong and to do what she can to make it up to those effected by her actions as part of her own personal moral code.
similar// resolute || Due to the breakneck pace at which Smokejaw connects events and seemingly unrelated happenstances, she is quick to make decisions - sometimes dizzyingly so. "Trust me," is something she has frequently muttered to companions before simply acting on whatever resolution she has come to. This habit can cause anxiety in those around her from time to time, as she rarely gives others steps to follow or any hint at what her goals might be if she doesn't think she has the time to do so. She is quick to analyze situations and even faster in acting in what ways she believes she needs to to handle said situations. Changing her mind is not impossible, but a good argument must be presented... and there isn't always time given to others to try in the heat of the moment. She is not above miscalculations and misjudgments, but to her credit - she is very quick to admit when she was wrong and to do what she can to make it up to those effected by her actions as part of her own personal moral code.
per·cep·tive: having keenness of insight, understanding, or intuition.
similar// sharp-witted || With eyes almost constantly wandering and ears always listening, there are few things that manage to escape Smokejaw's notice. Any difference in her companions is generally quickly spotted and logged away for further review. She occupies any extra time she holds with 'cat watching,' her own subtle way of catching up with her clanmates as they go about their lives. She enjoys discovering and keeping secrets and if she is fond enough of whoever it is she has picked something up from, she may even do her part to try and assist them with whatever the matter at paw is... so long as it does not endanger anyone - particularly those she holds dear. It's much easier to tell Smokejaw the truth and to present an argument in favor of whatever hidden thing is in question than it is to lie to her and expect it to hold up under her auspicious eyes and ears. She takes offense to being lied to - particularly if she has given someone the chance to tell her the truth and they neglect to do so.
similar// sharp-witted || With eyes almost constantly wandering and ears always listening, there are few things that manage to escape Smokejaw's notice. Any difference in her companions is generally quickly spotted and logged away for further review. She occupies any extra time she holds with 'cat watching,' her own subtle way of catching up with her clanmates as they go about their lives. She enjoys discovering and keeping secrets and if she is fond enough of whoever it is she has picked something up from, she may even do her part to try and assist them with whatever the matter at paw is... so long as it does not endanger anyone - particularly those she holds dear. It's much easier to tell Smokejaw the truth and to present an argument in favor of whatever hidden thing is in question than it is to lie to her and expect it to hold up under her auspicious eyes and ears. She takes offense to being lied to - particularly if she has given someone the chance to tell her the truth and they neglect to do so.
ear·nest: resulting from or showing sincere and intense conviction.
similar// industrious || Though a large portion of Smokejaw's hard working habits come from an aversion to boredom and a need to engage herself and her mind somehow, she has developed a reputation both in and outside of her Clan as an industrious molly frequently found among border patrols and excursions. She is quick to volunteer for tasks - anything to keep busy. Her seemingly endless pools of energy have driven more than one companion to exhaustion simply by trying to keep up with her and her near constant motion and action. She is a talented multi-tasker.
similar// industrious || Though a large portion of Smokejaw's hard working habits come from an aversion to boredom and a need to engage herself and her mind somehow, she has developed a reputation both in and outside of her Clan as an industrious molly frequently found among border patrols and excursions. She is quick to volunteer for tasks - anything to keep busy. Her seemingly endless pools of energy have driven more than one companion to exhaustion simply by trying to keep up with her and her near constant motion and action. She is a talented multi-tasker.
prin·ci·pled: showing recognition of right and wrong.
similar// ethical || Smokejaw holds her own personal set of morals that she sticks to and refuses to budge from. She will never harm a child or anyone she feels is grossly outmatched by herself. She will not participate in an unfair fight, and if another clanmate tries to assist her while she is fighting someone 1-on-1, she will become agitated and simply step back and allow her opponent to handle the interruption to their duel before engaging with them once more. Interestingly enough, she is not at all opposed to having the odds stacked against her, and in fact revels in such opportunities to test herself. She is particularly fond of being outnumbered and how such situations force her to make split-second decisions and keep her mind buzzing.
