Post by SILVER on Mar 2, 2013 14:44:01 GMT -5
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FIERCELY LOYAL: Hawkclaw is loyal to Thunderclan, but he doesn’t have just normal, passive loyalty. This cat hunts, fights, breathes, and lives for Thunderclan. The deputy takes his place and responsibility in the clan seriously, and is completely devote to helping his fellow clan mates survive and prosper in any way he can. Unfortunately, his loyalty doesn’t end even at simply being stalwart with his dedication to clan life; because of his prideful and arrogant nature Hawkclaw also sees Thunderclan as the greatest clan of the four, and due to this has an inherent right to everything that the other three clans might want. To him its Thunderclan first, everything else second, and by second he essentially means not deserving of anything more than base recognition. Hawkclaw is not a cat to hesitate to uplift his own clan or defend its name, and due to his rather fiery attitude, is also not one to let another cat disrespect or mock his clan without putting the cats’ claws to the test. This also means that Hawkclaw has large expectations about Thunderclan standards, and can be particularly harsh at times when dealing with problems that may arise within the clan.
IMPULSIVE/HEADSTRONG: Hawkclaw isn’t exactly what you might consider a lesser intelligent cat, but what is true is that the warrior tends to use his body rather than his brain when situations arise. He’s impulsive to be blunt about it, to the Thunderclan deputy it’s usually act first and think later. This isn’t to say that it’s a miracle he hasn’t died yet, he’s not suicidal, but the tom can perhaps make the wrong decision at times, basing judgment more on emotion than wisdom. Hawkclaw’s first and foremost goal is to protect his clan, and if this is achieved, nothing else matters. Its passion that motives Hawkclaw, he thinks with his heart, and while this might be admirable, it can lead him to be somewhat cruel or harsh at times, acting on what he feels rather than what might be moral or rational. He’s also rather headstrong when it comes to such things as skirmishes and battles, charging in even when the odds are stacked against him, and not always willing to seek an alternative to that which he desires.
IMPATIENT: Hawkclaw isn’t your cold calculating villain or your happy go lucky flower frolicker, if anything the cat is a little bit of a hothead. Because of the pride he holds in both himself and his clan, and the weight on which he places that which he values, the deputy can be quick to anger, lashing out at others either through his tongue, or even in some cases, his claws and teeth. He’s not destructive per say, he isn’t going to kill a cat simply for disobedience, but he’s not one to have his patience tried by some rogue apprentice disobeying him or some other clan cat spitting on Thunderclan’s name. He’ll get angry, and because of his stubbornness, he’ll hold a grudge, and then it’s not particularly easy to get Hawkclaw to like you again.
FIERCE/BLUNT: Going along with his temper, Hawkclaw can be rather blunt to those that enrage him, or really, those that he simply doesn’t like. If he thinks an apprentice is being lazy, a warrior being a coward, or an elder talking nonsense when he isn’t supposed to, the tom is one to let them know up front, and not always in the nicest of ways. Hawkclaw also has no qualms about letting his feelings of the other clans be known, opinions that aren’t exactly graceful in the realm of diplomatic intent. His fierceness however doesn’t show so much in conversation as it does in battle. Hawkclaw is a warrior through and through, and his size is only testimony to his willingness to fight. The deputy is a fierce fighter and is not one to easily give up a fight, and will fight his heart and soul for his clan and clan mates. Hawkclaw does not quail at the sight of blood and is home as much in the fray as he is back in the warriors den. In fact, going along with his headstrong nature, Hawkclaw might take fighting a bit too far as an option sometimes, preferring action over negotiation or diplomacy, particularly in clan to clan disagreements.
STUBBORN/DEDICATED: As if being headstrong was bad enough, Hawkclaw is stubborn, and that’s almost an understatement. When Hawkclaw places his mind on something or is convinced of the truth of some fact, he’ll defend it fiercely, and won’t change his ways or his actions easily. Due to his pride he’s not one to admit his mistakes, and will stubbornly refuse any follies of his, as well as that of his clan. His stubbornness also extends to the battlefield, retreat is really not an option for Hawkclaw, and he’ll reluctantly if ever concede to withdrawing or allowing another clan victory in any way. The deputy is also stubborn with his decisions, as before with ideas, one’s he makes them, he sticks with them. This does bring rise to a perhaps good trait that the tom holds above all this, in that he’s highly dedicated to that which he values, such as Thunderclan. Hawkclaw is not a cat to give up on something that he’s said or promises that he’s made, once he sets out to do something, it’ll either be done or it’s impossible to do, at least by his standards.
COURAGEOUS: It’s not just his physical abilities that allow Hawkclaw to be a warrior, but the cat is also courageous in the face of danger. The deputy is not one to cower and quake at the coming of an enemy or whenever a threat comes to bear down upon the clan. He’s motivated by his desire to protect Thunderclan and his own pride, and the tabby rarely if ever steps down from a challenge or fight, and won’t be brought into a whimpering pile of fur at the slightest sight of blood or battle. He’ll face whatever challenges Starclan decides to bring in front of him and attempt to conquer them as best as he can. His courageousness can also lead to the foolish headstrongness of his as mentioned before, because of his usual lack of fear he can find himself in a few tight spots, charging against overwhelming odds without a thought to his own safety or personal well being.
