Post by Akura on Jun 1, 2021 17:55:05 GMT -6
Bugpaw
redwoodclan
runty Bengal tom with wide yellow-green eyes
apprentice
male
7 moons
Appearance
It's easy to tell that Bugpaw was the runt of the litter. Any cat past their kithood would have to look down to meet his gaze. The young cat's head is disproportionate to the rest of his body, and some even mistake him for a kit because of it. He can usually be found hunched over, back arched, half-sneaking wherever he goes. A short, worm-like tail waves anxiously behind him. Physically, his attacks are weak and short-range. If he wanted to stand a chance at landing a hit, then he would have to jump for it. Literally.
It is an undesirable form for certain.
Bugpaw's fur is short and coarse, adding to an appearance some would find distasteful. A series of spots and stripes adorn his pelt; one of the few pleasing things about him at first glance. Even still, his body seems vehement on ruining the one good thing he had going for him. The wiry hairs grow just long enough to obscure and scratch out what could be a beautiful pattern, instead making it appear dull and dingy.
Not only is he dwarfed by the majority of his companions, but something about his face always seems to unsettle them. “The eyes!” they would yell, giggling among their little friend group. And in his mind, it was true. His eyes were unsettling. A sickly green webbed with amber and some other hues he couldn't be bothered to pin down. They were wide and staring. And for whatever reason, his pupils seemed almost constantly constricted. ‘Bug Eyes’ was and still is a common, easy taunt thrown his way. Past that, there isn't much of note. The rest of his features are luckily rather plain in comparison. No use in giving them even more things to taunt him about, after all.
It is an undesirable form for certain.
Bugpaw's fur is short and coarse, adding to an appearance some would find distasteful. A series of spots and stripes adorn his pelt; one of the few pleasing things about him at first glance. Even still, his body seems vehement on ruining the one good thing he had going for him. The wiry hairs grow just long enough to obscure and scratch out what could be a beautiful pattern, instead making it appear dull and dingy.
Not only is he dwarfed by the majority of his companions, but something about his face always seems to unsettle them. “The eyes!” they would yell, giggling among their little friend group. And in his mind, it was true. His eyes were unsettling. A sickly green webbed with amber and some other hues he couldn't be bothered to pin down. They were wide and staring. And for whatever reason, his pupils seemed almost constantly constricted. ‘Bug Eyes’ was and still is a common, easy taunt thrown his way. Past that, there isn't much of note. The rest of his features are luckily rather plain in comparison. No use in giving them even more things to taunt him about, after all.
Personality
Traits
+ | Book-smart | Goal-Oriented
- | Worrywart | Envious | Judgmental | Compulsive
~ | Doubtful | Socially Awkward | Excitable
Few cats are close to Bugpaw. After so many bad first impressions, the young tom has learned to distance himself from others. He puts up a cold front to anyone he doesn’t know, and tends to be suspicious when others randomly take an interest in him. He doesn’t see what they want from him, since most are warded off by his appearance and the stigma spread by his brother. He attacks them with harsh judgments and piercing words before they’ve even spoken. This obviously doesn’t earn him any friends within the clan, but he likes to think he’s past the point of caring…even if that's far from the truth.
The young tom spends much of his time obsessing and worrying over everything, trying to plan it all in advance. This aspect of himself appears often, especially in social situations. It helps him keep his cool and hold a conversation longer than he would otherwise, but once things fall out of place he tends to flounder. On many days he can found out in the forest training alone or attempting to memorize the perfect way to catch a piece of prey, all in the name of bettering himself. He knows he’s at a disadvantage compared to others his age, and will do anything to gain the upper hand. Sometimes he becomes so focused on this, that he begins neglecting his health. Others occasionally have to remind him because of it.
To say he struggles with self-doubt is an understatement. He acts almost surprised when something he does goes right. After the initial shock wears off, a huge grin will appear on his face. He rides this high for as long as he can, since he knows it’s only a matter of time before he messes up again. If even the slightest thing goes wrong for him at any point, the young cat starts to fall back down a pit of negativity. He becomes closed off once more when this happens, thinking that they’ll laugh at his failure even if it seems unreasonable. He knows his actions are sometimes rash and uncalled for, but, as many young cats do, he refuses to admit it.
