Post by Snowberry on Jun 30, 2013 8:16:56 GMT
SNOWBERRY
40 MOONS - MALE- BISEXUAL
RIVERCLAN - MEDICINE CAT
USER: SCORCH
40 MOONS - MALE- BISEXUAL
RIVERCLAN - MEDICINE CAT
USER: SCORCH
Behind the Name
Snow - Like all pointed kits, Snowberry was born pure white. As pointed cats age, their markings appear. In cooler temperatures, more colors appear then warmer areas. As his mother explained this, she likened it to snow melting and revealing the earth underneath.
Berry - For his skill at healing. His mentor also thought it was fitting that a medicine cat have a plant for a name. Snowberry was a bit less amused, but he likes his name.
Berry - For his skill at healing. His mentor also thought it was fitting that a medicine cat have a plant for a name. Snowberry was a bit less amused, but he likes his name.
Personality
Snowberry really isn't what one would expect from a prophet of Starclan. He isn't all that bright, and he'll be the first cat to admit it. Snowberry has always had difficulty learning new things and it took a great deal of patience for his mentor to make him the medicine cat he is today. Granted, once he learns something, he isn't likely to forget it. Ever. It just takes a long time for that thing to make it past his thick skull. He's easily distracted when not taking part in his passion of healing, though he's always apologetic when he's distracted from a conversation. Ashstripe used to tease him for being a 'savant', claiming that he was a genius when it came to being a medicine cat but absolutely rubbish at everything else. Snowberry still doesn't know what a savant is, but he's too embarrassed to ask.
Snowberry thinks with his heart instead of his mind, and this is perhaps both his greatest strength and his greatest weakness. He's the type of cat to offer anyone a second chance, to trust with his soul and to love with his whole heart. He'll never pass up an opportunity to make a new friend, even if he has to grovel in the dirt to do it. Unfortunately, that means he's a cat that's easily manipulated. Snowberry will do anything for someone he loves, and he loves everyone that lets him. He'd never hurt another cat intentionally, but it's all too easy to persuade Snowberry to keep a secret. He thinks that it's the duty of a medicine cat to keep secrets for their clanmates. If you can't trust your medicine cat, who can you trust?
Yeah. He would totally make friends with a cat in the Dark Forest. Or a badger.
Snowberry is a horribly optimistic cat. He can be beaten down and abused, spat on by everyone he meets, but he'll still say that he thinks tomorrow is a better day. Perhaps it's because he has the stars at his back, but he even sees the good in the words they bring to him. He does his best to decipher prophecies without letting his own bias effect them, but he's the first to tell his leader that just because a prophecy is bad doesn't mean it's the end of the clan. Starclan will have better words on another day. You'll see. Snowberry loves Starclan just as much as he loves living cats, even if he doesn't know much about those mysterious starry things.
Snowberry is still haunted by his days as a warrior apprentice. He has poor self esteem, and the only time he ever seems to be confident in his abilities is when he's in the medicine cat den. It's all too easy to walk all over Snowberry in a conversation, and he'll bow to someone if he thinks that their friendship is at stake in an instant. He doesn't know how to handle other cats standing up for him, and often just feels guilt. He isn't worth causing a fuss. He relies on his position to keep him safe, and he knows that when cats choose to ignore it he's helpless. He's a terrible fighter.
Snowberry is desperate for the acceptance of his clan. He wants to be just as great as Ashstripe was, but he also wants to be loved as something other then the medicine cat. He wants to be their friend, and he wants to be trusted. He's happy to do all sorts of ridiculous things just to make a friend, even if he ends up humiliating himself in the process. He has all the aggression of a sleepy retriever puppy and it sort of shows. He'll even try to befriend cats from other clans, though he takes care to distance himself more from them. He's loyal to Riverclan above all else.
Snowberry likes to relax, and he thinks that the warriors are kind of silly. They should stop and take the time to smell the roses and watch the grass grow. The forest isn't going to go anywhere because they took a minute to sit down. His herb supplies will go away, however, if they all make themselves sick stressing out! He often tries to encourage the other cats in the clan to relax with him, and he isn't above turning a patrol to find herbs into a game. It's important to attend to their mental health as well as their physical health.
He's embarrassed by his appearance, especially his eyes. His eyes were the focus of much teasing from other kits and as such he tries to avoid any and all conversation about them. He doesn't know how to handle compliments at all and usually just tries to change the topic back to something he can handle better.
