border to what do i owe | return, rejoining

BONERIPPLE

New member
Nov 14, 2023
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જ➶A pain lingers along the jagged and damaged line. The fur never to grow back again as she steps across land that is both familiar and not. The last few moons are a confusing thing for her. Her mind not wanting to remember much of anything. The pain had been overwhelming, perhaps the worst that she had ever come to know in her life. She remembers slathering jaws, pulling, a sicking popping sound and then strange yelling. The dog ran off and she had tried to do the same but her leg wouldn't move, it wouldn't obey. Every twitch of her muscles was pure agony and despite her biting jaws they had picked her up and taken her away. Then she remembers a white room, other animals in cages. The sounds of their cries. Lucidity avoided her, eyes swimming just like her mind. Then when she woke up again it was gone. Her leg was gone. All that remained was a fire that filled the stump that was kept. She wailed, she wailed for days. The twolegs seemed to understand her lamenting as they paid her special attention. She continued for s time till her voice gave out and there was nothing left. Then she couldn't eat. It took some time before her appetite came back to her. The twolegs that saved her took her home, kept her secure for the time being till she was used to only having three legs. They gave her a leather white collar to wear and she made no room to complain.

Food became easy, but living did not. She watched the days roll past with little vigor till she allowed herself that moment. A chance at freedom when it showed itself to her for the fifth time. The door had been left open. The twolegs having grown compliant that she would not go anywhere. That moment she slipped out and disappeared along the streets of the twoleg place. Often she found herself hobbling for the pain ebbed and flowed. Coming when it felt like it. But she continued on till she remembered the area, remembered the lay of the land. A familiar place she wanted, needed to call home again. Her tongue swipes against her jaws and she turns. She faces almost sideways to hide it. To hide what has happened. Pain evident in the way she looks down, shoulders hunched. She does not want to appear weak but that is what she is. Collar and all. She swallows against it around her neck and lets out a breathy sigh. Pity is not what she wants but she feels hardly anything since then. Whatever they see, it won't be her. She is different that much is certain.

Her head hangs low and her tail wraps tightly around her frame. The last thing she even remembers of this place, of Riverclan was that cats were catching colds. Then nothing else. She hopes things are sound with them. Hope things are well. Her paws have stopped her well before the border where she sits turned partially away.
 
Otterpaw had proudly championed himself as a bold and fierce protector of RiverClans border since his last meeting with Edenpaw. His beliefs, harsh and cruel toward those of kittypet blood, had remained unchanged and if anything, grew sturdier roots under the praise of his mentor. The chimera was self assured, confidence emboldened every step he took just a few paces ahead of @coyotecreek. There was a notable difference in his demeanor around the former barn-cat as well, no longer rushing to get out of the older toms space but instead lingering about in his sights.

As they rounded the approach of the border, his pelt began to prickle at the undeniable scent of an outsider. Sleek fur rose in spikes down his spine, tail fluffed while he glanced back at Coyotecreek with a grimace.

"There's another one." He growled in a mix of disbelief and irritation. These damned kittypets, when would they ever end?

Otterpaw, as much as his respect for Coyotecreek grew, still acted on his own and rushed ahead to meet the cat encroaching on their territory, claws unsheathed and ready to slash through fur if he had to. His head popped up above the brittle ferns and muscles tensed, ready to jump before recognition flickered in his gaze.

"... Boneripple?" The white-streaked molly was lucky he held himself back as he retracted his claws, but made sure to keep his distance from her. His nose scrunched up at the odd scent that coated her, eyes focused on the collar wrapped around her neck. Otterpaw couldn't look away from it as he called for his mentor.

"Coyotecreek! Should I get Smokestar?"
RIVERCLAN APPRENTICE ✦ BLUE-BLACK CHIMERA ✦ 8 MOONS ✦ TAGS
 
⋆ ✧    ·   ⋆ ✧    ·   ✧ ⋆     ·   ✧ ⋆
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The water had a funny way of telling stories- in ripples and their refractions, the distortions of the image on the surface that calmed, grew apart, became a mirror. How many days had passed by these mirrors, reflections shifted and changed since last the shadow blazed with light had tread here. It had been noticed... of course... could not have come at a worse time; to disappear so suddenly in the night without her kin. Seeing a spine splashed in snow-colored tufts, it feels like stumbling upon a ghost.