similar// ethical || Smokejaw holds her own personal set of morals that she sticks to and refuses to budge from. She will never harm a child or anyone she feels is grossly outmatched by herself. She will not participate in an unfair fight, and if another clanmate tries to assist her while she is fighting someone 1-on-1, she will become agitated and simply step back and allow her opponent to handle the interruption to their duel before engaging with them once more. Interestingly enough, she is not at all opposed to having the odds stacked against her, and in fact revels in such opportunities to test herself. She is particularly fond of being outnumbered and how such situations force her to make split-second decisions and keep her mind buzzing.
a·lert: quick to notice any unusual and potentially dangerous circumstances.
similar// vigilant || Shifts in social situations that could turn potentially dangerous or unfavorable to her and her clanmates are quickly picked up on by Smokejaw. She's been the first to notice more than once the moments rival patrols share that spark border feuds and skirmishes, and has occasionally been able to defuse such situations in the past. Due to her need to keep herself busy and all parts of her mind occupied at all times, she has also managed to hone her senses to an enviable degree - particularly her sense of hearing and smell. "Shut up-" she would say, placing herself between her companion and the source of her abrupt demand mere moments before either a predator or a rogue would make themselves known.
con·fi·dent: feeling or showing confidence in oneself; self-assured.
similar// domineering || Smokejaw is as confident in herself as she is in the decisions that she makes... which is to say, very. Because of her aptitude for success in life and the fact that the choices she makes generally lead to positive outcomes (not always), she can come across as bull-headed at times once she has settled on a course of action. With her mind made up, Smokejaw wastes little time in trying to direct others down the same path and can more often than not come across as being pushy and domineering in ways that aren't always appreciated. It takes an equally strong will to stand up to her and get her attention once she's decided on something, and she has literally required a smack over the head to get her attention and to get her to leave room for others in decision making more than once. She does not take offense to these incidents, and in fact tends to gain a bit of respect for whoever was willing to give her a solid bap and to demand her focus and a chance.
similar// domineering || Smokejaw is as confident in herself as she is in the decisions that she makes... which is to say, very. Because of her aptitude for success in life and the fact that the choices she makes generally lead to positive outcomes (not always), she can come across as bull-headed at times once she has settled on a course of action. With her mind made up, Smokejaw wastes little time in trying to direct others down the same path and can more often than not come across as being pushy and domineering in ways that aren't always appreciated. It takes an equally strong will to stand up to her and get her attention once she's decided on something, and she has literally required a smack over the head to get her attention and to get her to leave room for others in decision making more than once. She does not take offense to these incidents, and in fact tends to gain a bit of respect for whoever was willing to give her a solid bap and to demand her focus and a chance.
im·pa·tient: having or showing a tendency to be quickly irritated or provoked.
similar// curt || Due to her desire for activity and progression, Smokejaw holds little patience for anything that would stay her paws for longer than she thinks is necessary. Long-winded explanations are met with strained stares, stutters are abruptly cut off and have the blanks filled in, and hesitant cats often find that Smokejaw has a habit of talking over them rather than waiting for them to work through whatever it is they're trying to say. Her blunt nature only compounds the blows to self-esteem that this particular aspect of her personality is capable of causing.
cou·ra·geous: not deterred by danger or pain; brave.
similar// strong-willed || The first to put herself in harms way and the last to leave the fray, Smokejaw is willing to put herself between others and danger at almost any given time. Her body is testament to this - riddled with scars upon scars from over the long moons - and it seems that she is undeterred by the prospect of adding even more to her hide. Torture would be entirely ineffective against this molly, wounds sustained from combat are suffered through without complaint, and if ever there was a final bastion of defense needed to sacrifice themselves for the sake of others - Smokejaw is as eager as she is selfless in her willingness to volunteer. She shows her truest affections for others through that which she is willing to endure for them.
vin·dic·tive: having or showing a strong or unreasoning desire for revenge.
similar// grudging || She is not known to forgive or forget easily, particularly when it comes to the lives of those she holds dear. Her desire for vengeance extends so far that Smokejaw would be willing to abandon almost everything that she holds dear to achieve her goals... perhaps even her personal moral code.
