Post by >> H a z e l on Jan 17, 2010 20:39:14 GMT -5
NAME: Darkstorm
ALIASES: "Darky", but only by his sister.
SEX: Male | Tom
ORIENTATION: Gay
AGE: 36 Moons
CLAN: ShadowClan
POSITION: Warrior
APPEARANCE:
Small and lean is what he is; although more 'adult' looking than his sister, he still retains that unfortunate size factor given by his father just like her. In fact, the two are almost mirror images. Darkstorm's face is round like a kits, and his blue eyes are quite large and oval-shaped. His muzzle is short, and his ears are on the small side. His overall build, mentioned briefly above, is small and light. He isn't at all delicate, though, for he can be considered bulky when flexing his claws and bracing his shoulders. That's the gift of tedious training: breaking away from a weak, innocent appearance and being able to look as muscular as a short tom can look. His legs are short like his sister's, and his tail isn't exactly long either. The tom's pelt color is the thing that cinches his resemblance to his father and sister. His fur is a dark gray color which can look blue in weird light. It's only a shade darker than his father's, which he was happy about. Anything to really separate him from his family. Light, silver hairs can be found on his chin and tail tip, and a small, gray dusting can be found on his belly. Darkstorm has no markings otherwise; basically, he's just a solid color. His pelt is also short; it isn't thick, so more often than not he's cold on chilly nights. It gets a little disheveled around his neck and shoulders (like his sister), but otherwise his fur is well kept and rarely if ever has its off days. Darkstorm likes to make sure he appears professional and tidy at all times, so very rarely will anyone see his looks at odd ends. He isn't vain nor vanity-stricken. He just does it to look the best he can so others will respect him better and get good first impressions.
PERSONALITY:
If one has ever dealt with a ambitious and one-track minded cat before, they will not be surprised by Darkstorm. He is conceited yet thoughtful. It is hard to get him to agree with you if he is determined to disagree with you, and he can be very prone to stereotype and judge others rudely and without much precedent. This is where he becomes hypocritical, though, for he loathes it when cats from other Clans classify ShadowClan felines as 'dark and coldly malicious'. He also dislikes it when cats judge him straight-out, as well. He doesn't like it when others immediately assume that he's power hungry and stuck up, and he also doesn't like it when cats go around saying that he acts like he has something to hide. Which he doesn't! Not at all! ... Okay, maybe he does. Unknown to all with the exception of his sister, Blueflower, he is actually attracted to cats of the same sex. Darkstorm manages to downplay it well enough, but he can't help but display certain tendencies which lead some to question. Like, vehemently trying to prove that he's something he's not by flittering about incessantly with she-cat's when not taking the political seat. Also, sometimes he falters in hiding certain crushes, although it's hard to notice. Darkstorm is stubbornly convinced that being a homosexual warrior in ShadowClan is immoral and ineffective. What would his superiors think if he were to come out? They wouldn't be pleased. At least, that's what he tells himself. His sexuality is a big part of life, and it affects his mental state day to day.
Darkstorm is quite partial to bright, sunny days. He also likes to eat fish, even though he'd never tell a soul about it. (He had tried it in his youth and never forgot the taste.) He doesn't like storms, and he also isn't very fond of the flavor of rats. He doesn't particularly like his family and only sees them as something that he has to push past and do better than. On the subject of family, he views as his sister as an utterly complete nuisance to his goals and plans. To give this a bit of a backstory, Darkstorm is extremely politically active. He is always involved someway or another in what's going on in camp, and his voice is actually quite expected and respected in ShadowClan. Now, this is the exact opposite of his, as he labels, "loose-brained" sister. She is free-spirited and likes to go against the flow... One could say she is a "hippy" of sorts. Darkstorm hates this way of being, and even told Blueflower so. Ever since she's been teasing him publicly in the most aggravating of ways.
FEARS:
He has a serious fear of someone finding out his true sexuality. He also is scared of the possibility of losing political prowess in his Clan. Darkstorm simply just does not want to be known as a weakling because of his sexuality (this is where his stereotyping comes in; he thinks all gay cats are pansies), and he doesn't want to lose his credibility because of it. The idea of losing all that he has gained in the Clan makes him shudder. It just couldn't happen, or else he'd have nothing else! He also has a slight fear that his sister, Blueflower, whom happens to know all of his deepest, darkest secrets, will divulge them one day to ShadowClan. While he does trust her to some degree, he does believe he has the right to be paranoid. Especially since she tries to find any means to possibly get under his skin. Would she really deliver the devastating blow by, maybe, spreading a rumor that he likes toms?
ASPIRATIONS:
Darkstorm's goal, surprisingly, is not to immediately become leader. Although yes, he would leap at the chance to be named deputy and then step up to leader in time, he is not currently seeking the position. The blue-gray warrior likes the idea of holding high status while still being a warrior; because really, doesn't it say a lot about one's character, being able to have a firm voice without holding a high position in society? Despite what Blueflower may say about it being a step towards "fighting the system", he still sees a lot of social merit in what he has chosen. In time though, he knows his political ascent will eventually end in leadership, and then he'll be one of the greatest, despite his size, sexuality, and personality.
