The-Blue-Tides App: Cricketpaw

Name: Cricketpaw

Age: 9 moons

Gender: Female

Breed: 20% Maine Coon, 20% American Shorthair, 15% Siamese, 5% Abyssinian, 40% Other

Clan: Shadowclan

Rank: Apprentice

Personality: Quiet, serious, distrustful, privately humorous, protective

Quiet: She’s more of an observer than a participator. She learns visually, and can often master hunting or battling techniques just by watching her mentor do it. She avoids talking where she can, and conveys most of her emotion through subtle body language.

Serious: Nothing is more important to her than obeying her elders and honoring the warrior code. She suppresses any side of herself that doesn’t serve her mission to become the best warrior she can be, yet she sometimes finds herself falling into what she thinks of as “temptations,” such as friendship, humor, or romance. She’s basically a warrior with the piousness and spirituality of a medicine cat. If I’m going to be a nerd about it, she’s like a paladin.

Distrustful: When she was a kit, she revealed to her mother that she was homosexual, but her conservative mother responded very angrily and made her promise to keep it secret. Ever since then she hasn’t been able to open up to anyone except her brother. Deep down, she’s highly emotional, but the emotional trauma she experienced as a kit makes her think that no one would ever accept her.

Privately Humorous: She considers this to be a character flaw—as hard as she tries to be respectful, she naturally finds witty responses in any situation. Her smart humor only ever surfaces around her brother and, as she opens up later in her life, her friends/lovers.

Protective: When she and her brother were still in the nursery, she’d often have to keep his mischievous nature in check, and defend his behavior. She gets distressed whenever other cats get in trouble, and will always jump to the underdog’s defense. She will always put herself last in any situation where someone may need her help—it doesn’t matter if helping puts herself in harm’s way. When she loves, she loves deeply, and will do anything for the object of her affection. If necessary, she will use ferocious violence to protect her loved ones.

Brief Backstory: Ever since she was a kit, Cricketpaw knew there was something different about her. She would watch the mated pairs wander happily through the camp, purring and curling around one another. She would wrinkle her nose in confusion as the big toms swept the she-cats off their paws, and would wonder why the pretty females would want such cocky brutes. One day, she made the mistake of telling her mother that once she was ready to take a mate, she would skip the toms in favor of the sweet-natured she-cats. Her mother had shushed her in disgust, batted her over the head, and made her swear never to voice such unnatural thoughts again. Her mother’s absolute rejection of who she was deeply affected Cricketpaw, making it difficult for her to confide in anyone beside her brother, Risepaw. However, her feelings haven’t changed since kit-hood. She still casts secretive, regretful glances toward the eligible she-cats of the clan.

Family: Mother=Grousepelt; Father=Toadwhisker; Brother=Risepaw

Relationships: Risepaw=brother and best friend; Nettlepaw=fellow apprentice, friend, and secret crush; Hollowheart=mentor

Roleplay Sample: Cricketpaw gave Nettlepaw a teasing smirk as they circled one another, bodies tensed and tails twitching. She would wait for her friend to make the first move—that was the first lesson Hollowheart had taught her, to always begin on the defensive. Sure enough, Nettlepaw lunged eagerly forward, letting out an aggressive yowl before Cricketpaw easily side-stepped her attack. The other apprentice spat in frustration, spinning around and facing her opponent with a challenging grin.

Nettlepaw sprung toward Cricketpaw again, and this time the older apprentice quickly dove under her attacker. She immediately shoved Nettlepaw off her front paws, then knocked her to her back and pinned her between her front legs. Both apprentices breathed heavily, Cricketpaw staring down at her younger friend.

At this distance, Cricketpaw couldn’t resist admiring those sky-blue eyes. They seemed as old and deep as the river, with swirling shades and colors past the surface that she could study for hours. Letting out a quiet sigh, her gaze poured over Nettlepaw’s luxurious black fur. How wonderful it would be to curl up against that pelt and feel the she-cat’s purr reverberate through her, content knowing that her mate would be there throughout the night…

“Uh…Cricketpaw?” Nettlepaw gave her a confused look.

“Oh, sorry,” Cricketpaw gasped. She had let down her guard for just one second, and now she looked like an idiot. @#!*% this she-cat for making her act so foolishly!