H i s t o r y
Smokekit was born as the largest of her litter—so large, in fact, that it seemed every other sibling was naught more than a runt. Her mother’s health suffered greatly due to the strain the birthing placed upon her and had to receive assistance from other queens in nursing the litter as she recovered from blood loss and internal injuries sustained. With time, she did recover… but not before losing her mate to a fox attack and being unable to attend his burial. This embittered her, and though she didn’t want to… she found herself glaring down at Smokekit more often than not and nudging her away with her foot any time her hungry nursing became unbearable to stand any longer. “You’ve had enough,” she’d snap, muzzle wrinkling as her face would turn away from the strongest kit of her litter.
It was another moon before Smokekit understood—or at least believed she understood—why it was her mother seemed so upset and saddened and distant… she had no shoulder to lean on any longer.
And so, Smokekit did her best to become that during the rest of her time in the nursery. She strove to be the most independent and capable of ThistleClan’s nursery, began to look out for and protect not only her siblings but her mother, as well, as best as she could… Smokekit never complained, made herself as easy as possible for her mother to deal with… and over time, it actually seemed to work. Given space and time to process her grief and the unfair attachments that Smokekit held to it, her mother overcame such things and by the time Smokekit was apprenticed—she was no longer pushed away.
Rather unsurprisingly given her streak of independence within the nursery, Smokepaw thrived as an apprentice. Concepts were quickly learned, she grew stronger and larger with each passing moon… and her relationships with her age-match peers suffered greatly. At first her peers could tolerate her successes, but as she hit yet another growth spurt that saw her absurdly large for someone of less than ten moons, the fact that she existed as someone that constantly outmatched them appeared to fray and strain each and every single one of her relationships. Rumors began to float around that she must have been sired by a fox instead of her litter’s true father—and that was the most tame of such things.
Angered by the unfairness of such things, Smokepaw lashed out more than once at her peers… but sending them straight to the medicine cat’s den did very little to improve her standing among the other apprentices. In fact, it only seemed to worsen things – not just for herself, but for her siblings, as well. Soon enough, they were targeted as well and frustrations were vented upon them where they couldn’t be upon Smokepaw due to her monstrous and powerful stature.
Smokepaw found her training purposefully delayed and held back by a moon after she interrupted one such pummeling of her sibling and ended up leaving one of the offenders with a severe concussion – the effects of which followed them for the rest of their life… one cut mercifully short by another fox attack some four moons later.
“You have to stop answering every challenge with brute strength, Smokepaw,” her mentor implored her, exasperated and disappointed to see his apprentice effectively grounded.
“They started it!” Smokepaw snapped, tail bristling and lashing, “Why aren’t they in trouble for what they did to my sister?!” she demanded, “it’s not right!”
“They’re not in trouble because their ears haven’t stopped ringing since you hit them! It’s been a quarter moon and they still can’t walk a straight line, Smokepaw!” the older tom cat huffed, shaking his head. “If you hadn’t done that, we could have handled it—” he tried.
“Well none of you did! And so what if he can’t walk straight? My sister can’t get through battle training without flinching now, what about her?!” Smokepaw spat, bull-headed and unwilling to relent in her defense.
“Just—” he cut off with a sharp exhale, brows furrowed with frustration. She was right, in part, but he knew that she would find her time among their Clan absolutely miserable unless she learned more effective ways to cope with social issues. “—just try something for me, alright?” another huff left him as Smokepaw merely met him with a stubborn scowl, “Trust me—” he tried again, head tilting imploringly, “—the next time one of them says something nasty to you… don’t challenge it so aggressively. They won’t fight you if they can help it, you know that… instead, laugh.” He said with a nod.
“What?!” Smokepaw nearly hissed.
“Laugh,” he said again. “Laugh at whatever is said—step a little closer… smile, arch your neck and shoulders some…” he suggested, demonstrating the vaguely threatening pose.
“What’s that supposed to do?” Smokepaw growled out, eying her mentor’s posture out of the corner of her eye.
“Frighten them. Unnerve them; leave them so unsettled that they lose their appetites?” he suggested. “Right now, they know that they can get to you with the things that they say. Take that from them… they won’t have anything. I will watch out for your sister—I’ll treat her like she was my own… just… try this, OK?” the older tom said, seating himself once more before his gloomy, contemplative apprentice—already his size equal.