The company she keeps is all but forgotten, jaw fallen lax even as Otterpaw confirms it out loud. There is a flare of color around her neck that feels just as life-ending as the wire that had wrapped around Smokestar's arm- a kitty-pet collar? Were Cicadastar here, she could not save Boneripple from him, would not risk to be punished by association. But... "Should I get Smokestar?"

She blinks, vision unchanging, another, third reminder that it is real. It is not a mother's spirit come to grieve her daughter.... She... would have no way to know... Swallowing past a lump in her throat, Lichentail knew there was no future here where Boneripple would have a joyful conversation. Her children... her friends....

"That shouldn't even be a question," she meows at the apprentice, giving him a hard glare to have even wasted the time to ask. "Go." She can't help but admit to want to be rid of his obnoxious mouth when difficult subjects would need to be addressed. Coyotecreek, at least, was not so tactless as to shout about bad news like Otterpaw was inclined to.

"Boneripple... Where did you go?" She owed them that much... didn't she? To explain herself. If nothing else, Sablemist deserved an answer.... but Stalkingpaw... would never get the chance to make peace with it.


--- sending otterpaw to get @Smokestar [sorry coyotecreek]​
 
The tom has joined Coyotecreek alongside Otterpaw and was happy to be on the same patrol. Not to mention Lichentail was here, he couldn't be happier. It seems like Otterpaw is turning out to be a fine riverclan warrior and he couldn't be happier. When all of them are able to detect a new scent by their border, he notes his son is quick to react. Pikesplash himself is filled with apprehension, his tail tapping Nettlepaw to be prepared for what they might face. Even though the scent appears to be a kittypet, that doesn't mean they shouldn't approach with some apprehension. Things have been tense with Windclan claiming the highstones and the rogue invasion not too long ago. Riverclan needed to be stronger than ever.

A flash of dark fur rushes past them and he can't help but hiss, "Otterpaw!" He trusts in the young tom not to get himself killed, but there was no need to rush. They had numbers and it was safer for Coyotecreek and himself to put themselves first and their apprentices behind them in order to run away if needed or bring back up. With a huff, he begins padding after his son with claws unsheathed and a scowl. Said scowl is dropped when he hears and sees a familiar figure. We thought you were...

Boneripple looks worse for wear. She's different from when he had last seen her and he is different from when he had last seen her. As Otterpaw announced with confusion, he can't help but nod. It's hard not to look away from her collar or missing limb. What should we do here? We thought she wouldn't come back and I don't think Smokestar would be happy if we just brought her back. He is glad that Otterpaw speaks up and asks his mentor what to do.

Green eyes blink and he looks directly at Boneripple. Lichentail decides to take the reigns and forces Otterpaw to fetch Smokestar. It wasn't like he or Coyotecreek could argue she was a lead warrior and her orders overrode theirs. Then , Lichentail asks the question all of them have on their minds. Just where exactly did she go? What happened? Not sure of what he can say he offers her a sheepish grin and a wave. It's me, Pike. Do you remember me? Despite the circumstances, he bore no hatred for her.
 
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Boneripple's disappearance is a searing brand of fire, scorching through tender kitten-memories, setting the ocean of his young mind ablaze. The black-and-white molly he saw only in her daughters left behind, vanished away into the reeds, the first vision of his late father's ire. Cicadapaw can recall it as if he presses his face against a wavy pane of rotten ice, a memory blurred by youth and panic (fear, the word he won't let himself think). Cicadastar's enraged howls, a roaring voice calling for Sablepaw and Stalkingpaw, the latter's bones now resting in the sandy soil of her impromptu home. It forms a skeleton of glass in his mind, a splintering thing that pierces his thin flesh from the inside out.