HONORABLE: Although he has a temper, and Hawkclaw can be motivated to do things that may seem unnecessarily cruel or extreme, this doesn’t mean that the deputy is a horrible cat willing to kill others at ease. No, Hawkclaw is actually a rather honorable cat. He follows the warrior code fully; even when he fights he does so to prove his strength and to protect the clan he loves, not for the taste of blood or to sate some appetite of death. He’s also not one to lie or cheat his way into or out of situations, part of the reason why he can be so blunt of speech, but it’s simply not in his creed to use trickery to garner gains for himself. He respects the ways of the clans and the ways of their ancestors, and even if he can be confrontational with the other clans and holds little respect for them, he does respect their place within the forest, even if he does believe them to be far inferior to Thunderclan. Most of the time Hawkclaw does have a honor code, but while exceptions do exist due to his ambition, such cases aren’t particularly common, and generally the deputy is a cat who might be go head to head with you, but won’t be conniving to bring you down from behind your back.
PRIDEFUL/ARROGANT: If there was one defining trait that one could place on Hawkclaw, his pride would certainly come up. As mentioned previously, the Thunderclan deputy has a lot of pride in his clan, his clan is not only everything that he believes in, his clan is the greatest thing that ever decided to live around the lake and probably the best thing that will ever decide to make its home where the greatest clan that ever lived once stood. Yeah, you get the point. But his pride also extends to himself. Hawkclaw is a very prideful creature, not only believing highly in his own abilities and prowess as deputy and clan cat, but he takes high precedence over such things as reputation and name, though these extend more towards his clan than himself. What does affect Hawkclaw is that the tom doesn’t take kindly to anything or anyone that threatens to insult him or somehow claim him to be weak or a coward, or in any way general make him feel as if he wasn’t good enough, something that plays particularly in with his ambition. Because Hawkclaw continually attempts to prove himself as the best, and along with his temper, insults to his name and reputation are sure fire ways to garner his hate towards you, and you can quickly make an enemy of the deputy if you hurt his pride. The cat’s pride also gives way to arrogance however. There’s no doubt that Hawkclaw is a fine warrior, he’s proved it in the past, and he did win the Games as an apprentice. But the tom takes it to the next level, he’s the best at whatever he does, and he’ll prove it to anyone who thinks otherwise. What more, it can lead him to overestimate his abilities, or the abilities of his clan, relying on his perceived gauge of their strength, when reality might be different. Hawkclaw’s arrogance also leads him to act superior to cats of other clans, and even to cats of his own clan, though to a lesser extent. Overall it’s simply a defining point in his life, Hawkclaw wants to prove himself, and in his eyes the only way to do this is be better than anyone else.
CARING: As temperamental and harsh as Hawkclaw can be, and as arrogant and prideful as he may come off to others, he does have a caring and kind side to him. Granted, it’s usually hidden beneath a great deal of the other “qualities” he displays, but it is something that the deputy does hold. For instance, and perhaps the greatest example, is how much he cares for Thunderclan and the cats that call the clan theirs. If you’re a Thunderclan apprentice he’ll work you to the tail, if you’re a warrior he’ll expect you to show courage and bravery in front of any danger, and if you’re a kit he’ll be looking to you to carry on the proud Thunderclan tradition into the future, but if you become injured or hurt, frightened or fearful, Hawkclaw will be genuinely concerned. Now, don’t go overboard here, he’s not the dotty motherly kind, his type of concern is growling at you to rest in the den for being such a worthless sack of fur. But he’ll mean well, and be truly worried about your well being until a recovery is made. This extends especially to kits and apprentices, Hawkclaw having a particular soft spot for the younger cats of his clan, and not being overly harsh to them, showing greater lenience to a rebellious kit than he would a cowardly warrior. But overall Hawkclaw does have a heart, as hard as that might be to believe sometimes, but he does care for the well being and overall health of those cats which he takes pride in, the cats of Thunderclan.
AMBITIOUS: If pride and arrogance are some traits that define Hawkclaw, than ambition has been his driving force for the 43 moons of his life. Since he was a kit, Hawkclaw has been motivated by an intense inner desire to meet and exceed the expectations of others, to not appear weak or timid and prove himself as worthy of others acceptance and of being a Thunderclan warrior. This sort of attitude was brought about primarily by his father Timberstep, a figure that in many ways helped create who the deputy is now. Unfortunately, his ambition has not simply been what’s made the tom move forward in life, it’s also created conflict and problems as well, most notably with his brother Thistleheart. Because Hawkclaw was raised with the full belief that if he wasn’t the best and if he didn’t strive to be the best than he wasn’t worth the fur on his back, the cat not only developed the arrogance and pride that now permeates much of what he did, but he’s created an atmosphere where failure of any kind is not tolerable, not only by others, but by Hawkclaw himself. He’s no one without his reputation and ability, and it’s this overwhelming desire to quench this thirst, or rather, this need, that it’s what controls the tabby’s every action. In this way Hawkclaw’s ambition isn’t ill in intent, he’s not scheming to destroy his clan or even take the position of clan leader, (as tempting as it might be with Willowstar), through blood, he fully expects to achieve this one day, but his ambition is more simply disproving the lifelong doubts he’s had about himself, doubts instilled by his father and his own self. This isn’t to say that his ambition and desire to prove haven’t controlled him in the past. Particularly in the Games Hawkclaw has done actions that aren’t normal for him, things that aren’t exactly “honorable” or good, and he’s done them because as stated before, failure was not an option. In this way Hawkclaw’s ambition to prove can overwhelm him, and perhaps it may even be considered an inner turmoil that the cat posses, one which could be exploited or unleashed with less than good results.
