CHERRYSTORM
AGE Thirty six moons
GENDER faab demiboy he/his pronouns
CLAN shadowclan
RANK queen - caring for kits
SHORT DESCRIPTION a very small calico cat with pale yellow eyes.
APPEARANCE Cherrystorm doesn't quite live up to his name - a storm is a vast thing, vicious and destructive. It leaves destruction in its wake, downed trees and fires. Cherrystorm is... well, he's adorable. Tiny is a good descriptor for Cherrystorm, as he doesn't exceed the size of the average apprentice. Not only that, but he doesn't
look like a hardened warrior. He always leaned towards the soft side of things, but time spent banished to the nursery has further fattened him up to the point that he has occasionally been teased for looking like a kittypet. The soft swell of his stomach is almost hidden by his fur, but the fat on his hips is impossible to disguise. Despite his delicate and soft appearance, however, he still knows how to use his fangs and claws - and his sharp tongue, which is often used on apprentices that aren't quick in tending to the elders or are 'goofing off.'
His face is even more disarming than his body. He's a good looking cat. Very good looking. Large eyes and a tiny nose are followed by long whiskers, and he is prone to gentle expressions - no matter how fiercely he scowls, it often comes off more like he's pouting instead. Even his hisses and growls are no more intimidating than those of a kits - until he's pulling out his claws and teaching someone a painful lesson about underestimating a cute face.
PERSONALITY grumpy, hot headed, mouthy; Cherrystorm is, well, stormy. There's rarely a moment when this cat is isn't feeling strongly about something, whether it's the way a clanmate has made their nest (starclan, you'll catch your death in that thing) or another clan intruding into Shadowclan territory. He's quick to insult and throw threats around, his fur bristling until he's nearly twice his size (still not very big, he complains.) Even when something isn't going wrong, he's still a fan of his quips. Most of them are directed at himself, but he occasionally works in a jab at his clanmates or the other clans - he means them affectionately, really. They're the only real way he knows how to communicate.
shy; Shadowclan was quite surprised when they brought Cherrypaw to his first gathering. The loud, in your face apprentice that happily insulted the leader and misbehaved freely was expected to be a handful during the gathering - but he quickly became withdrawn and nervous, sticking close to the side of his mentor even when encouraged to go and mingle. To this day, he becomes withdrawn around strangers - especially when he's expected to behave. He knows how to act when threats are flying and he's supposed to be the antagonist, but when he's supposed to behave himself? Cherrystorm has no idea what to do. He has no idea how to handle this whole 'making new friends' thing, and his frequent rejections mean he's well aware of how abrasive his personality is.
caring, clean freak, fussy; For all that Cherrystorm grumps around and treats his clanmates like disasters waiting to happen, he does care about them a great deal. He mostly shows this by hurrying around after them, tidying nests and grooming messy warriors who return too tired from patrols to do it themselves. He asks not unlike a fussy parent, bringing his clanmates food and inquiring in a bossy manner if they've had enough to eat, no I don't mean have you eaten a single mouse, you need something with actual meat on it to survive mousebrain. He can often be found in the medicine cat or elders den now that he is in the nursery, teaching his kits little ways to help make their clanmates more comfortable.
insecure, guilty; Cherrystorm absolutely blames himself for the injury of his brother and doesn't blame his surviving family for disowning him or his first mentor for giving him to Spiderstep. He regards himself as something of a lost cause, and is shocked over and over again when cats treat him as a member of the clan and as someone they care for. He tends to shoulder the burden for things that go on around him, blaming himself for anything that goes wrong on Shadowclan territory. For this reason, he refused to take an apprentice - he couldn't bare to see what a mess he would make of the unfortunate cat put under his care.