He is not thinking of that memory now, trailing Iciclefang dutifully along the border, head low to shield his uncontrolled expression. When he spots a stranger on the border, a monochrome pelt, his heart leaps like a stag—it's Cicadastar, brought back by some miracle of StarClan with a hated collar around his neck. The soaring of his blood is an inevitable tragedy, a fall to disappointment without much to cushion it when he registers that it isn't Cicadastar. Of course it isn't. It's an utter stranger, with a white collar and a stump for a leg. It's—

...Boneripple? Cicadapaw flinches. The bloody memory comes trickling in like bitter water. The shaggy fur along his protruding spine spikes into thistle, sunken eyes luckily shielded by tangles of black curls. "That's Boneripple?" Disbelief colors his voice in great blooms. Cicadastar's ire, an anger he'd give anything to feel the sear of again, had painted a picture of a traitor, emboldened and blazing, slinking away in the night. Not this. Not this pitiful-looking cat with a collar and a missing leg, drenched in an artificial scent. "I thought she left."

He glances to @iciclefang for confirmation, waiting to see if Otterpaw will run in all his infinite eagerness to fetch his father. Cicadapaw's bloodshot glance appraises Boneripple, her stump leg and white collar, the exhaustion carving itself into her face. Lichentail takes charge of the situation, as per usual, and Pikesplash merely mewls out something that barely qualifies as a scolding (also as per usual). "Do you think my—do you think Smokestar will let her back in?" The apprentice frowns. It seems everyone has it easy lately—Velvetpaw, Boneripple.....everyone but him, that is. Cicadastar wouldn't have let her in so easily, after all. Finally he mews quietly, tone oozing inopportune dismay, "What happened to her?"

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  • 5mGwJgx.png
    cicadapaw ; apprentice of riverclan
    x. he/him ; 5 moons ; tags
    x. unsightly black-and-white tom with heterochromatic amber and blue eyes
    x. played by dejavu
    x. son of smokestar and cicadastar ; brother to beepaw and starlightpaw. apprenticed to iciclefang.

 
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જ➶ There are suddenly so many faces before her. So many familiar faces and a sudden amount of panic strikes her chest. They see it. They see it. She can tell the moment they look down that they are looking at it. Her tail moves to wrap around her stump, to hide it from view. Her chest feels tight and she swallows thickly and she can't stand tl look any of them in the eye. It's disgraceful. She should have kept fighting. Forced herself to move ans drag herself back. But they had done something to her that caused her to lose her will. Her maw parts and then closes again as she pulls her ears back against her skull. Her mouth fills dry and she forces herself to not look any of them in the eye. She can't. Otterpaw looks in disbelief and then is forced to get Smokestar. Smokestar? "Smoke....Smokestar?" She finally speaks, voice low and unsure. Something has happened. Something terrible. Cicadastar, is he dead? Her eyes narrow a moment, feeling more and more like her breaths are escaping her too quickly.

With a shake of her head she focuses then as she sees Pikesplash. He gives her a smile that she does not deserve and even a wave. But none she gives back. Instead her tail coiled tightly twitches as she keeps her amputated leg hidden. Lichentail asked her a question. What happened to her? What happened? "Lichentail, I...it, mouse-dung!" Her muzzle snaps and she forces her head to look up. Don't let it affect her now. It hasn't for so long and now is no time tl feel it again. "A dog, a dog grabbed me. My leg...my leg..." Her voice cracks and then she sucks it up. Just tell them. It doesn't matter. "Twolegs scared the dog off but they took me. I woke up and I was in the place of caged animals. My head swam and I couldn't stay awake. I woke up and, and..." No need to say it. They saw it. And she shakes her head before sighing. It felt better to just say it. To talk about it.

Still her eyes never met theirs and she looked to another. Cicadakit. Oh...must be Cicadapaw now. Words stung but she did not speak. It was understandable and really seeing them all. These damiliar faces was worth the journey even if she did not get to stay. Just a glimspe of the clan life she had helped to begin made it worth the trip here.
 
Right. You don't know. He glances towards Cicadapaw. While he may have had not the greatest relationship with the apprentice, he will try to make this quick. The tom had lost his father and he's certain the apprentice wouldn't like it if he went into great detail about his father. Green eyes return to Boneripple's form. "C-cicadastar's... Dead," he answers. The subject is still fresh. Smokestar only just received his nine lives and new name. That's all he can say on that matter. "A lots happened since you've been gone." Stalkingpaw is dead, but Sablemist is alive. He averts his gaze from her and looks down at his paws. There's a lot Boneripple would need to be filled in, but he's not even sure if she would be allowed in. Maybe their new leader would be cross with them for not chasing her off.