At first glance the Thunderclan deputy can be rather intimidating, and for good reason. Hawkclaw is a large and muscular warrior, towering over many of the other cats around him and displaying a well honed physique. And it’s not simply extra bulk that makes him so big; the warrior is a powerful cat, and has great strength behind his paws and high endurance. That coupled with skills and techniques of battle, honed with moons of practice, have made him a somewhat reputed and feared warrior on the battlefield, and the deputy of Thunderclan is certainly not an opponent to take lightly. The majority of Hawkclaws body is covered in light brown, almost tan fur, which is of a medium length to help ward off the chill of leafbare, but still allow the tom to move unhindered in his forested home. The tom’s neck and underbelly are covered in white fur, as well as his paws and the tip of his tail. Being a tabby, the cats’ fur is covered in a pattern of black stripes of varying size and lengths, running across the entirety of his body, save for the areas coated in white. Hawkclaws mouth is highlighted by a patch of white fur, as well as his eyes, which are surrounded by a ring of lighter fur, his facial features accented by his tabby stripes. His ears are long in length and pointed, and his eyes are a faded olive green in color, holding small flecks of gold. Hawkclaws tail is long and covered in short tan fur, save for the tip as previously mentioned. Having seen his fair share of brawls and scuffles, the deputy’s body is covered in numerous battle scars, but prominently he has a chunk torn from his left ear, a result of a fight with his brother moons ago.
Every story has its first page…
The cat who would become the Thunderclan deputy, Hawkkit at the time, was born forty-one moons ago within the Thunderclan camp. The young kits father was a grim light brown tabby named Timberstep, a warrior of Thunderclan, while his mother was a sleek and kind black she-cat named Nighttail, a queen of the clan. Hawkkit was part of a three kit litter, being born alongside a dark brown tabby brother named Scorchkit and solid black sister named Crowkit. The birthing was successful and all three kits survived, however it was unusual in that the kits were born mere moons away from the time of leafbare, the birthing having come later than most. Due to this Nighttail was still weakened by the stresses of birthing her kits, and while Hawkkit and his siblings managed to ward off the cold of the season and survive, Nighttail fell ill and soon contracted greencough, the deadly sickness taking her life a moon later. The death came as a tragedy to the clan, but her kits were still far too young to fully understand what had happened, and so they were simply placed under the care of another Thunderclan queen, a calico she-cat named Featherwish, who had lost her kit to the same sickness that Nighttail died from. It was thus that while the body of Nighttail was mournfully buried by the elders of her clan, Hawkkit and his brother and sister were nursed by Featherwish and began to grow through the season of leafbare.
Once the snow and ice of the harsh season had melted away, the three siblings began to readily adventure out from the nursery, having grown greatly over the course of leafbare. While Featherwish still actively cared for the three kits and watched over them, once they began to explore the camp their father started to take great interest in them. A loyal warrior to Thunderclan yet also one known for his temper and grim attitude, the death of his mate affected Timberstep harshly, and all through the moons of leafbare he had mourned for her loss. At the coming of new-leaf his depression was pushed aside, and was instead turned into an obsession with his kits. Or rather, an obsession with Crowkit. Right away it became painfully aware to both Hawkkit and Scorchkit that their father held a clear preference for their sister, the small bundle of black fur reminding Timberstep of his beloved mate, and the warrior spent his time almost exclusively playing and caring for the kit. Not to say that he didn’t completely neglect the two brothers, but what attention he did pay was far less pleasant than what he gave Crowkit, often scolding Hawkkit and Scorchkit during their games and escapades outside the nursery, urging the pair to already train to become great apprentices and displaying his disdain for their existence through his bitter words. Yet all the while he fretted and dotted over Crowkit and poured out his love and affection for her.
Surprisingly, it was not Crowkit whom the brothers began to resent. Never did the black she-cat take her father’s attention and turn it into arrogance, and showed her own love for her brothers by constantly spending time with them, adventuring and playing together throughout the camp. Thus envy never festered inside the hearts of Hawkkit and Scorchkit against their sister. Instead, the real divide began to grow between Hawkkit and Scorchkit, and although they came into the world as brothers, they soon became anything but. The two brothers both craved what attention their father could give them, and while his words were often resentful towards them, both vied to gain acceptance and affection from Timberstep. This often led to clashes between Hawkkit and Scorchkit as they both fought to win their fathers praise, cheery banter becoming verbal arguments, playful fighting becoming bitter brawls, and a brotherly affection turning into the blackness of hate. Each saw the other as more an opponent than a sibling, and as the moons of their kithood continued, so too did the war between brothers.
Eventually, a point came when neither brother wanted anything to do with the other, sleeping on opposite sides of the nursery and avoiding crossing paws at all times. And when such things could not be avoided, well, it became common place for the queens of the nursery or even warriors of the clan to break up fights between Hawkkit and Scorchkit, before either of them, or any other kit nearby, became hurt. Timberstep of course paid little attention to the battle raging between the brothers, and still concentrated solely on Crowkit, and the urgings of the other Thunderclan cats for him to solve the problem fell on deaf ears. Featherwish was absolutely distraught at the situation, and while she had always shown equal love to the three kits, having adopted them as if her own, each brother ignored her pleas when she approached them separately, and the one time she managed to pull them together to talk, they had immediately begun sparring once more. Unwilling to hear Featherwish and with many others not wishing to get involved, it was none other than Crowkit herself who proved to be the greatest companion for Hawkkit, and the only voice of reason between him and Scorchkit.
The sister had remained close to both brothers despite what they were going through, and though they held an intense hatred for one another, both Hawkkit and Scorchkit maintained an affectionate bond with Crowkit. Of course both refused to spend time with their beloved sister within one another’s presence, but Crowkit on her part did the best that she could to cool their feelings and emotions, and performed better than any other cat in doing so. Individually, Hawkkit found great solace in his sister, gladly spending time with her whenever she wasn’t in the company of Timberstep or Scorchkit, and the kit often found himself eagerly awaiting the moments when they could simply play in the camp as if neither had any worry within their hearts. And it was with Hawkkit that his sister did spend the greatest amount of time with, not because she favored one brother over another, but because out of the two Hawkkit had the hotter head as opposed to Scorckit, and often enough it was Hawkkit who instigated confrontations with his brother. Crowkit took it upon herself to calm him down with her companionship, and largely succeeded, and the moments he spent with his sister as a kit are some of the most cherished for the tom.