+ | Book-smart | Goal-Oriented
- | Worrywart | Envious | Judgmental | Compulsive
~ | Doubtful | Socially Awkward | Excitable
Few cats are close to Bugpaw. After so many bad first impressions, the young tom has learned to distance himself from others. He puts up a cold front to anyone he doesn’t know, and tends to be suspicious when others randomly take an interest in him. He doesn’t see what they want from him, since most are warded off by his appearance and the stigma spread by his brother. He attacks them with harsh judgments and piercing words before they’ve even spoken. This obviously doesn’t earn him any friends within the clan, but he likes to think he’s past the point of caring…even if that's far from the truth.
Despite his actions, the bengal tom desperately wants to impress those around him. He doesn’t know how to act kindly around others, but still occasionally tries to make friends. He likes being around his clanmates, even if they don’t interact with him. But whenever someone actively engages in one of his conversations he becomes very excited. In his haste to hold their attention, his voice may rise to be louder than the rest, a string of words spilling from his mouth faster than he can come up with them. This tends to catch others off guard- a stark reminder of his otherwise prickly nature.
The young tom spends much of his time obsessing and worrying over everything, trying to plan it all in advance. This aspect of himself appears often, especially in social situations. It helps him keep his cool and hold a conversation longer than he would otherwise, but once things fall out of place he tends to flounder. On many days he can found out in the forest training alone or attempting to memorize the perfect way to catch a piece of prey, all in the name of bettering himself. He knows he’s at a disadvantage compared to others his age, and will do anything to gain the upper hand. Sometimes he becomes so focused on this, that he begins neglecting his health. Others occasionally have to remind him because of it.
To say he struggles with self-doubt is an understatement. He acts almost surprised when something he does goes right. After the initial shock wears off, a huge grin will appear on his face. He rides this high for as long as he can, since he knows it’s only a matter of time before he messes up again. If even the slightest thing goes wrong for him at any point, the young cat starts to fall back down a pit of negativity. He becomes closed off once more when this happens, thinking that they’ll laugh at his failure even if it seems unreasonable. He knows his actions are sometimes rash and uncalled for, but, as many young cats do, he refuses to admit it.
History
- Kithood:
Biting winds blew on the night of Bugpaw’s birth. In spite of curled tails and huddling bodies, nature seemed determined to chill their coats and sap their strength. In the midst of leaf-bare, most cats are lucky to go with half a meal. how was one mother to care for so many? The simple answer, was that she didn’t. Slowly, over time, the mewling of kits was traded in for another empty space at his side. Bugkit was a runt, assigned from birth to be taken by Starclan any day now. Vervainkit was the biggest, healthiest kit they had left, and was thus showered with attention. He would be the one to live, and thrive. They'd barely opened their eyes and ears, but their positions in life had already been made entirely clear.
Vervainkit was on top. Bugkit...would be left behind.
- Adolescence:
Not much changed when they became apprentices. If anything, the distance between the two brothers grew ten-fold. In the beginning, Bugpaw did attempt to make friends, but it never worked out. He was a cat with weird interests, a weird appearance, and an even weirder name. The tom was lucky to be let down easy half the time. On the rare occasions where they gave him a chance, he usually ended up driving them away within the week. For a while this pattern continued, but then the tom made a grave mistake. He tried to get near Vervainpaw.
The older brother was sitting pretty with a new gaggle of friends, and wouldn't take too kindly to his little brother's intrusion...But they were still siblings, right? Couldn't they try and be nice to each other?
When Bugpaw approached the group with a nervous smile, all eyes were on him. A few hissed questions ran between them. Whispers of "Who is that?" and "Isn't that Vervainpaw's brother?" could be heard by them all. The tom in question was standing straight, no emotion betrayed on his face for a long while. Eventually a tight, dismissive smile came over him. "What? How could I be related to a puny ant like him? I was an only child, you know that. " And Bugpaw didn't know if it was just how he said it or if they were that enthralled by him already, but Vervainpaw's statement was met with a series of nods. Whether it was of genuine belief or simply a way to please the one they looked up to, no one mentioned a connection between the two again. To further the divide between the two, Vervain started disparaging his younger brother whenever he was in sight. Now, they only ever interact when forced to. Both deny any relation to each other, and perhaps it’s better if it stays that way.
