Post by ambird on Jun 30, 2011 10:10:14 GMT -10
 None Mate | None Crush | None Kits | None Apprentice/Mentor | Not yet. Appearance | Cinderpaw is about the average size of a cat. Her legs aren't that long, nor is her body. From others point of view, she may look like a small porcelain doll. Her long fur gives her mas, however. Though since it is groomed well, she can still take the appearance of a small, thinner cat. Her fur is long, and puffs out at times. Particularly when she feels threatened, or embarrassed, like any normal cat would. Green-Leaf time means thin-ish fur. It isn't the ideal kind of fur to have when it only gets hotter and more uncomfortable, but she manages. While in the summer her fur is thinner, with the temperatures higher and all, during Leaf-Bare it is a different story. Cinderpaw's fur is thick already, but during those colder times it seems to puff out, her natural instincts kicking in to tell her to warm up. As previously stated, she has long, silky fur. The coloring is grey, as she is a tabby. All across her left and right flanks she has dappled lighter colors that vary from brown to grey. From her underbelly to a shape of an oval across her mouth and nose her fur is white, while her legs are the same coloring as her flank. She has a criss-crossed striped pattern down her back, which becomes more defined as she grows older. Seeing as she is no warrior apprentice, she isn't as strong as some of the other apprentices, because she is trained in a different aspect of Clan life. However, she still keep her claws sharpened, for the more nit-picky things she may need to do that correspond with her training. Her whiskers are long, and yes, droopy. They are white, and offset her fur coloring well. Her eyes are a playful dark green, and always seem to be off somewhere other than where Cinderpaw should be. Personality | Cinderpaw sees the goodness in others, even when there appears to be none at all. She is very high spirited, and will bounce up to any challenge given, no matter the risk. Although she is still firm in her choice in 'joining the cats who roll with the tide', she still ponders how her brother and family are doing in the Two-leg place. Cinderpaw is very bright, and learned quickly when she originally joined the Clan's as they began to form separate clans. Though at times she still can be forgetful of Clan ways. She loves the calming waves of the rivers and streams that inter-loop the entire territory. They seem to speak out to her in her darkest days and keep her paw-steps straight. Cinderpaw blabbers on and on, and to some that is a weakness. They say she talks to much to notice what's going on around her. Cinderpaw disagrees, if your curious, you'll find your answers. But if you sit around for mommy to come and save you from a badger. More than likely, your mother wouldn't have the sense that you were in danger. So, you must defend yourself and not always rely on people. Cinderpaw isn't some dainty, and many that have come to know her realize this. Her size does bother her at times. Especially when she is compared to large rival Clan warriors. In her eyes they aren't rivals, of course, but nevertheless, they are intimidating. Her size isn't just because of her age. She was considered the runt of her litter, but somehow fate played out that the middle kitten would be lost. One of her fatal flaws, however, is her belief of good in people. At times, that can mean she is stubborn enough to fool her self into thinking that someone really can be misunderstood. This can hurt her in the long-run, though. If someone really did have evil intentions, she could be one of the last to accept that they really do mean harm. Her mind-set of complete stubbornness at times can also crossover to when she thinks that what she is saying is right, when it actually isn't. Of course, with age this comes into play less often, because maturity does almost anyone good. One of her biggest problems is snoopiness. This may just be something she picked up hanging around her mother and a few cats she talked to; they were incredibly gossipy. Still, Cinderpaw loves a good chat. Especially if it can keep her up-to-date on things she isn't always informed of because she isn't a warrior apprentice like most of her friends. So, you can expect her to be happily waiting for her fellow apprentices to come back from training or patrols(if she's not busy with her own training) every once in awhile to hear if there's been strife among cats. What she doesn't realize at times is that she can be a bit...much for her tired comrades. When she's lying, and she knows that her lie is seen right through, she gets nervous and her fur fluffs out in odd places. That's when whoever caught her in the act of lying about whatever little thing she did knows that she did in fact lie. Her eyes give away much, and you can almost tell whatever is going on with her simply by looking at her face. She doesn't hide expressions well, and almost always is confronted by someone about whatever in the name of StarClan is wrong anyway. Another thing that may get to her Clan-mates is the fact Cinderpaw always seems to be that annoying beacon of hope you want to talk down to, but don't have the heart to. Her views on life are always chipper, as long as she doesn't think anything but is