Post by keinjair on Sept 11, 2019 6:57:58 GMT
Reedstar
*image subject to change*
RiverClan ♡ Leader ♡ 25 Moons ♡ Male ♡ Bisexual
APPEARANCESummary: Slender white tom with orange splotches and a long, orange tail.
Purchases: N/A
In Depth: N/A (atm)PERSONALITYPositive Traits: Intelligent, thoughtful, diplomatic
Negative Traits: Overthinker, naïve
Likes: Rain, swimming, tranquility
Dislikes: Judgmental cats, the cold, disloyalty
In Depth: Reedstar is a cat who likes to take days one at a time. He's very laid-back, though he does go through periods of turmoil, especially when he feels he isn't good enough for one thing or another. He's extremely intelligent, especially when it comes to problem-solving, and knows how to be diplomatic when he needs to be. He believes in a fair and just Clan, every cat is equal in helping the Clan run correctly. He approaches issues thoughtfully, though he does have a problem with overthinking unless a decision needs to be made at that immediate moment. Because of his age and inexperience, he often takes his mistakes personally, believing that he could of prevented it if he were a better cat, even those of which he has no control over.
Normally jovial and quick to converse, Reedstar has a way of calming others and generally cheering them up. He enjoys the company of other cats, learning their personalities and what makes them who they are. However, the weight of his responsibilities and he finds himself drowning in pressure, though it can usually be eased by venting to those close to him; he doesn't often doubt himself, but when he does it can drag him down.HISTORYTwenty-five moons ago, a single kit was born to RiverClan's leader, Ripplestar, and his mate and deputy Splashfoot. Named for the coloration of his tail, Reedkit was instantly loved by his parents and it wasn't long before Ripplestar decided that he would be the heir to his throne, as he liked to joke. Ripplestar, fair leader as he was, had already been leader for quite some time and under him, RiverClan prospered. Even in the harshest peaking of leaf-bare, he never allowed his Clan to go hungry, often choosing to hunt himself as to not force his warriors to do all the work while he sat sheltered at camp. However, it was abundantly clear that he had a major flaw in that he played favorites, and it was all too clear that Reedkit was top of the list. From the moment his eyes opened and he could acknowledge the world, Ripplestar started grooming Reedkit to one day replace him.
Reedkit had a fairly normal kithood. He was loved by both his mother and father (whom he hadn't known was Clan leader at first) respectively, though his father wasn't often around and he was consistently doted on - no matter his want or need, it was always met in the quickest of manners. He pieced it together pretty quickly that he was someone special. No cat treated him wrongly when he snuck out of the nursery and he never seemed to run out of playmates. Both his mother and the other nursing queen - Fernleaf - never seemed to be annoyed with his constant questions. Perhaps the only cats who treated him normally were the kits in the den with him, just a short moon older than himself.
He was two months away from apprenticeship when he found out his father was the Clan leader. His entire demeanor shifted as a result. In an attempt to impress his father, leader of the entire Clan, he tried to be more diplomatic, show more thoughtfulness - his father didn't seem like a cat who led by sheer brute strength, so that wouldn't be the kind of cat he was either. It started as an attempt to be more helpful to the queens in the nursery - his mother, Fernleaf, and a newer nursing queen, Grassfoot. The older kits were easy to deal with, all he would have to do is convince a passing warrior or apprentice to show them battle moves and they were easily distracted. The younger kits, however, were a bit more difficult but Reedkit figured if he made it so each kit had the mossball for an equal amount of time, they'd stop yelling about it being fair or not.
Reedpaw was apprenticed to a vicious looking warrior by the name of Pikejaw, who had been the acting deputy while Splashfoot was in the nursery. Despite his tough outer appearance, Pikejaw was a rather jovial tom who like to crack jokes. He took his training very seriously but also taught Reedpaw that there was still fun to be had in life, even throughout rigorous training. In a way, Reedpaw had more than one mentor - other warriors took him out shortly after he came back from training and would train him in other ways - scouting the territory, hunting patrols, border patrols. The only time he ever went out with another apprentice was when there was to be battle practice between him and another. It was tiring, exhausting work, and he was certain it was his father's doing. But he refused to complain, taking the extra practices and what he deemed his protection detail in stride.
It was also lonely. At this point, though every cat would greet him and chat with him when he struck up a conversation, he didn't really have any cat that he could consider a friend. Two moons after the start of his apprenticeship, Lilykit became Lilypaw and he found his first friend. She seemed determined to treat him like a normal cat, choosing to ignore his greetings sometimes, goading him when she mastered a battle move faster than him and using it on him to pin him faster than he could expect. It was incredibly refreshing and also served as a good challenge to him. It became common for him to request Lilypaw as an opponent whenever Pikejaw suggested battle training, and as usual, the request was typically served. Moons of this led Reedpaw to happily consider Lilypaw his one and only friend - and also the cat he felt closest to that wasn't immediate family.
Reedpaw became Reedtail on a warm and breezy green-leaf day, named for his long, orange tail. He was glad he was able to train the full duration of his apprenticehood, previously fearing that his father would cut it short and make him a warrior a moon or two early, but he didn't and for that, Reedtail was grateful. He joked with Lilypaw shortly after that he technically beat her to becoming a warrior, despite how well-trained she was, and it earned him an affectionate headbutt before he sat his vigil.