“… OK.” She relented sourly, drawing in a breath before forcing it out in a wooshing sigh. “I’ll try it… but you have to promise me that it’s the end of the bullying for my sister,” Smokepaw demanded.
“I do—I do, I really do. I promise it.” And he made good on his word.
Smokepaw’s social circumstances began to rapidly change with any and all vents of frustrations denied to her bullies and those of her sisters. Sure enough, her mentor had been right. Smokepaw began to delight in coming up with return quips to those still muttered by her peers and eventually to thoroughly enjoy the genuine laughter that her own remarks drew forth… and in part the embarrassment they inflicted on her former bullies.
It wasn’t until a border skirmish with RedwoodClan that she actually carved for herself some semblance of true respect from her age-matches, however… and ironically enough, it was because of her strength and fighting prowess that she achieved as much. What had held her back before rocketed her forward in esteem once her paws found a more suitable target—a large colorpoint that had been taking on a smaller ThistleClan apprentice, someone she recognized as the sister of the tom she had concussed so severely before.
“How about you pick on someone your own size?!” she’d yowled, leaping over her smaller companion to place herself squarely between the tom cat—was he a warrior? Or just big like her? She couldn’t tell.
“You’ll do,” he had returned in a tone far too serious for one so young.
They’d clashed, then, and Smokepaw found herself temporarily overwhelmed with dirty tricks and cheap shots—dust and dirt kicked into her eyes and then pummeling paws making her ears ring. It was through determination and excitement for such a challenge that she had rallied, pushing through the stinging in her eyes and forcing them to open and meet the piercing blue gaze of her opponent. “Nice shot—!” she’d praised him with a laugh.
Her positive response caused just half a breath of hesitation in the colorpoint… and that half a breath was all she needed to surge forward and bowl into him, returning tit for tat with her own onslaught.
The skirmish eventually ended, as they tend to, and as her Clan departed—some sporting limps and seeping wounds—Smokepaw cast a hearty grin over her shoulder, eyes searching out and finding those of her opponent during the scrap. Neither had departed without bruises, batterings, and in Smokepaw’s case—a small tear in her ear to remember the occasion by. “I’ll beat you next time!” she promised cheerfully, only to be met with a guarded, stern sort of confusion in the RedwoodClan cat.
With time, over long and enduring moons, that confusion eventually shifted to respect… and even something of a friendship between the two hulking combatants.
Smokejaw was a mere fifteen moons when she was assigned her first apprentice.
He was a bully—a snotty little thing that took out all of his hidden turmoil on those around him. She soon realized that she hadn’t been assigned as his mentor to teach him, not initially… first, she had to show him that he wasn’t the toughest little shit on the islands. It helped that she was as young a warrior as she was; it meant that he had previously looked up to her and aspired to be her… and now he was being humiliated and humbled by her. She learned how to reward him with affirmation any time she spotted his interactions with his peers as being less than antagonistic… and she knew exactly how to undermine him and embarrass him any time she saw him bullying another ThistleClanner.
By the time he was nine moons old, he had wizened up for the most part. His treatment of those around him became less malicious at its roots; any quips he issued were usually acceptable and snarky comebacks to slights first dealt to him. He apologized in private to those he cared for any time his tongues barbs showed themselves too severely…
He held himself accountable.
Smokejaw and the young tom cat became genuine friends following the change in him—and he was able to keep up with her training regimes. In another four moons, when he was thirteen moons old and Smokejaw was twenty two moons old, he earned his warrior name. The pair continued training together even after that—and her first apprentice volunteered often to help her with the training of her second.
She genuinely viewed him as her little brother… and it made losing him to the foxes all the harder.
Their Clan suffered more and more losses to the foxes.
Smokejaw steamed and grew more and more determined to see the mangy beasts dead and driven into the sea – first as she lost close friends to ambushes, and then with unrelenting intensity as all but one of her sisters saw themselves buried… She had nearly lost herself to her rage when she discovered the grave of her brother disturbed and looted—mere scraps of bone with their marrow licked clean left over from the banditry of the fox. She advocated strongly for action taken, and when a younger molly named Thievingstreak led a patrol against them, she was quick to decide that she would follow her lead.
