HORNETPAW

LICHENCLAN

a lean, shaggy flame point tom with steely blue eyes.

STATURE; Lithe in build and lean in muscle, Hornetpaw’s true size is somewhat of a mystery; an always slightly hunched posture knocks some of his height, though his body mass is near doubled by his downy coat. His hind and shoulders suggest developing strength, though still being relatively young, his flank betrays a rather scrawny physique.

PELT; Creamy-white tufts of feathery fur blanket his scrappy appearance, and flame point markings about his face, ears, paws, and tail reflect his undesecrated Lichenclan bloodline. He boasts a striking appearance within the clan for his red hues, which are beginning to settle in brighter as he ages. His shaggy fur constantly teeters between “decently groomed” and “just barely acceptable.” His coat is oft not without a tangle or two.

FACE; Hornetpaw sports angular facial features framed by heavily tufted cheeks. His eyes are a steely blue and are doubtlessly the ‘softest’ part of his appearance, seeming a bit too large for his still-growing head. The tom’s whiskers are a bit short but arch outward proudly, and the insides of his ears feature more thin tufts.

com·pet·i·tive | /kəmˈpedədiv/ | desiring to be as good as or better than others of a comparable nature. || “Better than I” is but a temporary phrase in the mind of the limit-tester, the self-pusher. Hornetpaw rejects the notion that there may be any area in which he won’t excel, and trains with a fervor which reflects his lofty goals. Always seeming to have something to prove, he clamors for the admiration of his peers to personally ensure their disrespect never spikes again. To be the ideal Lichenclan warrior is not a hope, but a definite to his success, and Hornetpaw will stop at nothing to spite those who believed he would fail.

re·cal·ci·trant | /rəˈkalsətrənt/ | having an obstinately uncooperative attitude toward authority or discipline. || Already having lost a mentor to his poor attitude and insubordinate behavior, Hornetpaw’s continuous squabbles with authority over his efforts to prove his capabilities have left him frustrated and irreverent. What are superiors but the ones who dish out punishments? He is stubborn, borderline callous, towards anyone with power over him. And after the rejection of his first mentor, it has only grown worse.

a·void·ant | /əˈvoidənt/ | a type of personality characterized by the avoidance of intimacy. || At times distant, at times outright sabotaging, Hornetpaw allows none close to him. The kits which should have been his adoptive brothers and sisters were naught but assailants; the loving parents life promised him are dead. Hornetpaw has never experienced true intimacy, and his ability to cut ties with any who come too close for comfort ensures that will remain. Loss cannot continue to be felt when one ensures they have nothing left to lose.

dog·ged | /ˈdôɡəd/ | having or showing tenacity and grim persistence. || Hornetpaw knows no personal limitations, nor dissuasion caused by the critiques of others. Having converted his endured scorn into motivation to surpass his rivals’ aptitudes, the tom is resilient and hardworking in his ceaseless endeavor to become something of legend. No amount of badgering could distract him from his goals, and no amount of restrictions will ever quell his passions.

ret·i·cent | /ˈredəsənt/ | not revealing one's thoughts or feelings readily. || To wear a mask is to safeguard oneself from further injury. Despite his tough exterior, born of a need to stay resilient and unaffectable, Hornetpaw is an emotional being like any other. He views his wounds as only avenues by which he could be targeted, and to be upset or unconfident is to be an imperfect warrior. The tom would never let you see that you hurt him; he would only hurt you back.

ir·re·press·i·ble | /ˌi(r)rəˈpresəb(ə)l/ | not able to be controlled or restrained. || No number of punishments or stern talking-tos could curb Hornetpaw’s intent to do as he pleases. He is an individualist to the core and only growing increasingly uncaring of Lichenclan’s rules and standards. When they align with his actions, there are no problems, and when they do not, he will thwart the patience of authority at any chance given out of spite for the clan he feels has rejected him.

un·for·giv·ing | /ˌənfərˈɡiviNG/ | not willing to forgive or excuse people's faults or wrongdoings. || Despite his young age, Hornetpaw’s patience for mistreatment by others has already worn thin. To those who have not stepped on his toes, he is indifferent; to those who have slighted him, or expressed intention to, he is cold, brutal, and perhaps even threatening. He lives by a philosophy of ensuring none can hurt him, and will not simply remember a misdeed, but actively seek justice for it.

Mother: Snailface [deceased: died in kitbirth]
Father: Firestripe [deceased: killed in rwc battle]
Siblings: Waspkit [deceased: stillborn]
Offspring: N/A

KITHOOD

BIRTH; For unknown reasons, Snailface’s health began deteriorating rapidly in the final week of her pregnancy. With her dying breaths, she birthed two kits; Waspkit and Hornetkit. Waspkit was stillborn. Devastated by the loss of his mate, Firestripe, Hornetkit’s father, joined a Redwoodclan assault with clouded judgment. His reactions on the battlefield were sluggish; his attacks were guided by reckless abandon. He was not among those who returned home. Within a week, Hornetkit was orphaned, and alone.

EARLY KITHOOD; The clan pitied the unfortunate child, and Hornetkit was raised communally by the existing queens. The other kits, however, did not share in their seniors’ sympathy; constantly shuffling from nest to nest and living on milk not belonging to his blood made Hornetkit a prime target for bullying. He quarreled with nearly all of Lichenclan’s young and found his lack of parents often thrown in his face. It did not take long for him to grow resentful.

LEARNING TO FIGHT; Feeling pressure to stand up for himself, Hornetkit began to tail warriors and apprentices alike, demanding they teach him the ways of battle. He hungered for attack moves as if they were scraps and was humored here and there by amused elders. What appeared to be an early-set passion for fighting was born of a desire to force recognition from his peers. Around four moons of age, Hornetkit began sneaking out to watch the ‘paws train, practicing what their mentors showed them on leaves and twigs and rocks. His quarreling began to extend to apprentices, and even warriors started to learn the bite of his tongue when confronting him for his steadily-worsening behavior.

APPRENTICESHIP DELAYED; Past his fifth moon, Hornetkit found he had a breaking point. The bullying continued still, at this point long perpetuated by small scuffles and aggressive words. When ganged up on by a pair of larger kits, Hornetkit snapped, executing the maneuvers he’d been so passionately studying without grace or care for much other than damage inflicted. His brief frenzy sent one to Cinderface’s den, the other running yowling for someone to intervene. He was pulled from his victim by the scruff of his neck and denied his upcoming apprentice ceremony.

HARBORING RESENTMENT; Hornetkit began to host mixed feelings towards Lichenclan as a whole. He was appreciative of the clan’s senior members for their sympathy and care following the death of his parents; he was indignant of his relationships with the rest of the clan’s youth and the punishments he kept suffering for trying to hold his own. It was clear he was beginning to develop a complex. Hornetkit decided he would strive to be one of Lichenclan’s most talented warriors in time— not out of loyalty or for the good of the clan, but to spite those holding him back.

APPRENTICESHIP

LATE CEREMONY; At seven moons, Hornetkit advanced to Hornetpaw, and was assigned Emberscorch (Silverfire ) as a mentor. Though he was passionate in his training, he was a difficult apprentice, and oft clashed with the more traditional Lichenclanner. Despite the respect he harbored for her fighting prowess, he was open of his dislike towards the older molly, viewing her as a representative of the clan he, by this point, felt was rejecting him. The two did not get along at all.

MENTOR REASSIGNED; By the end of their first moon together, Emberscorch was tired of his antics. She requested a reassignment, which only furthered Hornetpaw’s spite towards the clan— and towards her. Hornetpaw’s new mentor would be Houndsong (Egotistic )… somewhat of a punishment for them both.