An explanation is given for her sudden disappearance. She didn't leave of her own accord. No, it had been a dog that took her away from them. Then, twolegs kept her from them. She didn't mean to abandon her children or them. It was clear that she suffered for it as well. In more ways than one. His ears flick hearing faint mews from Cicadapaw. He can't discern what the apprentice is asking Iciclefang, but he can hazard a guess to say he is asking about Boneripple. He looks over to Lichentail, unsure of what they're supposed to do. Even though Boneripple has explained herself, it is not their decision to make. I guess all we can do is wait for Smokestar to arrive.
 
( ) coyotecreek finds himself sighing quietly as his apprentice dashes ahead. "otter-" he begins, moving to follow the unruly boy, when the scent of kittypet hits his nose. he groans internally, ready to halt an altercation between the apprentice and whichever softhearted kitty has wandered this far, when he spots the trespasser. boneripple, looking gaunt and hesitent, her ears pinned, uncertainty clear in her gaze. odd eyes widen as he hurries up to otterpaw's side, ears flicking when lichentail takes charge. "yes, go!" he tells the boy, eying him as he turns to fetch their leader. then he turns back to bone, noting the collar, the way she holds herself. this is a haunted individual.

// short coyo post he's there in the background.
 
( ) annoyance flits across the sage hued gaze of the warrior as she glances up from her careful hunting. a patrol traipses nearby- the scents of lichentail and pikesplash are clear in the air, and voices carry at volumes hardly appropriate for a simple border patrol. the sound of paws dashing away from the scene makes the smoke finally stand. willowroot shoots a slightly worried look at robinpaw before gesturing for the apprentice to follow her. curiosity motivated paws tap lightly over frozen ground as the femme pushes between reeds towards the commotion. as she nears the scene, the scent of kittypet is overwhelming, and her nose wrinkles slightly. arriving, the warrior immediately looks to see the source of the smell.

her gait pauses in shock, one paw still in the air, about to take a step forward. boneripple, looking broken and anxious, sits just across the border. a white collar hangs from her throat, her voice stuttering out a story. "a dog?" willowroot whispers, horror dawning on her face. "oh starclan," she murmurs. there is a brief thought of what smokestar will do- he's never liked the black and white molly. but willow steps forward finally, moving to hesitantly touch her nose to the she-cat's shoulder. it is brief and soft, and she moves back slowly, blinking with what she hopes is comfort. pikesplash chokes out an explanation, and willow feels her heart sink as she remembers stalkingpaw. someone has to tell the queen her child has passed, and at this point, it's probably willow's job. fern hued eyes flick from her fellow riverclanners back to the slender patched she-cat as they await their king's arrival.
 
𓆝 . ° ✦ Mosspool feels a sharp satisfaction as she sinks her claws into the mouse she had been stalking. After a moon spent away from Riverclan, land hunting had become second nature to her. It was a point of pride for her that she was skilled both on land and in the water. She wondered how many cats in all the clans could boast the same. Especially outside her own clan, she could not imagine it was many.

The sound of voices perked up her ear. It seemed there was some commotion, and her curiosity compelled her to bury her catch and hurry over.

Her gait slowed as she caught sight of the molly that was the cause of all the fuss, her eyes widening. That was a face she had thought she would never see again. "Boneripple?" Her voice was low and awestruck. Mosspool came to a stop beside her mother, staring at the former Riverclanner across from her. Unlike Willowroot, she did not make a move forward to welcome her back. She just kept staring.

It had been moons since she had last seen Boneripple; before the sickness, before the journey, before Cicadastar died, before all of it. It felt as though she had been so much younger back then. Mosspool had liked her, once. Before she had vanished and Cicadastar had branded her a traitor in front of the whole clan. Since then, she had tried not to think about Boneripple. It did not sit well with her that a cat she had liked so well could be a traitor. Now she learned that Boneripple had never been a traitor at all and that she had suffered greatly in her absence and that Cicadastar had been WRONG and...

All those complicated feelings came roiling to the surface all at once, and Mosspool had no idea what to do with any of them.

