Character Name: @RACCOONSTRIPE
Short or Long-term?: Either, but preferably long-term. :]
Why do you want to be deputy?:
IC REASONS:
AMBITION. Raccoonstripe's greatest ambition has been to lead ThunderClan; since the earliest days of his creation, he has aspired to ascend the ranks of his Clan and be the one to ultimately lead them to glory. He was thrilled to achieve lead warriorhood, but even then he hungered for Flycatcher's position. When Flycatcher chose to step down, he thought he was the obvious choice to replace him. To his chagrin, Howlingstar chose Flamewhisker — a warrior he respected, but who he did not think had the same drive he did to lead their Clan to greatness. When Flamewhisker went to the nursery to nurse her second litter, Raccoonstripe was chosen to succeed her as temporary deputy. He nearly lost the respect of his Clanmates when he led an errant patrol into SkyClan's territory to steal prey. Raccoonstripe's philosophy is no Clan's well-being is as important as
his[ Clan's. He will break the warrior code (within reason) to ensure ThunderClan remains strong and healthy. He will get into arguments with Flamestar about whether she's making the right choices with regards to other Clans. He will advocate for usurping territory, for conquer, for restricting their borders — all for the good of ThunderClan.
GUILT. Raccoonstripe was a staunch believer in forestborn supremacy for moons before Skyclaw's rise to power. He ridiculed his sister Little Wolf for her choice in mate and was somewhat derisive toward her half-kittypet kits. While Raccoonstripe was never outright cruel to the cats in ThunderClan with kittypet blood, he made his distrust and suspicion well-known, and during Skyclaw's final moments, he pointed his claw right at Raccoonstripe and told him,
you were my hero! Raccoonstripe bloodied his paws with Skyclaw's death; in doing so, he has come to reflect upon the impact his own lifelong prejudices have had on his family and his Clan. He is now facing the impact his words and actions have wrought. He has lost his mother and leader, most of his kin, and arguably, his confidence in himself and his ability to help Flamestar lead her Clan.
OOC REASONS:
I've always loved ThunderClan! I've served on the hp team for over a year now and I've loved every moment of it. This Clan is welcoming, friendly, and full of complex, interesting characters. There are fun, interesting interpersonal plots as well as a desire to plot with others that not every Clan has. Whether or not I were to make it to leader, I would love to serve as Flamestar / Icey's long-term deputy so I could continue that. :]
On that note — it might be pertinent to note to those that are reading this and did not know that I did play Blazestar, founding leader of SkyClan, for one and a half years. Whether that is a plus or a minus, I'll let you decide. I had a lot of fun leading SkyClan and now that there are no term limits, I feel like there is a more natural conclusion to every leader's term without the pressure of having to remain for one and a half years. :]
PLOT IDEAS:
REBUILDING. Raccoonstripe would work on not only rebuilding himself and the confidence he'd lost after Skyclaw's death, but the state of their Clan. He would want more patrols and more teeth being bared at borders. He would want ThunderClan to show their strength after the rest of the forest began to perceive them as weak. Rebuilding the camp would be a priority, too; cats would be put to work re-enforcing barriers and dens. Battle training for apprentices would be heightened, at least for a period of time, and he would urge Flamestar to accompany him and monitor every mentor and apprentice's progress as the moons go on.
DISAGREEMENT. Flamestar and Raccoonstripe would make a formidable team, but there is, if you don't mind me saying, no way in hell they would always see eye-to-eye. Flamestar can be hotheaded, but she was also told by Howlingstar that ThunderClan is the Clan of prophecy, and that ThunderClan is meant to care for every Clan in the forest. Raccoonstripe knows nothing about this and, indeed, would disbelieve it if told. Raccoonstripe's main priority is not just ThunderClan's safety, but ThunderClan's
gain. Will we be
stronger from this, or will we go back to the status quo? Is this bit of territory enough for us? Why didn't we punish this Clan for doing this to us? Etc. He and Flamestar will likely get into arguments, and this may or may not lead to a bit of contention in their professional relationships. He respects Flamestar, but it will take moons before he respects her as much as he did Howlingstar.
- NOTE: if this leads to a demotion, I'm more than fine with it!
Whatever happens, I want to thank you for the opportunity and I want to wish everyone else who applies the best of luck! No matter what, I love this Clan and am excited for Flamestar's chapter. :]