(This is a post I made using Lilypaw, a six moon old apprentice from Windclan, and a character I'm thinking about making on this site as well!)
Her first official task as an apprentice! Lilypaw couldn’t believe that she had been chosen along with several of the other apprentices for the task, the group of them sent to collect some tansy at the horseplace for the medicine cat Dawnheart. It wasn’t exactly the most important of jobs or the most dangerous, but the young apprentice had still shone with pride when she had followed behind the rest of the apprentices as they left the camp. That didn’t mean that what they were doing had no significance at all though. Tansy was, as Lilypaw had been told, used commonly to cure coughing, particularly any cases of greencough, a disease she knew was infamous for killing kits and older cats from stories she had heard. There weren’t any cases of greencough at the moment, thankfully, but the she-cat knew that if the sickness was to break out the medicine cat would need plenty of herbs on paw to deal with it, and tansy was perhaps the most important of all. But simply knowing that what they were doing was going to help the clan made Lilypaw thrilled that she was taking part, that and the fact that the cats of Windclan had trusted them, even though they were only apprentices, with the task, and the calico was determined not to fail her first ever apprentice task!
Paws thudding against the cold hard ground of the moors, Lilypaw charged after the other apprentices as they raced across the grassland. Her breath coming out in ragged gasps, the she-cat held the rear of the group as she struggled to keep up. But she was determined not to fall behind, and the calico narrowed her eyes in determination, stalks of grass rustling furiously in their wake as they passed across the frozen moorland. The sky above was clouded over, the gray blanket dimming the warming rays of the sun and casting a dim glow across the land. Wincing, Lilypaw felt a harsh gust of wind wash over her body as she crested a small hillock, but she didn’t slow for a heartbeat. Her heart racing from exertion and excitement, the young apprentice glanced up, her olive eyes widening a little as her paws skidded to a top. Ahead of her, visible through the waving stalks of vegetation, dully shone a long line of what looked like small white trees, but they didn’t have any branches or leaves and stretched far across the moor in a perfect line. It must have been the twoleg structure that marked the boundary of the horseplace; Lilypaw had never been this far from the camp, and she was amazed at the peculiar nature of the place. She had often heard of twolegs, but this was her first view of anything related to them, and the apprentice was both full of curiosity, and a little frightened as she once again bounded forward, following the other apprentices as they neared their goal.
Her eyes still wide with wonder, Lilypaw slowed down as they drew near to the horseplace, her head moving around wildly as she took in everything that there was to see. The grass here was much shorter than on the grassland that was Windclan territory, and the calico felt exposed as the comforting vegetation disappeared around her, her ears perked to the slightest sound of any danger. What caught her greatest attention though was the huddled mass of horses as they sat shivering and grazing near the center of the area enclosed by the twoleg structure. They seemed to pay the cats no attention as they approached, and Lilypaw was thankful for this; she had been told that the horses wouldn’t be dangerous unless you approached them, but even from as far away as they were they looked huge to the she-cat, and just the thought of coming face to face with one made the fur on her shoulders stand up in fright. Turning away from the beasts, Lilypaw instead approached the pale structure that sat silently nearby. Her paws crunched against the brittle grass that lay across the ground as she padded up to the twoleg…thing, and stopped a tail-length away, tilting her head as she stared uncertainly at it. Swallowing her nervousness, the young apprentice inched forward pawstep by pawstep, and extending one of her paws she slowly moved it in order to touch the object in front of her, the distance closing with each heartbeat until…
Just as her pad connected with the smooth surface of the structure, the apprentice heard a meow behind her. Startled, Lilypaw jumped away and quickly spun around, her hackles raised as her claws gripped onto the frigid ground. Realizing that it was only one of the other apprentices, the calico relaxed, her fur lowering as she licked her paw a few times to hide her embarrassment, before looking at the cat who spoke. Happiness replaced her racing heart though as Lilypaw noticed that it was Foxpaw, the familiar ginger she-cat padding through the trees and grass just a few fox-lengths away, asking whether any of the other apprentices had found anything. With a lurch Lilypaw realized that her curiosity had made her momentarily forget about the whole point of them being there, and immediately she leapt to her paws and started searching around, her bright eyes scanning the area around her for any sign of the small yellow flower that had been described to her, the apprentices head swiveling as she scented the air for any sign of herbs nearby.
Sadly, Lilypaw didn’t see any hint of yellow among the dark greens and browns of the moor, and the only thing she scented in the wind were the usual sweet scents of the grassland and the scents of the other apprentices, as well as a strange scent that she assumed came from the horses upwind in the distance. Her search having brought her closer to Foxpaw, the calico she-cat padded over to the other apprentice and stopped nearby, eyes still cast on the ground and straining to see or find anything that even resembled a flower. ”I don’t see anything…”, she mewed, wondering if perhaps Foxpaw knew a trick to finding the flower, or at least where to look for them. She had been an apprentice for several moons before Lilypaw entered the apprentice den, and it was also possible that the she-cat had been so excited upon hearing the nature of the task that she had failed to hear some crucial detail. Like where to actually find the herb they were looking for, since so far the ground of the moor was proving rather ungenerous at providing anything.
HAWKCLAW.