necessary. She never seems down, regardless of what is happening around her. It certainly helps the mood if one of the cats is always looking at the brighter side of life. You really have to push her buttons very hard to get her to blow. She knows, however, when not to be that beaming ray of sunshine, though. If the time calls for all seriousness, that's exactly what you'll get out of Cinderpaw. An overview of her: she loves to talk, can sometimes be oblivious to others real intentions, and loves gossip. She just won't start it up. More of the listen in and see what's going around type. Her maturity comes out when needed, and if the situation calls for it, she will be serious. Skills | Her first instinct when it comes to her training is the actually sorting of the herbs. It may just be a neat-freak nature, but she likes keeping the store nice and organized. Cinderpaw is good at this mainly because of how she was raised however briefly by Sunflower. Her mother didn't like things messy, that meant no food dish spills and definitely no water bowl messes. It meant more work for everyone. That's how she relates with the herb store. If it isn't kept at mint condition, then what use is it? Poppy seeds and burdock root shouldn't mix, at least in Cinderpaw's mind. There are many things she isn't the best at, and for legitimate reasons. Fighting? Forget it. Her former life revolved around eat, sleep repeat. Expecting her to be able to be a formidable opponent is like expecting rabbits to fall out of the sky. Hunting is iffy. She hasn't been taught the appropriate and correct way to catch a mouse, so she doesn't exactly know how to, yet. It is still early in her training, so anything can happen. On one occasion however, she did catch a mouse, except the mouse had other things to worry about. Like the dog next door trying to grab it through the hole in the fence. With her own needed skills as a medicine cat apprentice, sniffing out plants and herbs is coming to her....slowly. That's part of the reason she spends so much time in the store. Being able to scent out a much-needed herb is something that no matter what the circumstances, she will eventually have to do. Overall, her medicine cat skills are developing, and as time wears on, she will hopefully be able to maintain all her duties to the level that will be needed. History | Kitten hood: Annabella had been born to a stray and a house cat. Her mother was Sunflower, a calico she-cat who was always purring at the most obscure of things. She was a softy for toms who were kind to her, which was how she ended up have kits with Sebastian. Her father was a tabby cat himself, darker than how Annabella turned out. He had been wandering the streets for a scrap of food when he had wondered by her home. He had been generally interested in her, and then the kits came. It was in a dresser draw where Frisky and Annabella had been born. Sunflower had been feeling pains all day when she felt them coming. Frisky had been a white cat with with orange yellowish spots around his body, he inherited his piercing amber eyes from his father. While Annabella was a silver tabby with longer fur, with warm green eyes. There had been a third kitten, but it hadn't made it. The hardest thing for Sunflower to do was lose her last kitten. But, over the days, Sunflower was soon occupied by her other two surviving kitten's. At the age of 3 months, Frisky was adopted to a family two blocks away. While Annabella wasn't interesting any of the humans who came by. They said she was too hyper for their "quiet families". One day, Annabella had met with another family, they had said the same thing. She was sick of this. Annabella ran through the cat door and ran too the fence post where she sat and looked out into the forest below and beyond her. But, today, in the bitter cold winds she saw through the mist, a group of cats venturing by. Startled, sh ran straight into her home and into her mother. Sunflower looked at her daughter quizzically. "What was that about?" she meowed. Annabella caught her breath. She looked around. Their humans were in their largest room watching a moving screen. "Okay...this large group of cats is going by, but their not like the other groups that go by, they went by like they have a purpose. They could be like the ones from my nightmares!" she squeaked to her mother, hoping she would belief her. But, like expected her mother rolled her eyes. She looked over to the cat door and walked out, Annabella followed her and sighed. "Honey, just because no one...has adopted you yet doesn't mean they won't!" Sunflower purred. "It must just be your nerves. Come, darling and we must go to bed, it is late." Sunflower spoke amused and swished her black and white tail and went back through the door. "But--!" Annabella cut herself off. It was hopeless, but she just wished someone would believe her. Drooping her silver-y brown tail, she followed her mother through the door. She took one last glance at the stars, and then she went though the magenta door. It was times like these she wondered why she didn't just jump over that fence and become a stray. Or at least something that meant people wouldn't shush her if they thought her to be crazy. Or just a 'little kitten'. That night, when Annabella was fast asleep by her mother, she started to dream. In