devoted, thuggish, absolutely in love with spiderstep; While he often treats Spiderstep with disdain and condescension, no one would deny that the two are deeply in love. He often shows it by taking care of the tom where Spiderstep would neglect himself - telling the medicine when Spiderstep's leg is bothering him, grooming Spiderstep, and making sure that the tom eats. He would do anything the tom asks of him, and that doesn't fall short at harming other cats. He can often be seen lurking behind the shady tom when Spiderstep is working with other cats, backing him up loyally and occasionally using his fighting skills to make sure that Spiderstep's plans reach fruition. The warrior code comes second to what his mate asks of him - as do the words of the deputy and leader, making Cherrystorm and Spiderstep a dangerous element among the clan. If Spiderstep chose to work against Shadowclan, Cherrystorm would follow him - though not without a great deal of regret and guilt.
possessive, protective, jealous; But make no mistake, Spiderstep is not a god who can do no wrong to him. He is very possessive over his mate, especially after the arrival of their kits. He fears that Spiderstep will find someone better than him - someone without his emotional baggage, someone more attractive. He is incredibly jealous, but he doesn't direct his jealousy towards Spiderstep. No, he tries to eliminate the threat to his relationship - often by chasing them away, but he's not afraid to use violence. He'll fight to keep his man. He's very possessive over his kits as well, reacting very badly to anyone questioning his parenting or scolding them. His protectiveness when it comes to his family and clan is extreme, and he can be irrational concerning them.
HISTORY Turtleflower was a beautiful young cat. She was well known for her kindness - perhaps too well known, as she was often mocked for being too softhearted to be a warrior by those in the other clans - and for her gentle ways. She had once longed to walk the path of a medicine cat but had been discouraged by her family, who knew that Turtleflower would one day long for a mate and kits of her own. She was not strong-willed enough to stay on the path of a medicine cat. In fact, Turtleflower was not strong-willed at all. She bowed to the desires of others, desiring to please everyone around her. She had many short lived romances simply because she could not bare to turn down those who confessed their feelings for her.
Leechfang, on the other hand, seemed to be everything Turtleflower was not. A black tom named for his vicious fighting skills and ruthless outlook towards those in other clans, he often clashed with the leader of the clan on many subjects. He did not believe in many of the rules of the warrior code. He believed in killing his enemies so they could not come back to harm him or his family. More importantly, he believed firmly that he was the best cat in the clan. So when he took notice of the beautiful Turtleflower, he determined that the best cat would have to be mated to the most beautiful.
Turtleflower wasn't quite sure what to make of him. Initially, she became his mate simply to please him - but she soon found herself enjoying his attentions. More importantly, she found herself enjoying his vicious behavior. He never lifted a claw to her and treated her as if she were made of gold, but he gladly fought any cat she asked him to. When he went into battle, her name was a battlecry, and he brought her back little trophies - a torn off ear or a stolen bit of prey. Gentle and kind Turtleflower was beyond excited by this.
So she decided he was the one. They had kits.
Firekit, who was the largest of the litter. He was ginger and white but lean and powerful like his father. Tinykit, who was the smallest. He was black and white, with a strange triangle shaped patch over his nose. Mothkit, who was in the middle of the boys. She was a tortoiseshell and small and round like her mother. The three nestled close to her belly when the medicine cat let out a cry. There was a fourth kit, lying neglected in the nest.
Turtleflower didn't want that one. There was something wrong with it, she explained. It wouldn't make it through the night.
Still, the medicine cat told her, a name would give the kit peace in Starclan.
So she named the kit, larger than Tinykit but barely holding onto life where the other kit was thriving, Cherrykit. A little calico.
Cherrykit did make it through that night. They lagged behind the other kits - Tinykit was actually larger than Cherrykit by the time the litter of four was speaking. Leechfang paid his youngest child little mind, and while Turtleflower cared for all of her children she tried hard not to get attached to Cherrykit. They were so small and weak. Surely they would die any day now.
Cherrykit only alienated their parents further when one day they raised their voice during a discussion with the medicine cat and corrected the cat, informing them that that they were a
he not a
she. Leechfang immediately tried to correct the kit, only to be interrupted by Turtleflower. The she-cat was supportive if confused, and told her mate to support her son as well. Leechfang grumbled but consented, if only to please his mate.
Their days in the nursery came and went. Cherrykit became Cherrypaw. He was surprised to find himself becoming an apprentice on the same day as his siblings, as his parents had never been shy about discussing his poor health in front of him. The mentor announced for him displeases him - Badgerfang is handsome and young, sure, but he's a stickler for the warrior code and Cherrypaw, much like his father, views them more as suggestions than anything else.
