Post by rhian on May 21, 2020 14:11:06 GMT -6
spruceshade
Thistleclan
seal point tom with pale blue eyes
warrior
Tom
37 moons
Appearance
Spruceshade is part of one of the biggest and most recognizable families in the clan, and it shows. He isnt as big as Firfoot, but he is tall, recognizably taller than Yewthorn. Not that he flaunts it much, since he tends to hold himself close, not stretching out and revealing his vulnerabilities. Perhaps that is because of how he is built, because while his long thick fur makes him look big and bulky, he is in fact very much not. He is more middle of the road, adaptable and not built for any specific role, with lean muscles from an active lifestyle. That said, like most Thistleclan cats, he has strong front legs and iron claws from spending time digging.
As for his face, it is a wide oval face, exaggerated by long facial fur (too long in his opinion) and a prominent muzzle. His ears almost seem to be set back on his head and dwarfed by the length of his fur distorting his real features. But the real attraction of this tom are his eyes, the pale icy blue which are so uncommon apart from colorpoints.
As for the rest of his fur, it is just as stunning as his eyes. Its quite long, long enough to be a nuisance in fact, but in a lot of ways also serves as armor, taking much of the damage from claws and teeth of his opponents. The contrast of the near black of his muzzle to the pale of the outside of his face is much more obvious than his siblings, as theirs tends to fade more, and also has the added bits and bobs of white spots. He however doesnt have any white on his pelt, besides his whiskers. Some of his fur is such a pale tan that is almost looks white, especially around his belly and neck where it is longest, but most of his body is an even tan color, darker on his back. It is his paws, tail, and face which which are the darkest points of his body, a brown so dark it is nearly black.
352 words
As for his face, it is a wide oval face, exaggerated by long facial fur (too long in his opinion) and a prominent muzzle. His ears almost seem to be set back on his head and dwarfed by the length of his fur distorting his real features. But the real attraction of this tom are his eyes, the pale icy blue which are so uncommon apart from colorpoints.
As for the rest of his fur, it is just as stunning as his eyes. Its quite long, long enough to be a nuisance in fact, but in a lot of ways also serves as armor, taking much of the damage from claws and teeth of his opponents. The contrast of the near black of his muzzle to the pale of the outside of his face is much more obvious than his siblings, as theirs tends to fade more, and also has the added bits and bobs of white spots. He however doesnt have any white on his pelt, besides his whiskers. Some of his fur is such a pale tan that is almost looks white, especially around his belly and neck where it is longest, but most of his body is an even tan color, darker on his back. It is his paws, tail, and face which which are the darkest points of his body, a brown so dark it is nearly black.
352 words
Personality
+Thoughtful
+Patient
=Quiet
-Exasperated
-Guilty
Spruceshade has always been the most quiet of his siblings. Part of that is just due to, you know, having so many siblings it wasn't worth trying to say something only to get drowned out. So Spruceshade waited, and still does, for the best moment to say things. As a result he isnt big into small talk, or wasting his words. When he speaks it is with meaning and clarity and focus. He has thought through his words, and doesnt make mistakes. Of course this can drive other cats mad because he doesnt verbalize things, and takes his time to process.
This also ties into his patience, he knows he has plenty of time to do what he needs to do, and sees rushing or hurrying to do something as worse. If you didnt do a good job the first time, you'll just have to do it again, and thats a waste of time. He dedicates a lot of extra time to anything he does, because he wants to do his absolute best. This includes his relationships, which means he often struggles to form meaningful ones, because he needs to take things slow, and not everyone is willing to wait for him. So those few relationships he does have, he gives A LOT of leeway. He is willing to overlook many mistakes, give lots of second chances.
But he doesnt like to. The truth is, those mistakes, those hurts, he just internalizes them, which makes it even harder for him to form new relationships. This in particular is the case with Yewthorn. They were close in their youth, close enough that Spruceshade would have considered him his best friend in the whole clan. But over his many moons of doing ridiculous and stupid things, he has been stretched to the breaking point. These days he avoids Yewthorn more often than not, because he doesnt want to finally crack and break down. But this has also affected his other relationships, since he cant seem to express his feelings, he can be irritable and even more quiet when around others, and his frustration builds quickly.