For a time, they knew peace… and Thievingstreak, who had gained both respect and loyalty from Smokejaw following her successful act of vengeance, was named Deputy following Hawkwing’s unfortunate loss to green cough.
She was happy to be taking orders from Thievingstreak—eager to follow through with the plans and schemes the bright-minded molly conjured.
When the foxes returned, seemingly to take vengeance themselves against ThistleClan’s retaliation to their predation, Smokejaw was enraged all the further when they marred Thievingstreak. They had taken so much from their Clan already—she’d be damned if she saw them take their deputy from them… especially this deputy, this molly that had helped her achieve some measure of revenge for the loss of her littermates through wit and cunning and ferocity. She was deeply relieved to see Thievingstreak recover… even if the encounter had left her scarred.
By the end of the season, Yarrowfrost—their aging medicine cat—took on an apprentice… a timid young warrior named Ratwhisker—changed following the death of his indisputably more capable brother… to foxes. Their shared commonality of loss was enough for Smokejaw to begin fostering a sense of protectiveness toward the big-eared tom.
But even with those feelings of protective fondness; Smokejaw would have been one of the first to express that Ratwhisker was nowhere near ready to take on Yarrowfrost’s mantle when she passed away with the dawning of the new season.
It was green cough that took Froststar from them.
Thievingstar took over—and soon after began new troubles for their Clan… troubles with rogues. At first, Smokejaw found herself stolidly backing each and every one of Thievingstar’s orders and new laws and rules placed upon the Clan. Little by little, however, her assuredness began to waver. Their efforts weren’t working—not well enough. What good was hiding away, waiting for the light of dawn, when they could have simply taken their entire Clan and crushed them, sent them running, as they had the foxes…?
But then… the foxes had returned with a ferocity and an almost catlike desire of vengeance for their fallen bestial brothers.
Thus began her confliction—her questions… at first, she tried hard to keep such things hidden and to herself, to continue following loyally and with good faith that perhaps Thievingstar’s plans would see them to something of a prosperous state…
Then their first deputy under Thievingstar was mauled by foxes.
And then… the strange events of the gathering occurred—a young tom cat, a mere child, begging for help for his family and home.
Thievingstar believed him a liar—a trickster sent by rogues… but Smokejaw felt otherwise, deep in her heart. ”He’s just a kid,” she’d said, trying to reason with others among their Clan. ”Seemed genuine enough to me—“ she had tried. But ever still… her much loved leader’s paranoia grew. She found herself frowning more often… her tongue oddly stayed within Thievingstar’s presence where, previously, she shared her thoughts readily and in abundance—usually in support of the younger molly.
”He can’t be of the same cats,” Smokejaw had tried to reason following Thievingstar’s announcement to landlock the Tribe and to prevent RedwoodClan’s passage. Her mind drifted—considering if perhaps she should join the patrol in case her life-long rival and… friend, of sorts… were to make an appearance.
But her knowledge of the tom in question granted her enough insight to guess with admirable accuracy that he wouldn’t go out of his way to help those outside of his Clan; he didn’t even attend gatherings, if he could help it. Feeling that her comrades would be safe enough—and perhaps newly learned of the folly of this plan—she stayed behind to help safeguard the camp… it was the most she could bring herself to do to support Thievingstar and her new efforts against the calamities their Clan suffered.
The incident that robbed Thievingstar of a life—whether she admitted to such things or believed in them or not—forced Smokejaw to eat at least some of her words… This rogue, ThistleClan’s newest antagonist, had indeed belonged to the group that the young scrap of a tom had been from. But then… why such animosity? It made no sense to her… and her mind began to spin, conjuring and considering how such things were possible. It could have been a lie—or perhaps he had been exiled from his homeland.
Regardless of the reasoning, the encounter merely deepened their Clan’s suspicion of the outsiders that called themselves the ‘Tribe.’
A suspicion that Smokejaw wasn’t and isn’t sure if she shares.