Snowberry thinks with his heart instead of his mind, and this is perhaps both his greatest strength and his greatest weakness. He's the type of cat to offer anyone a second chance, to trust with his soul and to love with his whole heart. He'll never pass up an opportunity to make a new friend, even if he has to grovel in the dirt to do it. Unfortunately, that means he's a cat that's easily manipulated. Snowberry will do anything for someone he loves, and he loves everyone that lets him. He'd never hurt another cat intentionally, but it's all too easy to persuade Snowberry to keep a secret. He thinks that it's the duty of a medicine cat to keep secrets for their clanmates. If you can't trust your medicine cat, who can you trust?
Yeah. He would totally make friends with a cat in the Dark Forest. Or a badger.
Snowberry is a horribly optimistic cat. He can be beaten down and abused, spat on by everyone he meets, but he'll still say that he thinks tomorrow is a better day. Perhaps it's because he has the stars at his back, but he even sees the good in the words they bring to him. He does his best to decipher prophecies without letting his own bias effect them, but he's the first to tell his leader that just because a prophecy is bad doesn't mean it's the end of the clan. Starclan will have better words on another day. You'll see. Snowberry loves Starclan just as much as he loves living cats, even if he doesn't know much about those mysterious starry things.
Snowberry is still haunted by his days as a warrior apprentice. He has poor self esteem, and the only time he ever seems to be confident in his abilities is when he's in the medicine cat den. It's all too easy to walk all over Snowberry in a conversation, and he'll bow to someone if he thinks that their friendship is at stake in an instant. He doesn't know how to handle other cats standing up for him, and often just feels guilt. He isn't worth causing a fuss. He relies on his position to keep him safe, and he knows that when cats choose to ignore it he's helpless. He's a terrible fighter.
Snowberry is desperate for the acceptance of his clan. He wants to be just as great as Ashstripe was, but he also wants to be loved as something other then the medicine cat. He wants to be their friend, and he wants to be trusted. He's happy to do all sorts of ridiculous things just to make a friend, even if he ends up humiliating himself in the process. He has all the aggression of a sleepy retriever puppy and it sort of shows. He'll even try to befriend cats from other clans, though he takes care to distance himself more from them. He's loyal to Riverclan above all else.
Snowberry likes to relax, and he thinks that the warriors are kind of silly. They should stop and take the time to smell the roses and watch the grass grow. The forest isn't going to go anywhere because they took a minute to sit down. His herb supplies will go away, however, if they all make themselves sick stressing out! He often tries to encourage the other cats in the clan to relax with him, and he isn't above turning a patrol to find herbs into a game. It's important to attend to their mental health as well as their physical health.
He's embarrassed by his appearance, especially his eyes. His eyes were the focus of much teasing from other kits and as such he tries to avoid any and all conversation about them. He doesn't know how to handle compliments at all and usually just tries to change the topic back to something he can handle better.
Appearance
Snowberry is an awkward looking seal lynx point tom. He can't be described as handsome in any way, even if he does have lovely blue eyes. He lacks the grace of his clan, instead possessing long, knobby limbs that would probably be better on a horse foal then on a cat. He's a clumsy cat thanks to these too-long limbs, and he frequently trips over himself. His tail isn't any better, being far too long and far too thin. He's definitely a strange cat to look at. It certainly doesn't help that he has strabismus (otherwise known as being wall eyed or cross eyed), like many pointed cats. Unlike the purebred siamese, Snowberry doesn't have the advantage of twoleg breeding to get rid of these faults. Like most cats born with the condition, he learned to compensate as a kit and his vision isn't impacted. He's just embarrassed by it.
History
Lilypetal and Sootstorm had shared the nursery as kits, trained together as apprentices, and fought side by side as warriors. From the first day Sootstorm drew breath, it seemed like he and Lilypetal were doomed to hate each other. What started as declarations of hatred and the other being 'ugly' as kits grew to snide comments and little competitions as apprentices. Their mentors soon realized the rivalry between their apprentices and arranged to train them together, unwittingly feeding the flames of passion that were growing underneath their paws.
By the time they became warriors, screaming matches between the young cats weren't uncommon. They would turn simple hunting patrols into competitions to catch the most prey and would usually fail to catch anything in the process. Border patrols could easily turn into scuffles because they would strive to show the other that they were the best fighter. When the leader sought to punish one for their actions, the other would surge forth and take all the blame. They were a complete mystery to the clan, and they sort of liked it that way.