He hates those feelings, and he blames himself. If he were just better maybe it wouldnt be so bad. If he were just better at talking and giving Yewthorn advice, maybe he wouldnt keep making stupid mistakes and hurting others around him. If he were just a better fighter, he would have been able to save the kit from the nursery, he would have been able to save his father. But he's just not good enough. He has to get better. So in a way he punishes himself.
438 words
+Patient
=Quiet
-Exasperated
-Guilty
Spruceshade has always been the most quiet of his siblings. Part of that is just due to, you know, having so many siblings it wasn't worth trying to say something only to get drowned out. So Spruceshade waited, and still does, for the best moment to say things. As a result he isnt big into small talk, or wasting his words. When he speaks it is with meaning and clarity and focus. He has thought through his words, and doesnt make mistakes. Of course this can drive other cats mad because he doesnt verbalize things, and takes his time to process.
This also ties into his patience, he knows he has plenty of time to do what he needs to do, and sees rushing or hurrying to do something as worse. If you didnt do a good job the first time, you'll just have to do it again, and thats a waste of time. He dedicates a lot of extra time to anything he does, because he wants to do his absolute best. This includes his relationships, which means he often struggles to form meaningful ones, because he needs to take things slow, and not everyone is willing to wait for him. So those few relationships he does have, he gives A LOT of leeway. He is willing to overlook many mistakes, give lots of second chances.
But he doesnt like to. The truth is, those mistakes, those hurts, he just internalizes them, which makes it even harder for him to form new relationships. This in particular is the case with Yewthorn. They were close in their youth, close enough that Spruceshade would have considered him his best friend in the whole clan. But over his many moons of doing ridiculous and stupid things, he has been stretched to the breaking point. These days he avoids Yewthorn more often than not, because he doesnt want to finally crack and break down. But this has also affected his other relationships, since he cant seem to express his feelings, he can be irritable and even more quiet when around others, and his frustration builds quickly.
He hates those feelings, and he blames himself. If he were just better maybe it wouldnt be so bad. If he were just better at talking and giving Yewthorn advice, maybe he wouldnt keep making stupid mistakes and hurting others around him. If he were just a better fighter, he would have been able to save the kit from the nursery, he would have been able to save his father. But he's just not good enough. He has to get better. So in a way he punishes himself.
438 words
History
Sprucekit was doomed to an interesting life when he was born along with FIVE siblings. It was one of the biggest litters the clan had ever seen and poor Daisythorn had a rough time at first. Thankfully her mate stepped up, and together they took on the task of naming their kits, all after trees. They would work together throughout the kithood as good but still overwhelmed parents.
it wasn't long before the kits started to show their personalities, and Yewkit showed himself to be the loudest. Maybe not the most intelligent, or the most skilled, but he was the most bold, the most likely to go out there and make sure the clan paid attention to him, whether they wanted to or not. Not to say he was unintelligent, because Yewkit was still fairly intelligent, and he and Sprucekit would have discussion and debates about the most interesting things. But as would be quickly proved as he got older, intelligence is not the same thing as wisdom.
For his kithood, Sprucekit was always the quiet one, the one who watched and learned and listened. He was perceptive and curious, and would try to approach the elders and ask questions about the most odd things. But he was polite and respectful and they tolerated him.
When he became an apprentice, he was given an experienced and driven tom as his mentor. He was not Duskstripe's first apprentice, and it showed in how the tom trained him. He was friendly but kept things strictly professional, and wasn't the kind of mentor to be a good friend and confidant to his apprentice. He was there to teach, and teach he did, and then when his teaching was done he would go home to his family. This suited Sprucepaw, and allowed him to focus intensely on training, although in the grand scheme of things it didnt help him develop emotionally. Nonetheless his training was productive and didnt come with any negative issues.
