FROSTKIT

THISTLECLAN

A runty black tom with blue eyes.

A head shorter than even the smallest kit in the nursery, the phrase a vertical advantage is not oft used in relation to one as stunted as he. Instead, he is relatively small—smaller, even, than his own sister—and imposes little over anyone. He’s much too lean for that, almost to the point of daintiness, with long, slender limbs, a shallow chest, and a tail made precariously thin by its sheer length alone. Indeed, one would sooner wonder on the fragility of one so small than that which they are physically capable of, and yet he seems unhindered by it entirely; fierce as he is, and having a propensity for puffing himself up, many are hard-pressed in knowing where the fur ends and the body begins.

In due time, once he’s reached full maturity, he may yet fill out, though never with a tom’s traditional stockiness. Instead, his physical traits will be ones that lean towards the effeminate, further solidified by the sharp, angular features lines of his face and the graceful slopes of his body. A sinuous gait will become him in later moons, accentuated by the sashay of lustrous ebony strands, offset by startlingly blue eyes in an alluring face, one that lacks any of the coarseness of his own sex.

em·pa·thet·ic | /ˌempəˈTHedik/ | showing an ability to understand and share the feelings of another. || Although hampered by verbal barriers, Frostkit is by no means ignorant to the complex emotions that plague those around him as well as himself. He perceives these things in small, minute changes—tiny increments borne in the subtle twitch of a tail tip or the stiffening of one’s hackles and altering of one’s scent. To others, such things are negligible—too nuanced to act upon—but their effect on him is one which surpasses that which is normal, fueling in him a certain emotional reactiveness.

con·sci·en·tious | /ˌkän(t)SHēˈen(t)SHəs/ | wishing to do what is right, especially to do one's work or duty well and thoroughly. || To compensate for what he lacks, Frostkit nurtures an unrelenting attentiveness. Very few details pass without his knowing, very few actions are enacted without his close observation. Through this watchfulness, he learns and adapts, and as such, satiates his wants to behave in a way that aligns with those around him. To do any less is a slight to himself he is unable to endure.

o·ver·pro·tec·tive | /ˌōvərprəˈtektiv/ | having a tendency to protect someone, especially a child, excessively. || Although largely fascinated by his clanmates and the world around him, Frostkit also harbors a profoundly ingrained suspicion that fuels a guardedness within him. As a result, it is not uncommon for him to misread a situation or step in even where he is not needed based solely on a whim or superstition. Of course, this affinity is not always appreciated; however, he seems painfully unable to shake the habit—in fact, he views it as a necessity, integral to not only his survival but those he is close to.

re·ac·tive | /rēˈaktiv/ | acting in response to a situation rather than creating or controlling it. || Tact is a consideration he is none too familiar with. He lacks the capacity for patience, for the insights that might bar one from acting on impulse, and so does not and reaps the consequences as they unfold. One misstep on the part of those he interacts with could end in an altercation of profound proportions… many of which he will later come to deeply regret and repent for.

bull·head·ed | /ˌbo͝olˈhedəd/ | determined in an obstinate and unthinking way. || Stubbornness becomes him, and more than he cares to admit. Renowned for his obstinance, he firmly believes in his own personal hunches and acts on them accordingly. He is not one to put much into the what-if's and what-for's because they are beyond his own comprehension and interest; should one present themselves poorly, he is loath to shake those impressions from his memory. As such, he acts in a deeply unshakeable way, one that cannot be easily coaxed by the voice of reason or the influence of his peers. In his eyes, to think or actin in such a way is justified, and he, more oft than not, heavily relies upon and trusts his own instincts in that way.

per·cep·tive | /pərˈseptiv/ | having or showing sensitive insight. || Playing primarily to his strengths, Frostkit perceives the world through the visual. He is profoundly observant and watchful, always seeking the abstruse changes that may signify the way one feels or that which they ask or require of him. Through this methodology, Frostkit has created a foundation of understanding and, from these observations, makes his judgments of others and the world around him.

com·pas·sion·ate | /kəmˈpaSHənət/ | feeling or showing sympathy and concern for others. || A lack of understanding may cloud one's awareness of Frostkit's desperate want for good rapport amongst his clanmates. Though he is quick to anger, he does not act out of malice or a want to hurt others. He cares deeply for how he is perceived and how his actions are viewed in others' eyes. To be unable to provide for them in the best way he can is unfavorable, to say the very least.

con·fron·ta·tion·al | /ˌkänfrənˈtāSH(ə)n(ə)l/ | tending to deal with situations in an aggressive way; hostile or argumentative. || Without verbal means to fight his battles for him, this tom’s manner of dealing with the uncomfortable and unsettling thoughts that plague him are purely physical. A tantrum to him is a vocalization of his frustration, the baring of teeth and arching of the spine, the undaunted threat of claws—such things are necessary to he who lacks any affinity for the spoken language. As such, he is quick to claws and slow to pacification.

self-ef·fac·ing | /ˈˌself əˈfāsiNG/ | not claiming attention for oneself; retiring and modest. || Frostkit demands the attention of no one. His disability is one he takes in stride. It does not hinder him, nor does it make him feel as though he must depend on others or petition for help. Instead, he seems to prefer his own company over that of others, as well as the simple solace afforded in his solitude.

strained | /strānd/ | showing signs of tiredness or nervous tension. || Rarely if ever is this tom at rest. With so many new things to learn, understand, and adapt to, he rarely feels there is a time to settle down at all for fear of that which he might miss. The result is a restlessness, a constant searching. Always looking, always seeking—perhaps too hard—for the subtlest changes or tidbits that might further his understanding of the world around him. With so much that he does not understand, he finds himself tireless and almost anxiously restive in his paranoia that he might miss something of some significant import.

Mother: Thievingstar, played by Bandit
Foster-Mother: Morningmist, played by Annie
Father: Nightclaw, played by rain
Foster-Father: Yewthorn, played by wish
Littermates: Fadingkit, played by Bandit & Wrenkit, played by kaz

Mate(s): n/a
Offspring: n/a

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He could not see, he could not hear, and vainly, though he poked out his tongue and let forth the petulant squalls of desperate hunger, there was no milk to be tasted. Gone was the warm teat by which he had been acquainted so briefly; he could feel only cold and nothing else in its place. It filled him until his tiny body was racked by violent shivers.

How had everything changed so suddenly? Where was that precious flow of warm milk, the soft belly in which he nestled, and the squirming presence of bodies—of kin? Where had that tangible something underfoot gone? Why did the air lick at him cold and implacable, with little care for his desperate please for the warmth and the comforts he had only known but for a moment?

In his brief life, he had known little, but now, as his body was spurred into nothingness, as the tug and sharp prick of nettles buried into the flesh at his nape, he knew less. Smell, taste, and feeling—the only senses he had been spared in his conception—were starved, and his heat was waning. 

Before he knew the meaning of such feelings, he was afraid.