When Lilypetal declared her pregnancy, no one expected the father to be Sootstorm. Even when he stepped up, claiming parentage, the clan held their doubts. But little Stormkit came into the world Hiswith a furious wail, the spitting image of her father, and she put all those arguments to rest. The other two kits were pure white at birth, much to the shock of their father. Lilypetal got a laugh out of that, telling him that she and her brother had been born white and hadn't gotten their markings until they were older. It was normal with cats that looked like her.
Stormkit and Shrikekit inherited the tenacity of their parents. They learned to swim first, and outpaced their brother in every lesson that their parents taught them. Lilypetal and Sootstorm liked to claim that the kits were so strong because their rivalry had made their parents stronger. The clan just shook their heads. Little Snowkit found himself overlooked as the kit that just wasn't as good as the others. His mother, in a talk with the leader about mentors, reluctantly called him slow.
When he tried to swim, he just couldn't get it. Sootstorm had to haul him out of the shallow water before he drowned himself. He got teased for hours by his siblings, who called him 'Puddlekit', since he nearly drowned in one. He was constantly being beaten in play fights, and when the other kits were off to make mischief they insisted little Snowkit stay behind. He always ended up telling on them.
When it came time for mentors, Falconclaw was selected for him. She was a fierce she-cat, known for her cunning. The leader thought she might be able to pass some of her skills down to her gentle apprentice. While Falconclaw was fond of the sweet little tom, she despaired at the thought of actually teaching him. Once, while she thought he couldn't hear her, she told another warrior that he should have been born a kittypet. It would have been a kinder fate.
Snowpaw struggled in his lessons. He couldn't master the hunting crouch and he was clumsy even for an apprentice. Battle lessons were a lost cause, as he lost again and again. He couldn't even win when the other cat was trying to let him. He was too soft-hearted, too nervous, too afraid to hurt another cat. Falconclaw found herself wishing that she had been given Shrikepaw or Stormpaw, who both shared her love for battle.
It was Ashstripe, the clan medicine cat, that finally stepped up and put an end to Snowpaw's struggles. The old medicine cat was nearly ninety moons and had been waiting for Starclan to send him a sign, to point him to the perfect apprentice. No sign had been sent for Snowpaw, but it was obvious to him that Snowpaw would never be a warrior. So he decided to give him a chance to be a medicine cat.
He didn't regret his decision. Learning herbs was much different from learning to fight. Things were calmly explained to him, and Ashstripe let Snowpaw learn at his own pace. He wasn't set against other apprentices to learn, which reassured the noncompetitive Snowpaw a great deal. His friendly behavior was no longer a liability but an asset, and he was able to put his patients at ease.
As he grew, he began to take over more and more duties in the clan. By the time he was thirty moons, he was fufilling most of the duties of a medicine cat. The other cats of Riverclan regarded this as strange, and questioned Ashstripe's judgement. Why wasn't the old medicine cat helping more? Snowpaw didn't even have his medicine cat name! Snowpaw excused his mentors behavior. Ashstripe was a very old cat, and he was obviously just trying to show Snowpaw how much he trusted him. Snowpaw didn't realize the truth until it was far too late.
At thirty two moons old, late by the standards of many cats, Snowpaw became Snowberry. Ashstripe took him aside that night and told him of a strange, painful lump that had appeared in Ashstripe's belly a few moons ago. Ashstripe had treated such a case a few times before, and no cat that had ever experienced it had lived. Snowberry refused to acknowledge the obvious at first, but Ashstripe stepped down and became an elder, leaving his young apprentice to heal in his place.
Ashstripe died before Snowberry reached thirty eight moons. Snowberry took his death hard, believing that he should have saved him mentor. What kind of medicine cat can't save his own mentor?
By the time they became warriors, screaming matches between the young cats weren't uncommon. They would turn simple hunting patrols into competitions to catch the most prey and would usually fail to catch anything in the process. Border patrols could easily turn into scuffles because they would strive to show the other that they were the best fighter. When the leader sought to punish one for their actions, the other would surge forth and take all the blame. They were a complete mystery to the clan, and they sort of liked it that way.