After all… Hemlock – that had been his name, hadn’t it? – was a mere child… surely no child was so malevolent as to be connected to the tom that had pitted himself and his band against their Clan?
There had to be reason, there had to be sense… and it felt as though it were all slipping away.
And then came the floods and decimation of their camp.
It was another moon before Smokekit understood—or at least believed she understood—why it was her mother seemed so upset and saddened and distant… she had no shoulder to lean on any longer.
And so, Smokekit did her best to become that during the rest of her time in the nursery. She strove to be the most independent and capable of ThistleClan’s nursery, began to look out for and protect not only her siblings but her mother, as well, as best as she could… Smokekit never complained, made herself as easy as possible for her mother to deal with… and over time, it actually seemed to work. Given space and time to process her grief and the unfair attachments that Smokekit held to it, her mother overcame such things and by the time Smokekit was apprenticed—she was no longer pushed away.
Rather unsurprisingly given her streak of independence within the nursery, Smokepaw thrived as an apprentice. Concepts were quickly learned, she grew stronger and larger with each passing moon… and her relationships with her age-match peers suffered greatly. At first her peers could tolerate her successes, but as she hit yet another growth spurt that saw her absurdly large for someone of less than ten moons, the fact that she existed as someone that constantly outmatched them appeared to fray and strain each and every single one of her relationships. Rumors began to float around that she must have been sired by a fox instead of her litter’s true father—and that was the most tame of such things.
Angered by the unfairness of such things, Smokepaw lashed out more than once at her peers… but sending them straight to the medicine cat’s den did very little to improve her standing among the other apprentices. In fact, it only seemed to worsen things – not just for herself, but for her siblings, as well. Soon enough, they were targeted as well and frustrations were vented upon them where they couldn’t be upon Smokepaw due to her monstrous and powerful stature.
Smokepaw found her training purposefully delayed and held back by a moon after she interrupted one such pummeling of her sibling and ended up leaving one of the offenders with a severe concussion – the effects of which followed them for the rest of their life… one cut mercifully short by another fox attack some four moons later.
“You have to stop answering every challenge with brute strength, Smokepaw,” her mentor implored her, exasperated and disappointed to see his apprentice effectively grounded.
“They started it!” Smokepaw snapped, tail bristling and lashing, “Why aren’t they in trouble for what they did to my sister?!” she demanded, “it’s not right!”
“They’re not in trouble because their ears haven’t stopped ringing since you hit them! It’s been a quarter moon and they still can’t walk a straight line, Smokepaw!” the older tom cat huffed, shaking his head. “If you hadn’t done that, we could have handled it—” he tried.
“Well none of you did! And so what if he can’t walk straight? My sister can’t get through battle training without flinching now, what about her?!” Smokepaw spat, bull-headed and unwilling to relent in her defense.
“Just—” he cut off with a sharp exhale, brows furrowed with frustration. She was right, in part, but he knew that she would find her time among their Clan absolutely miserable unless she learned more effective ways to cope with social issues. “—just try something for me, alright?” another huff left him as Smokepaw merely met him with a stubborn scowl, “Trust me—” he tried again, head tilting imploringly, “—the next time one of them says something nasty to you… don’t challenge it so aggressively. They won’t fight you if they can help it, you know that… instead, laugh.” He said with a nod.
“What?!” Smokepaw nearly hissed.
“Laugh,” he said again. “Laugh at whatever is said—step a little closer… smile, arch your neck and shoulders some…” he suggested, demonstrating the vaguely threatening pose.
“What’s that supposed to do?” Smokepaw growled out, eying her mentor’s posture out of the corner of her eye.
“Frighten them. Unnerve them; leave them so unsettled that they lose their appetites?” he suggested. “Right now, they know that they can get to you with the things that they say. Take that from them… they won’t have anything. I will watch out for your sister—I’ll treat her like she was my own… just… try this, OK?” the older tom said, seating himself once more before his gloomy, contemplative apprentice—already his size equal.
“… OK.” She relented sourly, drawing in a breath before forcing it out in a wooshing sigh. “I’ll try it… but you have to promise me that it’s the end of the bullying for my sister,” Smokepaw demanded.