Sprucepaw's first life tragedy occurred a few months into his apprenticeship, when foxes attacked camp. It was his first battle, and was a nightfur or snarls, yips blood and flying fur. He and his brothers found themselves near the nursery, and caught a fox sneaking in. They banded together to drive them off, but Sprucepaw, always the slower one, the calculating one, noticed what had happened. He faltered as his brothers charged away, seeing the tiny kit struggling to hold on. Sprucepaw could only stare, at the kit and then the mother for several moments. "I'm sorry. Next time... I'll be better, I promise I'll be better. I'm so sorry!" It was the most vulnerable he had ever been. And he turned tail and fled, seeking another fox to punish. He had to get better. Had to be the best.
So the last few months of his apprenticeship he trained as much as his mentor would allow. When he earned his name, -shade was partially in reference to his stealth and fighting skills, and also a bit of a dig at his being only a shadow around camp. See unlike his brothers who jockeyed for the attention and admiration of the entire clan, both of them in different ways, Spruceshade focused primarily on improving himself and performing his duties. Of course he seemed aloof and distant to most cats, almost as if he was too good to interact with them, but that wasnt the case. Spruceshade just felt guilty, and nervous. He wasnt as charming as his brothers, he was just... him. Though there were plenty of times he was grateful he wasn't like his brothers. Spruceshade couldnt help but feel massive second hand embarrassment as Yewthorn would brag about his "conquests" and his trysts. Spruceshade would never understand why he flitted from one she-cat to another. Was he that desperate for attention? Firfoot was a bit better, although he had his own desires and aspirations and was determined ingetting them. It didnt help that the whole family was split and at odds dealing with the drama that Yewthorn was constantly stirring up.
That winter things got even more complicated. First his mother passed away along with some of his other clanmates from a sickness. Spruceshade hadn't been the closest to his mother, it was hard to form a deep bond with her when she was so busy tending to all the kits, especially since Yewthorn jockeyed for that attention. But Spruceshade had still loved her, and mourned her alongside the rest of his family.
Soon after that though, there was news of foxes in the territory once again. Spruceshade was on the patrol who happened to encounter them, and he couldnt escape the image of the dying kit in his head, as he fought side by side with his sister and father. But hdespite his best attempts he couldnt save his father during that fight. He stood over his father's body, staring down at him, too frozen to cry or yell or anything at all. He was just wracked with guilt. How could he not save his father. Why wasn't he good enough. He ended up crouching down by his father, and managed to choke out the words. "I'm sorry... next time I'll be better. I promise." He had to be better.
The experience was a painful, driving him away from his siblings as he trained and worked harder and harder. He had to be better. He would be better.
It wasnt long before his brothers were given their apprentices. Due to how many siblings they were, it was impossible for them to all gain apprentices at the same time, so it would be several moons after that that Spruceshade would get his own first apprentice. Although that didnt bother him, because while his brothers were busy impressing everyone to make up for their grief and get ahead in the clan, he was focusing on himself. However he was not expecting what he got. Cricketpaw was energetic and curious. Their first day she asked him more questions than he had asked in an entire moon. It gave him a headache. those first few moons were difficult on both of them as they adjusted in their teaching and learning. Soon Cricketpaw learned to wait for his answers, because they were worth waiting for, and Spurceshade learned to open up and talk more. Not a lot still, but more. Mentoring her helped Spruceshade out of his spiraling grief and self-hatred. He has never been prouder than when she earned her warrior name.
Unlike his brothers he has not had a second apprentice yet, although he is looking forward to doing so. He is quite proud of Firfoot for becoming deputy and hopes (prays) that Morningmist will keep Yewthorn from slipping back into his worst troubles. He's not sure he can handle any more drama from Yewthorn.
it wasn't long before the kits started to show their personalities, and Yewkit showed himself to be the loudest. Maybe not the most intelligent, or the most skilled, but he was the most bold, the most likely to go out there and make sure the clan paid attention to him, whether they wanted to or not. Not to say he was unintelligent, because Yewkit was still fairly intelligent, and he and Sprucekit would have discussion and debates about the most interesting things. But as would be quickly proved as he got older, intelligence is not the same thing as wisdom.
For his kithood, Sprucekit was always the quiet one, the one who watched and learned and listened. He was perceptive and curious, and would try to approach the elders and ask questions about the most odd things. But he was polite and respectful and they tolerated him.