ONE LINE OF LYRIC HERE NOT TOO LONG OR SHORT
[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,7,true][atrb=valign,top] | ♠ NAME -- Hawkclaw ♠ AGE -- 41 Moons ♠ ORIENTATION -- Heterosexual | ♠ CLAN -- Thunderclan ♠POSITION -- Deputy ♠ GENDER -- Tom cat |
SECOND LINE OF LYRIC HERE NOT TOO LONG OR SHORT
♠ PERSONALITY
FIERCELY LOYAL: Hawkclaw is loyal to Thunderclan, but he doesn’t have just normal, passive loyalty. This cat hunts, fights, breathes, and lives for Thunderclan. The deputy takes his place and responsibility in the clan seriously, and is completely devote to helping his fellow clan mates survive and prosper in any way he can. Unfortunately, his loyalty doesn’t end even at simply being stalwart with his dedication to clan life; because of his prideful and arrogant nature Hawkclaw also sees Thunderclan as the greatest clan of the four, and due to this has an inherent right to everything that the other three clans might want. To him its Thunderclan first, everything else second, and by second he essentially means not deserving of anything more than base recognition. Hawkclaw is not a cat to hesitate to uplift his own clan or defend its name, and due to his rather fiery attitude, is also not one to let another cat disrespect or mock his clan without putting the cats’ claws to the test. This also means that Hawkclaw has large expectations about Thunderclan standards, and can be particularly harsh at times when dealing with problems that may arise within the clan.
IMPULSIVE/HEADSTRONG: Hawkclaw isn’t exactly what you might consider a lesser intelligent cat, but what is true is that the warrior tends to use his body rather than his brain when situations arise. He’s impulsive to be blunt about it, to the Thunderclan deputy it’s usually act first and think later. This isn’t to say that it’s a miracle he hasn’t died yet, he’s not suicidal, but the tom can perhaps make the wrong decision at times, basing judgment more on emotion than wisdom. Hawkclaw’s first and foremost goal is to protect his clan, and if this is achieved, nothing else matters. Its passion that motives Hawkclaw, he thinks with his heart, and while this might be admirable, it can lead him to be somewhat cruel or harsh at times, acting on what he feels rather than what might be moral or rational. He’s also rather headstrong when it comes to such things as skirmishes and battles, charging in even when the odds are stacked against him, and not always willing to seek an alternative to that which he desires.
IMPATIENT: Hawkclaw isn’t your cold calculating villain or your happy go lucky flower frolicker, if anything the cat is a little bit of a hothead. Because of the pride he holds in both himself and his clan, and the weight on which he places that which he values, the deputy can be quick to anger, lashing out at others either through his tongue, or even in some cases, his claws and teeth. He’s not destructive per say, he isn’t going to kill a cat simply for disobedience, but he’s not one to have his patience tried by some rogue apprentice disobeying him or some other clan cat spitting on Thunderclan’s name. He’ll get angry, and because of his stubbornness, he’ll hold a grudge, and then it’s not particularly easy to get Hawkclaw to like you again.
FIERCE/BLUNT: Going along with his temper, Hawkclaw can be rather blunt to those that enrage him, or really, those that he simply doesn’t like. If he thinks an apprentice is being lazy, a warrior being a coward, or an elder talking nonsense when he isn’t supposed to, the tom is one to let them know up front, and not always in the nicest of ways. Hawkclaw also has no qualms about letting his feelings of the other clans be known, opinions that aren’t exactly graceful in the realm of diplomatic intent. His fierceness however doesn’t show so much in conversation as it does in battle. Hawkclaw is a warrior through and through, and his size is only testimony to his willingness to fight. The deputy is a fierce fighter and is not one to easily give up a fight, and will fight his heart and soul for his clan and clan mates. Hawkclaw does not quail at the sight of blood and is home as much in the fray as he is back in the warriors den. In fact, going along with his headstrong nature, Hawkclaw might take fighting a bit too far as an option sometimes, preferring action over negotiation or diplomacy, particularly in clan to clan disagreements.
STUBBORN/DEDICATED: As if being headstrong was bad enough, Hawkclaw is stubborn, and that’s almost an understatement. When Hawkclaw places his mind on something or is convinced of the truth of some fact, he’ll defend it fiercely, and won’t change his ways or his actions easily. Due to his pride he’s not one to admit his mistakes, and will stubbornly refuse any follies of his, as well as that of his clan. His stubbornness also extends to the battlefield, retreat is really not an option for Hawkclaw, and he’ll reluctantly if ever concede to withdrawing or allowing another clan victory in any way. The deputy is also stubborn with his decisions, as before with ideas, one’s he makes them, he sticks with them. This does bring rise to a perhaps good trait that the tom holds above all this, in that he’s highly dedicated to that which he values, such as Thunderclan. Hawkclaw is not a cat to give up on something that he’s said or promises that he’s made, once he sets out to do something, it’ll either be done or it’s impossible to do, at least by his standards.
COURAGEOUS: It’s not just his physical abilities that allow Hawkclaw to be a warrior, but the cat is also courageous in the face of danger. The deputy is not one to cower and quake at the coming of an enemy or whenever a threat comes to bear down upon the clan. He’s motivated by his desire to protect Thunderclan and his own pride, and the tabby rarely if ever steps down from a challenge or fight, and won’t be brought into a whimpering pile of fur at the slightest sight of blood or battle. He’ll face whatever challenges Starclan decides to bring in front of him and attempt to conquer them as best as he can. His courageousness can also lead to the foolish headstrongness of his as mentioned before, because of his usual lack of fear he can find himself in a few tight spots, charging against overwhelming odds without a thought to his own safety or personal well being.