The two quickly clash over this when Cherrypaw is caught eating prey before feeding the elders. Badgerfang doesn't tell their leader, but he punishes Cherrypaw by not allowing him to attend his first gathering. Cherrypaw, frustrated, instead stays in the camp with Spiderstep - Badgerfang's younger brother, who is unable to attend due to his apprentice, Mothpaw, having a cough. Cherrypaw reluctantly finds himself warming up to Spiderstep, much to his chagrin.
Their newfound friendship doesn't last long. During a shared climbing exercise between Cherrypaw, Tinypaw and Mothpaw, as well as their mentors, Tinypaw and Mothpaw begin to rough house. Mothpaw slips and grabs onto Tinypaw, dragging them both to their deaths. Cherrypaw is devastated by the event and lashes out later in the camp, blaming their mentors. His anger only grows as Spiderstep calmly accepts the blame and Badgerfang tells him to leave. Cherrypaw takes that as 'leave the clan' and so he flees the camp.
Firepaw follows him out of the camp and attempts to calm Cherrypaw down. Cherrypaw flees - straight into Thunderclan territory. Firepaw follows him and the pair run straight into a patrol. The warriors assume the apprentices are there to steal prey and attack. Firepaw is badly injured, as is Cherrypaw - but a patrol of Shadowclan warriors arrive, having followed the scent of the apprentices, and a tense discussion is had between the two patrols. Eventually, Thunderclan gives up the two injured apprentices and they are brought back to the camp.
Initially, his parents receive them both warmly. But the medicine cat soon determines that both of Firepaw has been blinded by a blow to his eyes and will never be able to be a warrior. Leechfang blames Cherrypaw for 'ruining a perfectly good warrior.' Turtleflower tries to keep contact with both of her sons, but Leechfang forces her to break off contact.
As Cherrypaw leaves the medicine cat den, he is deeply depressed and unable to keep up with his training. Badgerfang is unable to engage him in anything and eventually the warrior admits that he can't train Cherrypaw. He goes to the leader about this and discussion is made about what to do with Cherrypaw - until Spiderstep steps forward and offers to train Cherrypaw.
Cherrypaw is resentful of Spiderstep and doesn't want to train. Initially, training sessions are accomplished by Spiderstep sitting beside his nest and lecturing him. After a few days of this, Cherrypaw crawls out of his nest just to shut him up. It takes moons before Cherrypaw is training at anything close to a normal rate, but he graduates at twenty moons. He is given the name Cherrystorm, for both his skill in battle and his difficult journey to warriorhood.
Moons after his graduation, he and Spiderstep are part of a border patrol when they run into a Riverclan patrol - and Heronstrike. Cherrystorm is engaged with another warrior when he hears the sickening snap of Spiderstep's foreleg breaking and looks to see Heronstrike attempting to drown the other cat. The cat leading the patrol calls Riverclan back and Heronstrike abandons the attempt. Cherrystorm and another cat drag Spiderstep out of the river, but Cherrystorm is shaken up.
He confesses his infatuation to the other cat in the medicine cat den when he believes Spiderstep is asleep. He is embarrassed when Spiderstep replies that he loves him too. They become mates.
Skyclan arrives. Cherrystorm is hesitant of their presence and not quite sure he wants them here.
After feeling abnormally fatigued for a few days, Cherrystorm visits the medicine cat den. He is told that he is likely pregnant. The medicine cat is quite concerned because of his small size - and this only becomes more relevant as the pregnancy progresses. His dysphoria is horrible during the pregnancy, and the pregnancy takes a great deal out of his small body. He is eventually banned from leaving the camp, and in the final days from leaving the nursery.
The kits come during the night. The first is a calico cat that he allows Spiderstep to name - Lilykit. The second is a tortoiseshell that reminds him far too much of Mothkit - he names this one Newtkit. The third is resembles Spiderstep the most - a black tom that they name Starlingkit.
OTHER anything else?