“I do—I do, I really do. I promise it.” And he made good on his word.
Smokepaw’s social circumstances began to rapidly change with any and all vents of frustrations denied to her bullies and those of her sisters. Sure enough, her mentor had been right. Smokepaw began to delight in coming up with return quips to those still muttered by her peers and eventually to thoroughly enjoy the genuine laughter that her own remarks drew forth… and in part the embarrassment they inflicted on her former bullies.
It wasn’t until a border skirmish with RedwoodClan that she actually carved for herself some semblance of true respect from her age-matches, however… and ironically enough, it was because of her strength and fighting prowess that she achieved as much. What had held her back before rocketed her forward in esteem once her paws found a more suitable target—a large colorpoint that had been taking on a smaller ThistleClan apprentice, someone she recognized as the sister of the tom she had concussed so severely before.
“How about you pick on someone your own size?!” she’d yowled, leaping over her smaller companion to place herself squarely between the tom cat—was he a warrior? Or just big like her? She couldn’t tell.
“You’ll do,” he had returned in a tone far too serious for one so young.
They’d clashed, then, and Smokepaw found herself temporarily overwhelmed with dirty tricks and cheap shots—dust and dirt kicked into her eyes and then pummeling paws making her ears ring. It was through determination and excitement for such a challenge that she had rallied, pushing through the stinging in her eyes and forcing them to open and meet the piercing blue gaze of her opponent. “Nice shot—!” she’d praised him with a laugh.
Her positive response caused just half a breath of hesitation in the colorpoint… and that half a breath was all she needed to surge forward and bowl into him, returning tit for tat with her own onslaught.
The skirmish eventually ended, as they tend to, and as her Clan departed—some sporting limps and seeping wounds—Smokepaw cast a hearty grin over her shoulder, eyes searching out and finding those of her opponent during the scrap. Neither had departed without bruises, batterings, and in Smokepaw’s case—a small tear in her ear to remember the occasion by. “I’ll beat you next time!” she promised cheerfully, only to be met with a guarded, stern sort of confusion in the RedwoodClan cat.
With time, over long and enduring moons, that confusion eventually shifted to respect… and even something of a friendship between the two hulking combatants.
Smokejaw was a mere fifteen moons when she was assigned her first apprentice.
He was a bully—a snotty little thing that took out all of his hidden turmoil on those around him. She soon realized that she hadn’t been assigned as his mentor to teach him, not initially… first, she had to show him that he wasn’t the toughest little shit on the islands. It helped that she was as young a warrior as she was; it meant that he had previously looked up to her and aspired to be her… and now he was being humiliated and humbled by her. She learned how to reward him with affirmation any time she spotted his interactions with his peers as being less than antagonistic… and she knew exactly how to undermine him and embarrass him any time she saw him bullying another ThistleClanner.
By the time he was nine moons old, he had wizened up for the most part. His treatment of those around him became less malicious at its roots; any quips he issued were usually acceptable and snarky comebacks to slights first dealt to him. He apologized in private to those he cared for any time his tongues barbs showed themselves too severely…
He held himself accountable.
Smokejaw and the young tom cat became genuine friends following the change in him—and he was able to keep up with her training regimes. In another four moons, when he was thirteen moons old and Smokejaw was twenty two moons old, he earned his warrior name. The pair continued training together even after that—and her first apprentice volunteered often to help her with the training of her second.
She genuinely viewed him as her little brother… and it made losing him to the foxes all the harder.
Their Clan suffered more and more losses to the foxes.
Smokejaw steamed and grew more and more determined to see the mangy beasts dead and driven into the sea – first as she lost close friends to ambushes, and then with unrelenting intensity as all but one of her sisters saw themselves buried… She had nearly lost herself to her rage when she discovered the grave of her brother disturbed and looted—mere scraps of bone with their marrow licked clean left over from the banditry of the fox. She advocated strongly for action taken, and when a younger molly named Thievingstreak led a patrol against them, she was quick to decide that she would follow her lead.