HONORABLE: Although he has a temper, and Hawkclaw can be motivated to do things that may seem unnecessarily cruel or extreme, this doesn’t mean that the deputy is a horrible cat willing to kill others at ease. No, Hawkclaw is actually a rather honorable cat. He follows the warrior code fully; even when he fights he does so to prove his strength and to protect the clan he loves, not for the taste of blood or to sate some appetite of death. He’s also not one to lie or cheat his way into or out of situations, part of the reason why he can be so blunt of speech, but it’s simply not in his creed to use trickery to garner gains for himself. He respects the ways of the clans and the ways of their ancestors, and even if he can be confrontational with the other clans and holds little respect for them, he does respect their place within the forest, even if he does believe them to be far inferior to Thunderclan. Most of the time Hawkclaw does have a honor code, but while exceptions do exist due to his ambition, such cases aren’t particularly common, and generally the deputy is a cat who might be go head to head with you, but won’t be conniving to bring you down from behind your back.
PRIDEFUL/ARROGANT: If there was one defining trait that one could place on Hawkclaw, his pride would certainly come up. As mentioned previously, the Thunderclan deputy has a lot of pride in his clan, his clan is not only everything that he believes in, his clan is the greatest thing that ever decided to live around the lake and probably the best thing that will ever decide to make its home where the greatest clan that ever lived once stood. Yeah, you get the point. But his pride also extends to himself. Hawkclaw is a very prideful creature, not only believing highly in his own abilities and prowess as deputy and clan cat, but he takes high precedence over such things as reputation and name, though these extend more towards his clan than himself. What does affect Hawkclaw is that the tom doesn’t take kindly to anything or anyone that threatens to insult him or somehow claim him to be weak or a coward, or in any way general make him feel as if he wasn’t good enough, something that plays particularly in with his ambition. Because Hawkclaw continually attempts to prove himself as the best, and along with his temper, insults to his name and reputation are sure fire ways to garner his hate towards you, and you can quickly make an enemy of the deputy if you hurt his pride. The cat’s pride also gives way to arrogance however. There’s no doubt that Hawkclaw is a fine warrior, he’s proved it in the past, and he did win the Games as an apprentice. But the tom takes it to the next level, he’s the best at whatever he does, and he’ll prove it to anyone who thinks otherwise. What more, it can lead him to overestimate his abilities, or the abilities of his clan, relying on his perceived gauge of their strength, when reality might be different. Hawkclaw’s arrogance also leads him to act superior to cats of other clans, and even to cats of his own clan, though to a lesser extent. Overall it’s simply a defining point in his life, Hawkclaw wants to prove himself, and in his eyes the only way to do this is be better than anyone else.
CARING: As temperamental and harsh as Hawkclaw can be, and as arrogant and prideful as he may come off to others, he does have a caring and kind side to him. Granted, it’s usually hidden beneath a great deal of the other “qualities” he displays, but it is something that the deputy does hold. For instance, and perhaps the greatest example, is how much he cares for Thunderclan and the cats that call the clan theirs. If you’re a Thunderclan apprentice he’ll work you to the tail, if you’re a warrior he’ll expect you to show courage and bravery in front of any danger, and if you’re a kit he’ll be looking to you to carry on the proud Thunderclan tradition into the future, but if you become injured or hurt, frightened or fearful, Hawkclaw will be genuinely concerned. Now, don’t go overboard here, he’s not the dotty motherly kind, his type of concern is growling at you to rest in the den for being such a worthless sack of fur. But he’ll mean well, and be truly worried about your well being until a recovery is made. This extends especially to kits and apprentices, Hawkclaw having a particular soft spot for the younger cats of his clan, and not being overly harsh to them, showing greater lenience to a rebellious kit than he would a cowardly warrior. But overall Hawkclaw does have a heart, as hard as that might be to believe sometimes, but he does care for the well being and overall health of those cats which he takes pride in, the cats of Thunderclan.
AMBITIOUS: If pride and arrogance are some traits that define Hawkclaw, than ambition has been his driving force for the 43 moons of his life. Since he was a kit, Hawkclaw has been motivated by an intense inner desire to meet and exceed the expectations of others, to not appear weak or timid and prove himself as worthy of others acceptance and of being a Thunderclan warrior. This sort of attitude was brought about primarily by his father Timberstep, a figure that in many ways helped create who the deputy is now. Unfortunately, his ambition has not simply been what’s made the tom move forward in life, it’s also created conflict and problems as well, most notably with his brother Thistleheart. Because Hawkclaw was raised with the full belief that if he wasn’t the best and if he didn’t strive to be the best than he wasn’t worth the fur on his back, the cat not only developed the arrogance and pride that now permeates much of what he did, but he’s created an atmosphere where failure of any kind is not tolerable, not only by others, but by Hawkclaw himself. He’s no one without his reputation and ability, and it’s this overwhelming desire to quench this thirst, or rather, this need, that it’s what controls the tabby’s every action. In this way Hawkclaw’s ambition isn’t ill in intent, he’s not scheming to destroy his clan or even take the position of clan leader, (as tempting as it might be with Willowstar), through blood, he fully expects to achieve this one day, but his ambition is more simply disproving the lifelong doubts he’s had about himself, doubts instilled by his father and his own self. This isn’t to say that his ambition and desire to prove haven’t controlled him in the past. Particularly in the Games Hawkclaw has done actions that aren’t normal for him, things that aren’t exactly “honorable” or good, and he’s done them because as stated before, failure was not an option. In this way Hawkclaw’s ambition to prove can overwhelm him, and perhaps it may even be considered an inner turmoil that the cat posses, one which could be exploited or unleashed with less than good results.