If Reedtail had thought the vigorous training would be ended when he became a warrior, he would have been horribly mistaken. Instead of battle training and hunting practice, he was immediately swept into diplomacy and leadership training by Ripplestar. Splashfoot attended as well, and often trained him by herself, though her 'lessons' were more sharing tongues than teaching him to be any cat's successor. As Ripplestar stuffed more and more knowledge and life lessons into Reedtail, he found himself spending more time with Lilyspark, if only to vent to the only cat that truly understood what he was going through. Often times, she was sympathetic to his plight, and ended the conversation with a few scalding words that would lift his spirits and the process would continue.
Reedtail was awarded, if it could be called that, an apprentice around the same time that Lilypaw became Lilyspark. Pebblepaw was a young tom who he immediately liked, though he had his worries about training an apprentice so shortly after leaving his own apprenticeship. In the end, it hadn't mattered - Pebblepaw was patient and kind, even when Reedtail stumbled through some of training out of his own nervousness to teach. In the end, they taught each other, how to be a warrior and how to be a mentor. Pebblepaw became a fine warrior by the name of Pebbleheart, named for his kindness and love for his Clan and Clanmates.
Ripplestar lost his final life when Reedtail was twenty-one moons. Despite the peace in the Clans, Clanlife wasn't always safe and he perished after slipping into the rapids while fighting off a stray rogue on the territory. He had been alone, and the whole of RiverClan found out when a MossClan apprentice burst into camp with news of Ripplestar's body lifeless as the rock crossing. Splashfoot became Splashstar after a short vigil, naming Reedtail her deputy, and the two gathered around with the rest of the Clan to sit for the remainder of the vigil.
Despite all of this training, by both the Clan and Ripplestar, Reedtail felt he wasn't ready still for the title of deputy. He was so young, so inexperienced, but he couldn't say no to the first of two titles that were bestowed upon him at birth. He shifted into his new role carefully, worried about stepping on the toes of the senior warriors in his Clan - he knew not all of them were happy with the life he had been promised, but he wanted to prove to them that he only had their best interests at heart.
It didn't last long. He only had two months to adjust to any sort of real responsibility when Splashstar lost every life in one solid pass - ironically enough, in the same fashion as Ripplestar. This time, however, she had been with two other warriors as a simple patrol; despite the back up, he was told, she insisted on fighting alone, having more lives that her warriors. It was selfless thing to do, just like his mother, and Reedtail vowed to be as selfless as her.
He definitely wasn't ready. In fact, he almost passed the torch right along to the next available senior warrior, but the medicine cat refused to allow it, forcing his paws to the Moon Pool whether he wanted to or not. He was brought up to be the successor, he would be the next successor. Reluctantly, he agreed, settling down and pressing his nose to the water, and the next thing he knew, he was in the stars.
His parents were the first to greet him, wrapping their starry bodies around him and pressing their pelts close. It hurt his heart to see them so soon after their deaths, but there was nothing he could do and he understood that. Slowly, more of StarClan filled the clearing they were in and he dipped his head respectfully to them as a whole. His father started speaking first, telling him that he was aware Reedtail felt he was unready, and he was sorry for making his life to that point difficult, but he believed in him, as did the rest of StarClan.
Ripplestar gave Reedtail his first life, courage - the courage to lead his Clan as he was born to, to believe in himself, to not be afraid of the future and the courage to protect his Clan.
Splashstar followed in a similar manner, giving him the life of selflessness - it was no longer just he that he had to watch over and protect, but the Clan as a whole.
Fintuft, one of the other warriors who helped to train him, gave him the life of stamina - the stamina to lead without fail, to provide for his Clan continuously without tiring.
Briarberry, an elder who died when Reedtail was just a kit, gave him the life of loyalty - Reedtail belonged to his Clan and RiverClan belonged to Reedtail. Without loyalty, there would be no Clan.
Puddlekit, a kit belonging to the same litter as Lilyspark who had died shortly after birth, gave him the life of love - he could have love for every cat and everything else around him, to keep his heart open to it knowing that love can hurt.
Bouldertooth, the deputy before his mother, gave him the life of duty - no matter what he did, it must be for the good of the Clan.
Cherrynose, a queen from before his time, gave him the life of sympathy - not every cat has a good day, and to make sure he's there for them when they don't.
Lastly, Leafdapple, his father's mother, gave him the life of decisiveness, to know everything must have an answer and he must be the one to give it.
He left the Moon Pool and made his deputy as Reedstar, and the next day he made his first task as a leader - to drive off the rogue. The next day, he took a small patrol, consisting of Lilyspark and two senior warriors, to the rapids that had claimed his parents. It wasn't hard to lure the rogue out from there and Reedstar found himself in combat for the first time. Like his mother, he chose to fight alone, not wanting to risk his Clanmates and wanting to prove himself capable of helping his Clan. At some point, he was almost bested, almost falling prey to the same water that had taken his parents. But in a quick turn of events, and ironically enough the same move that Lilyspark had bested him with before, he swapped places with the rogue and watched and the river claimed him.
As he returned home, supported by Lilyspark, he knew that it didn't matter how young and inexperienced he was, he had to be strong for his Clan - and in the end, his Clan would be strong for him.RELATIONSHIPSMother: Splashstar
Father: Ripplestar
Siblings: None
Mate: N/A
Kits: N/A
Other: Lilyspark - best friend (f), Pikejaw - former mentor (m), Pebbleheart - former apprentice (m)
Adoptables: Lilyspark, Pikejaw, Pebbleheart