For a time, they knew peace… and Thievingstreak, who had gained both respect and loyalty from Smokejaw following her successful act of vengeance, was named Deputy following Hawkwing’s unfortunate loss to green cough.
She was happy to be taking orders from Thievingstreak—eager to follow through with the plans and schemes the bright-minded molly conjured.
When the foxes returned, seemingly to take vengeance themselves against ThistleClan’s retaliation to their predation, Smokejaw was enraged all the further when they marred Thievingstreak. They had taken so much from their Clan already—she’d be damned if she saw them take their deputy from them… especially this deputy, this molly that had helped her achieve some measure of revenge for the loss of her littermates through wit and cunning and ferocity. She was deeply relieved to see Thievingstreak recover… even if the encounter had left her scarred.
By the end of the season, Yarrowfrost—their aging medicine cat—took on an apprentice… a timid young warrior named Ratwhisker—changed following the death of his indisputably more capable brother… to foxes. Their shared commonality of loss was enough for Smokejaw to begin fostering a sense of protectiveness toward the big-eared tom.
But even with those feelings of protective fondness; Smokejaw would have been one of the first to express that Ratwhisker was nowhere near ready to take on Yarrowfrost’s mantle when she passed away with the dawning of the new season.
It was green cough that took Froststar from them.
Thievingstar took over—and soon after began new troubles for their Clan… troubles with rogues. At first, Smokejaw found herself stolidly backing each and every one of Thievingstar’s orders and new laws and rules placed upon the Clan. Little by little, however, her assuredness began to waver. Their efforts weren’t working—not well enough. What good was hiding away, waiting for the light of dawn, when they could have simply taken their entire Clan and crushed them, sent them running, as they had the foxes…?
But then… the foxes had returned with a ferocity and an almost catlike desire of vengeance for their fallen bestial brothers.
Thus began her confliction—her questions… at first, she tried hard to keep such things hidden and to herself, to continue following loyally and with good faith that perhaps Thievingstar’s plans would see them to something of a prosperous state…
Then their first deputy under Thievingstar was mauled by foxes.
And then… the strange events of the gathering occurred—a young tom cat, a mere child, begging for help for his family and home.
Thievingstar believed him a liar—a trickster sent by rogues… but Smokejaw felt otherwise, deep in her heart. ”He’s just a kid,” she’d said, trying to reason with others among their Clan. ”Seemed genuine enough to me—“ she had tried. But ever still… her much loved leader’s paranoia grew. She found herself frowning more often… her tongue oddly stayed within Thievingstar’s presence where, previously, she shared her thoughts readily and in abundance—usually in support of the younger molly.
”He can’t be of the same cats,” Smokejaw had tried to reason following Thievingstar’s announcement to landlock the Tribe and to prevent RedwoodClan’s passage. Her mind drifted—considering if perhaps she should join the patrol in case her life-long rival and… friend, of sorts… were to make an appearance.
But her knowledge of the tom in question granted her enough insight to guess with admirable accuracy that he wouldn’t go out of his way to help those outside of his Clan; he didn’t even attend gatherings, if he could help it. Feeling that her comrades would be safe enough—and perhaps newly learned of the folly of this plan—she stayed behind to help safeguard the camp… it was the most she could bring herself to do to support Thievingstar and her new efforts against the calamities their Clan suffered.
The incident that robbed Thievingstar of a life—whether she admitted to such things or believed in them or not—forced Smokejaw to eat at least some of her words… This rogue, ThistleClan’s newest antagonist, had indeed belonged to the group that the young scrap of a tom had been from. But then… why such animosity? It made no sense to her… and her mind began to spin, conjuring and considering how such things were possible. It could have been a lie—or perhaps he had been exiled from his homeland.
Regardless of the reasoning, the encounter merely deepened their Clan’s suspicion of the outsiders that called themselves the ‘Tribe.’
A suspicion that Smokejaw wasn’t and isn’t sure if she shares.
After all… Hemlock – that had been his name, hadn’t it? – was a mere child… surely no child was so malevolent as to be connected to the tom that had pitted himself and his band against their Clan?
There had to be reason, there had to be sense… and it felt as though it were all slipping away.
And then came the floods and decimation of their camp.