♠ LIKES
✓ Thunderclan ✓ Kits and Apprentices ✓ Fighting ✓ New-leaf
♠ DISLIKES
✗ Everyone Else ✗ Cowards ✗ Losing ✗ Snow
♠ APPEARANCE
At first glance the Thunderclan deputy can be rather intimidating, and for good reason. Hawkclaw is a large and muscular warrior, towering over many of the other cats around him and displaying a well honed physique. And it’s not simply extra bulk that makes him so big; the warrior is a powerful cat, and has great strength behind his paws and high endurance. That coupled with skills and techniques of battle, honed with moons of practice, have made him a somewhat reputed and feared warrior on the battlefield, and the deputy of Thunderclan is certainly not an opponent to take lightly. The majority of Hawkclaws body is covered in light brown, almost tan fur, which is of a medium length to help ward off the chill of leafbare, but still allow the tom to move unhindered in his forested home. The tom’s neck and underbelly are covered in white fur, as well as his paws and the tip of his tail. Being a tabby, the cats’ fur is covered in a pattern of black stripes of varying size and lengths, running across the entirety of his body, save for the areas coated in white. Hawkclaws mouth is highlighted by a patch of white fur, as well as his eyes, which are surrounded by a ring of lighter fur, his facial features accented by his tabby stripes. His ears are long in length and pointed, and his eyes are a faded olive green in color, holding small flecks of gold. Hawkclaws tail is long and covered in short tan fur, save for the tip as previously mentioned. Having seen his fair share of brawls and scuffles, the deputy’s body is covered in numerous battle scars, but prominently he has a chunk torn from his left ear, a result of a fight with his brother moons ago.
♠ HISTORY
Every story has its first page…
The cat who would become the Thunderclan deputy, Hawkkit at the time, was born forty-one moons ago within the Thunderclan camp. The young kits father was a grim light brown tabby named Timberstep, a warrior of Thunderclan, while his mother was a sleek and kind black she-cat named Nighttail, a queen of the clan. Hawkkit was part of a three kit litter, being born alongside a dark brown tabby brother named Scorchkit and solid black sister named Crowkit. The birthing was successful and all three kits survived, however it was unusual in that the kits were born mere moons away from the time of leafbare, the birthing having come later than most. Due to this Nighttail was still weakened by the stresses of birthing her kits, and while Hawkkit and his siblings managed to ward off the cold of the season and survive, Nighttail fell ill and soon contracted greencough, the deadly sickness taking her life a moon later. The death came as a tragedy to the clan, but her kits were still far too young to fully understand what had happened, and so they were simply placed under the care of another Thunderclan queen, a calico she-cat named Featherwish, who had lost her kit to the same sickness that Nighttail died from. It was thus that while the body of Nighttail was mournfully buried by the elders of her clan, Hawkkit and his brother and sister were nursed by Featherwish and began to grow through the season of leafbare.
Once the snow and ice of the harsh season had melted away, the three siblings began to readily adventure out from the nursery, having grown greatly over the course of leafbare. While Featherwish still actively cared for the three kits and watched over them, once they began to explore the camp their father started to take great interest in them. A loyal warrior to Thunderclan yet also one known for his temper and grim attitude, the death of his mate affected Timberstep harshly, and all through the moons of leafbare he had mourned for her loss. At the coming of new-leaf his depression was pushed aside, and was instead turned into an obsession with his kits. Or rather, an obsession with Crowkit. Right away it became painfully aware to both Hawkkit and Scorchkit that their father held a clear preference for their sister, the small bundle of black fur reminding Timberstep of his beloved mate, and the warrior spent his time almost exclusively playing and caring for the kit. Not to say that he didn’t completely neglect the two brothers, but what attention he did pay was far less pleasant than what he gave Crowkit, often scolding Hawkkit and Scorchkit during their games and escapades outside the nursery, urging the pair to already train to become great apprentices and displaying his disdain for their existence through his bitter words. Yet all the while he fretted and dotted over Crowkit and poured out his love and affection for her.
Surprisingly, it was not Crowkit whom the brothers began to resent. Never did the black she-cat take her father’s attention and turn it into arrogance, and showed her own love for her brothers by constantly spending time with them, adventuring and playing together throughout the camp. Thus envy never festered inside the hearts of Hawkkit and Scorchkit against their sister. Instead, the real divide began to grow between Hawkkit and Scorchkit, and although they came into the world as brothers, they soon became anything but. The two brothers both craved what attention their father could give them, and while his words were often resentful towards them, both vied to gain acceptance and affection from Timberstep. This often led to clashes between Hawkkit and Scorchkit as they both fought to win their fathers praise, cheery banter becoming verbal arguments, playful fighting becoming bitter brawls, and a brotherly affection turning into the blackness of hate. Each saw the other as more an opponent than a sibling, and as the moons of their kithood continued, so too did the war between brothers.
Eventually, a point came when neither brother wanted anything to do with the other, sleeping on opposite sides of the nursery and avoiding crossing paws at all times. And when such things could not be avoided, well, it became common place for the queens of the nursery or even warriors of the clan to break up fights between Hawkkit and Scorchkit, before either of them, or any other kit nearby, became hurt. Timberstep of course paid little attention to the battle raging between the brothers, and still concentrated solely on Crowkit, and the urgings of the other Thunderclan cats for him to solve the problem fell on deaf ears. Featherwish was absolutely distraught at the situation, and while she had always shown equal love to the three kits, having adopted them as if her own, each brother ignored her pleas when she approached them separately, and the one time she managed to pull them together to talk, they had immediately begun sparring once more. Unwilling to hear Featherwish and with many others not wishing to get involved, it was none other than Crowkit herself who proved to be the greatest companion for Hawkkit, and the only voice of reason between him and Scorchkit.
The sister had remained close to both brothers despite what they were going through, and though they held an intense hatred for one another, both Hawkkit and Scorchkit maintained an affectionate bond with Crowkit. Of course both refused to spend time with their beloved sister within one another’s presence, but Crowkit on her part did the best that she could to cool their feelings and emotions, and performed better than any other cat in doing so. Individually, Hawkkit found great solace in his sister, gladly spending time with her whenever she wasn’t in the company of Timberstep or Scorchkit, and the kit often found himself eagerly awaiting the moments when they could simply play in the camp as if neither had any worry within their hearts. And it was with Hawkkit that his sister did spend the greatest amount of time with, not because she favored one brother over another, but because out of the two Hawkkit had the hotter head as opposed to Scorckit, and often enough it was Hawkkit who instigated confrontations with his brother. Crowkit took it upon herself to calm him down with her companionship, and largely succeeded, and the moments he spent with his sister as a kit are some of the most cherished for the tom.