her dream there were cats wailing at her, begging her for something, clawing at her. Not once was anything they droned on about making sense. And still they pulled on her sleek fur. She squeaked and ran away from the, frightened and intrigued. "GET AWAY!" she yelped, but when she opened her eyes, her mother was looking down at her, Sunflower's eye were full of concern. Her daughter had been acting particularly weird the entire day. Sunflower hoped it was just some rambunctious stage. "Are you okay, Annabella?" she whispered. Annabella looked around, startled. But, she was back in the kitchen with her mother. She shook her head, to clear her thoughts. The horrifying cats were gone, and the house was silent. "It was just... a nightmare." she meowed, trying to reassure herself, more than her mother. But, she kept having those dreams, or night mares. They wouldn't go away. Then, a week later she went back outside for the first time since she had seen the group of cats. Annabella shook herself and wandered out early in the morning. She padded out and jumped onto the fence post. She looked around, and swore she saw a shadow that looked like a feline, but when she looked back it was gone. Shivering, she went back to her bed and went to sleep. The next day, things would only get worse. None of this, she was aware of, however. It had started out like any regular day in the life of a house cat would. She stretched and got up, licking her paws. Food was next on the agenda. After that, a lovely sip or two of water from the bowl. Her mother, as usual, was lolly-gagging on the cat plaza the two elderly Two-Legs they lived with had bought for her. Annabella just rolled her eyes at Sunflower. At times it seemed as though she was the mature one when it came to her mother and her. While Sunflower was relaxed, the Two-Legs where hustling about. She didn't understand their speak, but they were talking hushed tones. Somehow the couple had come to believe that their animals could understand them. To a point, she knew what they were talking about usually. It isn't hard to figure out when any creature is pleased. Reactions are pretty much the same, even if the animal has a bizarre look to it. What puzzled her was how they looked at her occasionally, sadness gleaming in their eyes. Why where they sad? Had she done something wrong? She sincerely doubted it. Annabella was behaved, and didn't cause strife between anyone. Her and the neighbor dog didn't like each other one bit. But dogs were wild beasts. She never strayed, and never made the dog bark. He just growled at her whenever he scented her. So....why were they looking at her like that? Whatever the reason was, she'd worry about it later. She had other problems. It had become even harder to get to sleep at night. Knowing those tortured mews would haunt her dreams. Just the other night she'd dreamed of climbing over her fence and finding a nice open spot and seeing a small animal. A mouse, she thought. She attempted to catch it. Annabella didn't really know anything about hunting, but her dream-self didn't care. Just as she looked as though she was going to catch it, she fell through the grass and landed somewhere else. The place by the stream! Where those--and that's when the horrible shadowed, thin cats had come creeping out of the water, and crowding around her, begging for something. She shook herself out of the memory, right as she realized she was shaking. Annabella had to stop dreaming about these cats. Her mind told her it was just a figment of her imagination. Maybe one too many kitty treats before bed. A smaller part of her thought it meant more, but the entire nightmare had her shutting that part out. Whatever it might mean, she wasn't keen on learning it if it meant she would have to dream about them even more before coming to a possible conclusion. All it meant was that she just might be a bit crazy. Or her mother was right! Scary words, but regardless, maybe this was all just brought on by the fact she wasn't being adopted! She was 5 months now....too old for most families. While in her thoughts, she hadn't realized a two-leg had picked her up. Alarmed, her fur was raised. It wasn't one of her mother's. A stranger in the home. She hissed at him, but the two-leg had on these...weird things covering his paws. There was no reaction of pain when her claws went into the weird substance. Her ears went down immediately. Annabella did not wish to go with these two-legs. They were taking her away from the only place she ever had the comfort of calling home. It was where she was born, where she had first experienced so many feelings. This wasn't an adoption. She had seen Frisky's. The smaller two-legs had held him adoringly. This older one was taking her somewhere. It wasn't somewhere she wanted to go. Sunflower had realized what was happening. She recognized the men. They had taken Missy's second oldest a few weeks ago. When Annabella had asked where Prince was going, she hadn't had the heart to tell her. Deep down, Sunflower had feared for this day. Annabella simply wasn't getting the interest. Frisky had been adored by many families, but her two-legs had found the perfect match. A loving, younger coupling of two-legs with an adorable female daughter. Annabella.....was thought of as a pretty cat, but nothing