When Lilypetal declared her pregnancy, no one expected the father to be Sootstorm. Even when he stepped up, claiming parentage, the clan held their doubts. But little Stormkit came into the world Hiswith a furious wail, the spitting image of her father, and she put all those arguments to rest. The other two kits were pure white at birth, much to the shock of their father. Lilypetal got a laugh out of that, telling him that she and her brother had been born white and hadn't gotten their markings until they were older. It was normal with cats that looked like her.
Stormkit and Shrikekit inherited the tenacity of their parents. They learned to swim first, and outpaced their brother in every lesson that their parents taught them. Lilypetal and Sootstorm liked to claim that the kits were so strong because their rivalry had made their parents stronger. The clan just shook their heads. Little Snowkit found himself overlooked as the kit that just wasn't as good as the others. His mother, in a talk with the leader about mentors, reluctantly called him slow.
When he tried to swim, he just couldn't get it. Sootstorm had to haul him out of the shallow water before he drowned himself. He got teased for hours by his siblings, who called him 'Puddlekit', since he nearly drowned in one. He was constantly being beaten in play fights, and when the other kits were off to make mischief they insisted little Snowkit stay behind. He always ended up telling on them.
When it came time for mentors, Falconclaw was selected for him. She was a fierce she-cat, known for her cunning. The leader thought she might be able to pass some of her skills down to her gentle apprentice. While Falconclaw was fond of the sweet little tom, she despaired at the thought of actually teaching him. Once, while she thought he couldn't hear her, she told another warrior that he should have been born a kittypet. It would have been a kinder fate.
Snowpaw struggled in his lessons. He couldn't master the hunting crouch and he was clumsy even for an apprentice. Battle lessons were a lost cause, as he lost again and again. He couldn't even win when the other cat was trying to let him. He was too soft-hearted, too nervous, too afraid to hurt another cat. Falconclaw found herself wishing that she had been given Shrikepaw or Stormpaw, who both shared her love for battle.
It was Ashstripe, the clan medicine cat, that finally stepped up and put an end to Snowpaw's struggles. The old medicine cat was nearly ninety moons and had been waiting for Starclan to send him a sign, to point him to the perfect apprentice. No sign had been sent for Snowpaw, but it was obvious to him that Snowpaw would never be a warrior. So he decided to give him a chance to be a medicine cat.
He didn't regret his decision. Learning herbs was much different from learning to fight. Things were calmly explained to him, and Ashstripe let Snowpaw learn at his own pace. He wasn't set against other apprentices to learn, which reassured the noncompetitive Snowpaw a great deal. His friendly behavior was no longer a liability but an asset, and he was able to put his patients at ease.
As he grew, he began to take over more and more duties in the clan. By the time he was thirty moons, he was fufilling most of the duties of a medicine cat. The other cats of Riverclan regarded this as strange, and questioned Ashstripe's judgement. Why wasn't the old medicine cat helping more? Snowpaw didn't even have his medicine cat name! Snowpaw excused his mentors behavior. Ashstripe was a very old cat, and he was obviously just trying to show Snowpaw how much he trusted him. Snowpaw didn't realize the truth until it was far too late.
At thirty two moons old, late by the standards of many cats, Snowpaw became Snowberry. Ashstripe took him aside that night and told him of a strange, painful lump that had appeared in Ashstripe's belly a few moons ago. Ashstripe had treated such a case a few times before, and no cat that had ever experienced it had lived. Snowberry refused to acknowledge the obvious at first, but Ashstripe stepped down and became an elder, leaving his young apprentice to heal in his place.
Ashstripe died before Snowberry reached thirty eight moons. Snowberry took his death hard, believing that he should have saved him mentor. What kind of medicine cat can't save his own mentor?
Family
Mother: Lilypetal - 78 moons
Father: Sootstorm - 79 moons
Littermates:
Shrikeflight - She-cat
Stormflower - She-cat
Younger Siblings:
Cloudpaw - She-cat - 8 moons
Slatepaw - Tom - 8 moons
Mentors: Falconclaw (Warrior - 59 moons), Ashstripe (Medicine Cat - Deceased)
Father: Sootstorm - 79 moons
Littermates:
Shrikeflight - She-cat
Stormflower - She-cat
Younger Siblings:
Cloudpaw - She-cat - 8 moons
Slatepaw - Tom - 8 moons
Mentors: Falconclaw (Warrior - 59 moons), Ashstripe (Medicine Cat - Deceased)
Role Play Sample
(Since I already have a cat in Riverclan, I decided to do this as if I was starting a thread where he was doing a check up on Mapleflight.)