♠ ROLEPLAY EXAMPLE
(This is a post I made using Lilypaw, a six moon old apprentice from Windclan, and a character I'm thinking about making on this site as well!)
Her first official task as an apprentice! Lilypaw couldn’t believe that she had been chosen along with several of the other apprentices for the task, the group of them sent to collect some tansy at the horseplace for the medicine cat Dawnheart. It wasn’t exactly the most important of jobs or the most dangerous, but the young apprentice had still shone with pride when she had followed behind the rest of the apprentices as they left the camp. That didn’t mean that what they were doing had no significance at all though. Tansy was, as Lilypaw had been told, used commonly to cure coughing, particularly any cases of greencough, a disease she knew was infamous for killing kits and older cats from stories she had heard. There weren’t any cases of greencough at the moment, thankfully, but the she-cat knew that if the sickness was to break out the medicine cat would need plenty of herbs on paw to deal with it, and tansy was perhaps the most important of all. But simply knowing that what they were doing was going to help the clan made Lilypaw thrilled that she was taking part, that and the fact that the cats of Windclan had trusted them, even though they were only apprentices, with the task, and the calico was determined not to fail her first ever apprentice task!
Paws thudding against the cold hard ground of the moors, Lilypaw charged after the other apprentices as they raced across the grassland. Her breath coming out in ragged gasps, the she-cat held the rear of the group as she struggled to keep up. But she was determined not to fall behind, and the calico narrowed her eyes in determination, stalks of grass rustling furiously in their wake as they passed across the frozen moorland. The sky above was clouded over, the gray blanket dimming the warming rays of the sun and casting a dim glow across the land. Wincing, Lilypaw felt a harsh gust of wind wash over her body as she crested a small hillock, but she didn’t slow for a heartbeat. Her heart racing from exertion and excitement, the young apprentice glanced up, her olive eyes widening a little as her paws skidded to a top. Ahead of her, visible through the waving stalks of vegetation, dully shone a long line of what looked like small white trees, but they didn’t have any branches or leaves and stretched far across the moor in a perfect line. It must have been the twoleg structure that marked the boundary of the horseplace; Lilypaw had never been this far from the camp, and she was amazed at the peculiar nature of the place. She had often heard of twolegs, but this was her first view of anything related to them, and the apprentice was both full of curiosity, and a little frightened as she once again bounded forward, following the other apprentices as they neared their goal.
Her eyes still wide with wonder, Lilypaw slowed down as they drew near to the horseplace, her head moving around wildly as she took in everything that there was to see. The grass here was much shorter than on the grassland that was Windclan territory, and the calico felt exposed as the comforting vegetation disappeared around her, her ears perked to the slightest sound of any danger. What caught her greatest attention though was the huddled mass of horses as they sat shivering and grazing near the center of the area enclosed by the twoleg structure. They seemed to pay the cats no attention as they approached, and Lilypaw was thankful for this; she had been told that the horses wouldn’t be dangerous unless you approached them, but even from as far away as they were they looked huge to the she-cat, and just the thought of coming face to face with one made the fur on her shoulders stand up in fright. Turning away from the beasts, Lilypaw instead approached the pale structure that sat silently nearby. Her paws crunched against the brittle grass that lay across the ground as she padded up to the twoleg…thing, and stopped a tail-length away, tilting her head as she stared uncertainly at it. Swallowing her nervousness, the young apprentice inched forward pawstep by pawstep, and extending one of her paws she slowly moved it in order to touch the object in front of her, the distance closing with each heartbeat until…
Just as her pad connected with the smooth surface of the structure, the apprentice heard a meow behind her. Startled, Lilypaw jumped away and quickly spun around, her hackles raised as her claws gripped onto the frigid ground. Realizing that it was only one of the other apprentices, the calico relaxed, her fur lowering as she licked her paw a few times to hide her embarrassment, before looking at the cat who spoke. Happiness replaced her racing heart though as Lilypaw noticed that it was Foxpaw, the familiar ginger she-cat padding through the trees and grass just a few fox-lengths away, asking whether any of the other apprentices had found anything. With a lurch Lilypaw realized that her curiosity had made her momentarily forget about the whole point of them being there, and immediately she leapt to her paws and started searching around, her bright eyes scanning the area around her for any sign of the small yellow flower that had been described to her, the apprentices head swiveling as she scented the air for any sign of herbs nearby.
Sadly, Lilypaw didn’t see any hint of yellow among the dark greens and browns of the moor, and the only thing she scented in the wind were the usual sweet scents of the grassland and the scents of the other apprentices, as well as a strange scent that she assumed came from the horses upwind in the distance. Her search having brought her closer to Foxpaw, the calico she-cat padded over to the other apprentice and stopped nearby, eyes still cast on the ground and straining to see or find anything that even resembled a flower. ”I don’t see anything…”, she mewed, wondering if perhaps Foxpaw knew a trick to finding the flower, or at least where to look for them. She had been an apprentice for several moons before Lilypaw entered the apprentice den, and it was also possible that the she-cat had been so excited upon hearing the nature of the task that she had failed to hear some crucial detail. Like where to actually find the herb they were looking for, since so far the ground of the moor was proving rather ungenerous at providing anything.
]THIRD LINE OF LYRIC HERE NOT TOO LONG OR SHORT