"...I am glad you are safe." Was all she could manage to say.
 ° .  . ° 
  • ooc:
  • challenge-3-moss-png.1191
    MOSSPOOL — SHE/HER・ 12 MOONS ・ WARRIOR & RIVERCLAN ・ PENNED BY @empyrean !
    Longhair black tabby with deep green eyes. Mosspaw is a very tall molly, standing a head above most cats her age. She has a slim, willowy physique with subtle musculature built up from a lifetime of constant training that lends itself well to swimming and running. Long, thick brown fur falls over her form with tabby patterning across it. Her eyes are a vibrant green, and shine with a bright intelligence and confidence.
 

NETTLEPAW ♂
RIVERCLAN
APPRENTICE
THREE MOONS
BLIND IN BOTH EYES
BIOGRAPHY AND TAGS
APPRENTICED TO PIKESPLASH
PLAYED BY SHEOGORATH

He doesn't really remember Boneripple. He must have been such a tiny thing, last time she was here. Or, he hadn't been born at all. Either way, Nettlepaw isn't sure who this is, only knows from the progressing conversation that she must be a former RiverClan cat. For now, the boy keeps his mouth shut, merely stares sightlessly at the returning warrior, standing at his mentor's side in silence.

He does wonder about her leg, though. It had been mentioned. What was wrong was it? If a dog had gotten ahold of it... Nettlepaw thinks it must be ruined. Mangled, or worse. Either way, if he can hunt without eyes, she can hunt without a leg. That was, of course, dependent on whether or not Smokestar bothered to allow Boneripple's return.
 
die with memories , not dreams .
︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶
Another one? Dawnstorm followed the flow of cats to stare at a stranger, although it seemed she wasn’t a stranger with words tossed around, wondering what happened and greeting Boneripple like an old-time friend. Boneripple? He blinked. “Odd name.” He mumbled, not disgusting, but curious. He liked it. Far better than Dawnstorm, but Kaede did like his name. Oh. He was confusing himself. Shaking his head, the ex-Ripple Colony member stared at the newcomer, ears angled to stare at the missing limb. Oh. Dogs? He bobbed his head.

“Hello.” He offered. A stranger in her eyes, newer than anyone here. “You missed a lot.” He added, sitting on his haunches to stare at the molly, helm tilted, staying unnaturally still. “Dawnstorm.” He offered. “You’re Boneripple?” He tested the name, having heard it being tossed around like a bouncing ball with a slow blink of his hues. She didn’t look scary.
thought speech
 
The stench of outsider at the RiverClan border has Iciclefang’s hackles beginning to stiffen into spikes, but when she sees who stumbles through the reeds, her expression becomes almost comically surprised. Boneripple, one leg missing, her face creased with pain and her throat studded with a kittypet collar, stands before them all. The tortoiseshell’s upper lip curls as Otterpaw questions her. Boneripple? Lichentail takes control, swiftly ordering the apprentice to flee toward camp, to bring Smokestar to bear witness to the returning warrior.

Iciclefang stares coldly at the skunk-streaked she-cat, suspicion clouding the pale blue of her gaze. She and the rest of her Clan had been led to believe she’d left the Clan during her punishment doled out by Cicadastar. There’s a taste like ash on her tongue when she remembers the way the molly had berated both Cicadastar and herself over Ashpaw, as though she had known anything in Iciclefang’s heart. The audacity still gives her pause—still gives her pause when pale eyes flick over Lichentail’s pointed form, too, though some of that animosity has dulled with time and proximity.

Her apprentice murmurs into her ear. Iciclefang turns to regard him sharply. “She did leave. Whether she did of her own accord or not, I do not know.” Her tone is whip-like. Though she feels pity for the three-legged warrior who tells them about dogs savaging her body, there is little love lost between them. “As for whether Smokestar will let her back in… I do not presume to know.” She flicks her tail across the small black-and-white apprentice’s flank in a silencing gesture.

She watches the others begin to approach the now-ex-RiverClanner. Willowroot, followed by, hesitantly, Mosspool, Dawnstorm, Nettlepaw, and PIkesplash. Iciclefang does not join them—her body remains rigidly at the border, her limbs stiff with suspicion that does not fade.