Snowberry would give his whiskers if it meant every day could be like today. The camp was peaceful, the river was quiet, and the herb stockpile was looking pretty healthy. He'd gone through and thrown out some borage leaves that were starting to turn an interesting shade of brown, which was unfortunate. He'd have to get more soon. Mapleflight looked like she was going to burst any day now. He couldn't help but laugh to himself, thinking of how the poor she-cat was waddling the camp with her big belly.
He'd thought about kits, once. Back when Ashstripe had first approached him about being a medicine cat. If he had known what it would like to be a medicine cat, he'd have never even worried about it! Sometimes the whole clan was like a bunch of kits with how they avoided coming in to get treatment and complained about wanting to go back to duty.
Speaking of Mapleflight and kits, he really needed to get in to see her. He'd been avoiding the nursery to give her privacy, since he was sure she was tired of cats poking in to stare at her. It was awfully rude. She wasn't the first she-cat to have a litter with a tom she wasn't mates with and at least this time they knew who the tom was and that the litter was Riverclan through and through. Not that it would have mattered much to Snowberry. Kits were kits, and he would have to deliver them all the same.
With a sigh, he set off towards the nursery. He might as well speak to her before her family tried to steal her away. He poked his head in, his eyes seeking out the familiar calico form of the gravid queen. "Good morning, Mapleflight." He called gently. "I'm not waking you, I hope?" She needed as much sleep as she could get with kits on the way! Every little life was crucial to the clan.
"I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, friend, but I've come to put my paws all over your belly." He laughed, ducking into the nursery and deftly moving around the nests. This was one place he couldn't afford to be clumsy. "Don't worry, I just want to see if I can tell how close you are to kitting." He settled down beside the calico, blue eyes bright and cheerful.
"Are you feeling alright? No discomfort, right? Aside from them kicking you. I'm sure they're doing plenty of that!" He grinned. "Kits can't sit still, even when they're in their mothers! Makes me glad to not have any myself, to be honest. Er- I'm sure yours will be lovely, though!" He had a feeling that he'd just said something sort of rude. Not for the first time, he wished Ashstripe was with him.
"Can I get started?"
Snowberry would give his whiskers if it meant every day could be like today. The camp was peaceful, the river was quiet, and the herb stockpile was looking pretty healthy. He'd gone through and thrown out some borage leaves that were starting to turn an interesting shade of brown, which was unfortunate. He'd have to get more soon. Mapleflight looked like she was going to burst any day now. He couldn't help but laugh to himself, thinking of how the poor she-cat was waddling the camp with her big belly.
He'd thought about kits, once. Back when Ashstripe had first approached him about being a medicine cat. If he had known what it would like to be a medicine cat, he'd have never even worried about it! Sometimes the whole clan was like a bunch of kits with how they avoided coming in to get treatment and complained about wanting to go back to duty.
Speaking of Mapleflight and kits, he really needed to get in to see her. He'd been avoiding the nursery to give her privacy, since he was sure she was tired of cats poking in to stare at her. It was awfully rude. She wasn't the first she-cat to have a litter with a tom she wasn't mates with and at least this time they knew who the tom was and that the litter was Riverclan through and through. Not that it would have mattered much to Snowberry. Kits were kits, and he would have to deliver them all the same.
With a sigh, he set off towards the nursery. He might as well speak to her before her family tried to steal her away. He poked his head in, his eyes seeking out the familiar calico form of the gravid queen. "Good morning, Mapleflight." He called gently. "I'm not waking you, I hope?" She needed as much sleep as she could get with kits on the way! Every little life was crucial to the clan.
"I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, friend, but I've come to put my paws all over your belly." He laughed, ducking into the nursery and deftly moving around the nests. This was one place he couldn't afford to be clumsy. "Don't worry, I just want to see if I can tell how close you are to kitting." He settled down beside the calico, blue eyes bright and cheerful.
"Are you feeling alright? No discomfort, right? Aside from them kicking you. I'm sure they're doing plenty of that!" He grinned. "Kits can't sit still, even when they're in their mothers! Makes me glad to not have any myself, to be honest. Er- I'm sure yours will be lovely, though!" He had a feeling that he'd just said something sort of rude. Not for the first time, he wished Ashstripe was with him.
"Can I get started?"
CODED BY ELECTRIC