else. It pained her to see her daughter thrown to the place where not many were adopted....But perhaps more interested families would search there. "Mother! Mom! Sunflower! Where are they taking me?" Annabella screeched, a look of hurt in her eyes. Another emotion was found in her green eyes. Betrayal, it was the simple fact she had been stabbed in the flank by what she thought was her family. This tore at Sunflower. Swallowing hard, Sunflower answered, fighting back whatever may come out of her mouth otherwise, "It's...It's okay, dear. You're going where you'll have a second chance. A family will come along...I promise." she purred sweetly, attempting to calm down her remaining kit. "I don't want another family! No one wants me! What will happen?" she whimpered, the two men and her almost to the door. "I...don't know, honestly. Perhaps this will be for the best." she tried her best to make it look like this would be a wonderful experience. "MOTHER!" was the last thing she ever heard her daughter utter. Once the door was slammed shut, and the two-leg monster driven away, she couldn't fake it any longer. She yowled out of sadness. Her daughter was in the hands of the two-legs. Sunflower had lied. Her being a gossip, she had heard the stories about cats going to this....'animal shelter'. Only the lucky survived. That was the one thing her daughter didn't possess. Luck. Apprenticeship The next thing she knew, Annabella was on a rattling....monster?! She had only seen these things. Was she inside it? Ick! She tried to remember why she would be in one in the first place. Then it came back to her, giving her a head rush. Her mother sitting there comforting her. But Sunflower was just as bad a liar as Annabella was. She knew this wasn't a good thing. But an out-right lie? Then it seemed like her own mother didn't want her....If no family wanted her....what would happen to her? She never wanted to be rejected again. Glancing down at her weird webbing she was in, Annabella realized the entrance to it was unlocked. Looking to the left of her, she saw the two Two-Leg males. They were occupied. An opening was to the right of her. She could make it. The monster seemed to be at bay...sleeping? This was her chance. No Two-Leg's wanted her, her own mother hadn't wanted her. The last chance she had was finding that group of cats. Maybe the could help her. If not, being a stray was better than constant rejection. She needn't be reminded she was unloved. Careful she opened the thing with her paw, jumped quickly two the top of the webbing. The two Two-Legs shrieked in alarm. The one closest tried to grab her. Luckily, she was faster than that. With one pretty astounding jump, she was out of reach, and out of the monster. Rather clumsily she landed on her feet. Annabella saw a break in the trees over a stone fence. Her eyes widened, it was an...awfully tall fence. Turning around, she saw the Two-Legs coming after her. If they caught her, the whole escape would be off. Biting her lip, she ran back a few tail-lengths, and ran straight for the fence, and leaped into the air. Whatever Sunflower had said about her daughter possessing no luck, that wasn't the case here. She rather ungracefully landed at the top of the fence, and jumped down. Expecting a park, she was shocked to see the wilderness. She hid in a rather thick looking bush until the sun was in the middle of the sky. Annabella didn't want the Two-legs finding her. That would mean disaster. Once certain they were gone, giving up the search and heading back to wherever they had come from, she ventured out of the bush. To her distress, she had no idea where she was. Annabella walked in the direction of the sun. It was opposite of the fence. It was her only way she knew to go. To the right was more fencing and the left would surely lead to more as well. The sun was almost down when her paws felt like they would fall of, she stopped and sat down in the curve of a tree trunk. That was as far as she could go that night. Her stomach was growling painfully. Annabella grimaced, knowing she could never catch any animal. No experience in that. Losing hope, she settled to attempt to survive off of the dew starting to form. Three sunsets later she was in the same spot. The day after she had arrived there she realized if she went any further, she would be more lost. Where she was, Annabella felt reasonably safe. Whatever that meant anymore. She was losing weight, and at an alarming rate. This was not good. She had the dew, though, and that kept her alive. She kept telling herself she needed to get up. Only, she could never find the strength to. Two days after that she somehow find the courage to. Getting up, she saw how much of her figure she had lost. Her bones were showing. Not a good sign. Annabella trekked on, even if she felt as though she could curl into a ball at any given moment and go into a sleep she would never awake from. Just as she was getting that urge again...she heard something. A gurgly sound. Like...the running water from that place...the kitchen! Water? Could it be a river? Food! She ran as fast as her scraggly legs could carry her. But, to her dismay, instead of finding something edible at the stream....she found cats. "A.....kittypet....?" a cat closest to her asked the cat next to him. "May have been. Doesn't