When the news of his mother's passing reached Bugpaw, it was with a muted hum that he acknowledged it. She had given up everything for Vervainpaw. The best food, the most praise, the warmest spot in the den. The ‘sickly runt‘ wouldn't have need of those resources once his time came. That was their mother's conviction, or at least what she told herself. The late queen never spoke of who their father was either, leaving her children with only herself as a guide. Once she was dead, they only had each other. But if she was wanting them to remember her with a warm smile and kind words, then she was sorely mistaken. One would describe her as shortsighted and neglectful - the other saying she was smothering and weak-willed.
Now essentially on his own, Bugpaw struggles to find his place within the clan. He wants to find a friend group and be relied on by others, but that’ll never happen unless he earns their respect. The only way he can see to do that is by impressing them with the skills they value. If he became a strong, skilled warrior, then they’d all have no choice but to respect him. Even if starclan had it out for him by cursing him with such a weak body, he would achieve that goal, no matter what.
Biting winds blew on the night of Bugpaw’s birth. In spite of curled tails and huddling bodies, nature seemed determined to chill their coats and sap their strength. In the midst of leaf-bare, most cats are lucky to go with half a meal. how was one mother to care for so many? The simple answer, was that she didn’t. Slowly, over time, the mewling of kits was traded in for another empty space at his side. Bugkit was a runt, assigned from birth to be taken by Starclan any day now. Vervainkit was the biggest, healthiest kit they had left, and was thus showered with attention. He would be the one to live, and thrive. They'd barely opened their eyes and ears, but their positions in life had already been made entirely clear.
Vervainkit was on top. Bugkit...would be left behind.
- Adolescence:
Not much changed when they became apprentices. If anything, the distance between the two brothers grew ten-fold. In the beginning, Bugpaw did attempt to make friends, but it never worked out. He was a cat with weird interests, a weird appearance, and an even weirder name. The tom was lucky to be let down easy half the time. On the rare occasions where they gave him a chance, he usually ended up driving them away within the week. For a while this pattern continued, but then the tom made a grave mistake. He tried to get near Vervainpaw.
The older brother was sitting pretty with a new gaggle of friends, and wouldn't take too kindly to his little brother's intrusion...But they were still siblings, right? Couldn't they try and be nice to each other?
When Bugpaw approached the group with a nervous smile, all eyes were on him. A few hissed questions ran between them. Whispers of "Who is that?" and "Isn't that Vervainpaw's brother?" could be heard by them all. The tom in question was standing straight, no emotion betrayed on his face for a long while. Eventually a tight, dismissive smile came over him. "What? How could I be related to a puny ant like him? I was an only child, you know that. " And Bugpaw didn't know if it was just how he said it or if they were that enthralled by him already, but Vervainpaw's statement was met with a series of nods. Whether it was of genuine belief or simply a way to please the one they looked up to, no one mentioned a connection between the two again. To further the divide between the two, Vervain started disparaging his younger brother whenever he was in sight. Now, they only ever interact when forced to. Both deny any relation to each other, and perhaps it’s better if it stays that way.
When the news of his mother's passing reached Bugpaw, it was with a muted hum that he acknowledged it. She had given up everything for Vervainpaw. The best food, the most praise, the warmest spot in the den. The ‘sickly runt‘ wouldn't have need of those resources once his time came. That was their mother's conviction, or at least what she told herself. The late queen never spoke of who their father was either, leaving her children with only herself as a guide. Once she was dead, they only had each other. But if she was wanting them to remember her with a warm smile and kind words, then she was sorely mistaken. One would describe her as shortsighted and neglectful - the other saying she was smothering and weak-willed.
Now essentially on his own, Bugpaw struggles to find his place within the clan. He wants to find a friend group and be relied on by others, but that’ll never happen unless he earns their respect. The only way he can see to do that is by impressing them with the skills they value. If he became a strong, skilled warrior, then they’d all have no choice but to respect him. Even if starclan had it out for him by cursing him with such a weak body, he would achieve that goal, no matter what.