When he became an apprentice, he was given an experienced and driven tom as his mentor. He was not Duskstripe's first apprentice, and it showed in how the tom trained him. He was friendly but kept things strictly professional, and wasn't the kind of mentor to be a good friend and confidant to his apprentice. He was there to teach, and teach he did, and then when his teaching was done he would go home to his family. This suited Sprucepaw, and allowed him to focus intensely on training, although in the grand scheme of things it didnt help him develop emotionally. Nonetheless his training was productive and didnt come with any negative issues.
Sprucepaw's first life tragedy occurred a few months into his apprenticeship, when foxes attacked camp. It was his first battle, and was a nightfur or snarls, yips blood and flying fur. He and his brothers found themselves near the nursery, and caught a fox sneaking in. They banded together to drive them off, but Sprucepaw, always the slower one, the calculating one, noticed what had happened. He faltered as his brothers charged away, seeing the tiny kit struggling to hold on. Sprucepaw could only stare, at the kit and then the mother for several moments. "I'm sorry. Next time... I'll be better, I promise I'll be better. I'm so sorry!" It was the most vulnerable he had ever been. And he turned tail and fled, seeking another fox to punish. He had to get better. Had to be the best.
So the last few months of his apprenticeship he trained as much as his mentor would allow. When he earned his name, -shade was partially in reference to his stealth and fighting skills, and also a bit of a dig at his being only a shadow around camp. See unlike his brothers who jockeyed for the attention and admiration of the entire clan, both of them in different ways, Spruceshade focused primarily on improving himself and performing his duties. Of course he seemed aloof and distant to most cats, almost as if he was too good to interact with them, but that wasnt the case. Spruceshade just felt guilty, and nervous. He wasnt as charming as his brothers, he was just... him. Though there were plenty of times he was grateful he wasn't like his brothers. Spruceshade couldnt help but feel massive second hand embarrassment as Yewthorn would brag about his "conquests" and his trysts. Spruceshade would never understand why he flitted from one she-cat to another. Was he that desperate for attention? Firfoot was a bit better, although he had his own desires and aspirations and was determined ingetting them. It didnt help that the whole family was split and at odds dealing with the drama that Yewthorn was constantly stirring up.
That winter things got even more complicated. First his mother passed away along with some of his other clanmates from a sickness. Spruceshade hadn't been the closest to his mother, it was hard to form a deep bond with her when she was so busy tending to all the kits, especially since Yewthorn jockeyed for that attention. But Spruceshade had still loved her, and mourned her alongside the rest of his family.
Soon after that though, there was news of foxes in the territory once again. Spruceshade was on the patrol who happened to encounter them, and he couldnt escape the image of the dying kit in his head, as he fought side by side with his sister and father. But hdespite his best attempts he couldnt save his father during that fight. He stood over his father's body, staring down at him, too frozen to cry or yell or anything at all. He was just wracked with guilt. How could he not save his father. Why wasn't he good enough. He ended up crouching down by his father, and managed to choke out the words. "I'm sorry... next time I'll be better. I promise." He had to be better.
The experience was a painful, driving him away from his siblings as he trained and worked harder and harder. He had to be better. He would be better.
It wasnt long before his brothers were given their apprentices. Due to how many siblings they were, it was impossible for them to all gain apprentices at the same time, so it would be several moons after that that Spruceshade would get his own first apprentice. Although that didnt bother him, because while his brothers were busy impressing everyone to make up for their grief and get ahead in the clan, he was focusing on himself. However he was not expecting what he got. Cricketpaw was energetic and curious. Their first day she asked him more questions than he had asked in an entire moon. It gave him a headache. those first few moons were difficult on both of them as they adjusted in their teaching and learning. Soon Cricketpaw learned to wait for his answers, because they were worth waiting for, and Spurceshade learned to open up and talk more. Not a lot still, but more. Mentoring her helped Spruceshade out of his spiraling grief and self-hatred. He has never been prouder than when she earned her warrior name.
Unlike his brothers he has not had a second apprentice yet, although he is looking forward to doing so. He is quite proud of Firfoot for becoming deputy and hopes (prays) that Morningmist will keep Yewthorn from slipping back into his worst troubles. He's not sure he can handle any more drama from Yewthorn.