, ”
 
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Otterpaw is rarely a welcoming sight, let alone when he is rushing along with some news to share. He is briefly dismissive of the apprentice at first, uninterested in whatever trivial nonsense he'd gotten into now but before he can ask where his mentor is and why he isn't doing something productive he is told of the events at the border. Smokestar's fur bristles at the mere mention of the name Boneripple, he can not help but curl his lips in disdain as he stands there for but a moment in silent contemplation. He'd never liked her, never hid it once, her being here was Cicadastar's folly and her subsequent insubordination had nearly earned her a quick way out and then she vanished. Trail ended at two-leg place, her kits left abandoned and Stalkingpaw now dead. She had some nerve showing back up, he wondered what it was she wanted then since he viewed her leaving as a deliberate choice whether she meant it to end the way it did or not. Finally he huffs a sigh, dark tail flicking as he moves to follow the energetic blue tom back to where quite the crowd had already gathered to wait. He is thankful to see she knew her place to not step a paw further first, at the very least the respect for borders could be commended.
His gaze is immediately drawn to her leg, eye widening in alarm at it missing and how clean the wound left of it was - there was no denying this was twoleg interference. Not even the most skilled of medicine cats could probably have saved a cat losing a leg, the bloodloss was too much, the wound would have festered away quickly. How twolegs are capable of such a thing he can't understand nor does he want to but he believes the story, even if he is not particularly pleased to see her. "...Boneripple."
It is a quiet greeting, neutral, and his face does not betray his thoughts as he scans the cats present. He does not want this outsider back, he never wanted her to begin with, her only saving grace had been his mate's friendship with her. Smokestar's ears pull back, Willowroot's face is motherly, sympathetic, Pikesplash explains their loss but not her loss - she didn't know about Stalkingpaw. She didn't know Sablemist was a warrior now.
Maybe it was just his own grief muddling his thoughts, maybe it was his now mixed and uncertain feelings on every decision his mate had ever made, but he resigns himself with a heavy sigh; does not attempt to even hide the exhaustion.
"...welcome back." Finality, acceptance, it is passive but it is there, "You were under punishment prior. You should not have left camp alone. Until further notice, Snakeblink will be your attendant."
Why she left camp to end up in the situation she was put in, he didn't know, but he wanted assurance of her loyalty and nothing further. "Otterpaw, run back and inform Ravensong to make a new nest in his den." The more energy they burned off that boy the better. Orange gaze flitted to the black and white molly-black and white like him, eyes like burning embers all the same. They could've been related, his tail lashes in irritation at the thought, "...Willowroot, Pikesplash, help her there...and update her on...everything." It was probably best she was in a nest when they broke the news. Swallowing down his own personal misgivings and dislike, he turns and begins to make his way back to camp as well.

  • OOC can go here.

  • 57913530_r2t3y4lghl4FDra.png
    Smokestar
    —⊰⋅ Leader of RiverClan
    —⊰⋅ He/Him
    "SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
    —⊰⋅ Black tom w/vitiligo & one orange eye.

 
MAYBE I'D BE A SAINT IF I WEREN'T ————————————​

He trails in after Smokestar, a shadow pulled along by their leader’s urgency in leaving camp — Snakeblink can smell trouble like others smell prey, and follows it just as readily. Even having overheard Otterpaw’s explanation, the sight of Boneripple standing at their border still sends a jolt through him. It’s like seeing a ghost; though her face is haunted as if they’re the specters.

Oh, stars — she hasn’t heard the half of it.

Remembering another miraculous return, another leader, Snakeblink hangs back in silence, not allowing himself to show any relief or resentment on his face. He thanks the stars for sending her back to them; wishes, also, that they would relinquish their claim on other lost cats. But that restraint breaks when Smokestar speaks in welcome, leaving her for Snakeblink to mind with weary acceptance. How different he is from his mate; how much it aches, in good and bad, to realize it now.

”I will keep a good eye on her,” he promises, earnest and more than a bit wry. If there’s one thing he can do, it’s watch others and report on anything weird. To the molly herself, he adds, ”I am glad you found your way back home, Boneripple.”

——————————————————————————————————— so god damn lonely

  • Snakeblink • he / him. 46 ☾, riverclan warrior
    — a sleek, skinny tabby with long ears and a scar over his right eye.
    — gay, not actually evil, penned by @Kangoo