look like it. Kittypet gone rouge, in my opinion. Obviously doesn't know how to feed themselves in the wild." A cat in the back made a particularly snarkie comment, "Or groom themselves!" The unspoken leader of the group gave that cat a look, and they immediately were silenced. Interesting, these cats had some sort of authoritative roles. She was too tired to notice it at the time, but they also had sleeker pelts than most, and were far more muscular than any cat she had ever seen. If she had been thinking at the time, Annabella wouldn't have trusted these cats. They were wild and at the time, most likely untrustworthy. Even though a majority didn't want to bring her back, they were overpowered. The cat may have been a wreck, but she looked like she had had a nightmare. One of them mentioned, "Would you have rather have found this apprentice-age cat dead in the stream or know we at least would give her a chance?" Not even Annabella knew why they gave her a second chance. Maybe the felt like having a change of pace, she would never know. She didn't have time to think about it, however, because at the twitch of the group leader's tail, they were off. It took her a few moments to realize that meant follow. These cats were fast! Their muscles rippled through their flanks as the ran. She was impressed, no one at her household area had that kind of lean strength. Then again, being a wild cat, of course they gained these builds. Were all of their group this strong? And fast? She had this bad feeling she would have to learn all of these nuances as well. A deeper part of her knew she would never be able. When the cats learned that....what use would they have for her? She hoped they weren't cannibals. Once there, it was immediately awkward. They put her into the middle of the group, almost making it look like they were trying to hide me. House cats probably weren't common....at all. A few got a good look at me, and fur rose and hisses started. Their....leader? Shushed them, and the head of the group explained what had happened. Thankfully, he was understanding. He offered her sanctuary, and even a place in the Clan(she soon learned all terms she was one oblivious to). At the start of her Clan life, she wasn't sure what was real and what was a bunch of mouse dung. Especially when she began as a warrior apprentice. She felt like an outsider. That feeling never really left because so many did treat her as one. Cinderpaw, as she was renamed for her coloring, never really hit it off as a warrior apprentice. She couldn't fight to save her life, hunting wasn't horrible, but she just didn't fit the build, or the personality of a warrior. It was then decided she would be tested as a medicine cat apprentice. Storkflower had seen some of himself in her, and had talked StreamClan's leader into allowing her to be given the chance to go through with the option as medicine cat apprentice. Her real skills shown through with that. Organization, and the certain gifts and the personality a medicine cat had to possess. Role Play Example | The hint of frost in the air seemed to make the idea the Leaf Bare was only a few sunrises from clenching the entire territory. The grey tabby she-cat had been hiding in her small nest of moss, bracken and various bird's feathers. She stretched her sore back legs and got up to her full length. Cinderpaw padded out of her niche of the medicine cat den and squirmed through the narrow gap of the adobe. When she was outside, she breathed in the sweet scents of StreamClan. She joyfully swished her tail in the prospect of going out of Camp and gathering herbs for her mentor. It would be a sweet surprise, considering the fact that soon snow would undoubtedly cover most of the much needed supplies. After the first frost, many plants they would need in case of sickness over Leaf-Bare would be scarce. When she had reached the clearing where marigold and dock grew best, she dug to find the few leaves that still had any essence of life in them. She plucked a few marigold flowers wit her teeth and put them in her bundle of dock leaves she had dug up earlier. Then, she carefully clawed off a few of the fresh leaves. It was good she had found the plant in such good condition, the more they could preserve, the better. Right, she thought, I hope there are still some poppy seeds by the stream. Carefully grabbing the end of the oak leaves that held the bundle, she padded over to the stream. Though she remembered where most herbs grew in the territory, it still gave her the satisfaction of scenting out the poppies. The flower had been one of the first things she had been taught to sniff out. Getting back on task, she looked up as she heard the sound running water. She sighed in relief, the poppy flowers were still in a slight bloom, just enough to still be able to take the flower heads and extract the seeds. Cinderpaw bit of a couple of heads and put them into the bundle of herbs. Satisfied with the marigold, poppy and several others she had found while picking the marigold, she ran back to camp. Her mentor would be happy to see she had gotten up earlier than the two normally did to go out and collect whatever else they could find before the frost came. Cinderpaw padded happily back to the camp, carrying a full bundle of much needed supplies for her Clan. |