RELATIONS:
FATHER: Bluethrush - He had a gray pelt with blue eyes. His disposition wasn't all too phenomenal. [deceased]
MOTHER: Thornstripe - brown tabby she-cat. She was very free-spirited and optimistic. [deceased]
SIBLINGS: Blueflower - free-spirited and talkative she-cat who claims she doesn't care for politics and yet takes a (radical) part in them. [living]
MENTOR: Blackpebble - small tom with a black pelt. He was very laid-back and barely did anything. [deceased]
CRUSH/MATE: Blackpebble - although dead, he was Darkstorm's first crush, and he still lingers in his mind today.
OFFSPRING: None
OTHER: None
HISTORY:
His first memory was of the medicine cat at the time hovering over him, her large eyes staring concernedly and doubtfully down at him. On off-nights it blooms in his thoughts, and it has always, somehow and someway, affected how he matures and sees himself and others. It's odd, yes, but it haunts him and that's all that matters. As a kit, Darkstorm always had to listen to his sister's incessant chatter, empathetic queens, and praising cats. Thankfully, this never boosted his ego, all the compliments he received to shield the bad luck of his size. In fact, out of all the things he had grown to be known for, it was never the presence of an ego. Maybe it was because of the medicine cat that always had a doubtful look on her face that kept him from feeling very sure of himself?He didn't know, and he didn't dwell on it; not his appearance, nor his personality. He was raised by two very nonchalant cats. Darkstorm never really became all that attached to them, and he could neither did his sister. They respected them throughout their kithoods, but they never got to actually appreciating them for all that they were. Somewhat sad, yes, but it doesn't matter. Not anymore. Ten moons late they became apprentices (because of their size; Darkstorm still dislikes the leader who made that decision), and that's when he really began to find himself.
Another prominent memory was the day of his apprenticeship ceremony. It was then that he was the given the terribly memorable mentor of Blackpebble. The black tom who would confuse, irritate, and embarrass Darkstorm to no end; a tom who would wind up being spoken about in hushed voices to a concerned sister (before their relationship cut off for a time). When he was given the warrior as a teacher, the gray apprentice had been genuinely disappointed. He had a reputation for not giving that much of a mouse's tail about his charges, and he was too laid-back and calm to really suit Darkstorm's fancy. There really wasn't anything he could do, though, so he had touched noses with the tom and begun a very interesting relationship with him. In the beginning the two managed to focus solely on two things that Darkstorm himself had absolutely insisted upon: rhetoric and the warrior code. Blackpebble had taught him fairly well, describing the inner workings of the Clan, the warrior code, politics, and how to do well in public-speaking situations. Other than that though, the black tom did poorly in teaching him about fighting and hunting. He was just too careless. His apprentice basically had to teach himself a lot of things because his mentor was just too incompetent.
Blackpebble had things about him, though. He was handsome; his black fur was well kept and clean, and his eyes were the brightest Darkstorm had ever seen. Although he didn't do much when it came to training, he was smart, and he always seemed to know what he was doing. At first the apprentice had only respected him for these traits, thinking nothing of it. But things grew and multiplied, and before he knew it he was so unbearably confused that he could barely even muster up the courage to face him. Not really knowing what it was, Darkstorm often tried to explain it as him being sick, or maybe feeling worried about something. But after confiding awkwardly to his sister out of desperation, the she-cat told him that he wasn't diseased. She said that he was infatuated with him, and not in a silly kind of way, but seriously. This scared Darkstorm because, one: he had no idea that he was... gay. And two: he had no idea how this sort of thing was viewed in the Clans. Homosexuality was never mentioned in any rules, nor was it ever spoken about. Was he just an odd case? One in a million freak, maybe? Either way, he couldn't deny his feelings once he knew what they were. Everything was just awkward from there.
Throughout his apprenticeship he spent his days trying to be as aloof with Blackpebble as possible. When he finally was made a warrior with his sister, he tried really hard to distance himself from the black tom (especially since he had no obligations to him anymore), but the warrior practically insisted on being friends and staying in touch. Blackpebble would somehow be in his patrols without him being able to do a thing about it (he couldn't just refuse doing warrior duties with him! That would totally create suspicions!). Even though he was interested in getting the political hot seat in ShadowClan ever since the beginning, he found himself only able to focus his former mentor. This took up most of time; practically playing a mind game of trying to avoid him and yet being unable to dodge him. Darkstorm feared he was making a noticeable spectacle of himself, but nobody seemed to notice. His sister did and teased him a lot as she began making a voice in the Clan. It only ended once Blackpebble died of sickness, and shortly after his parents died. Secretly devastated more by the tom's death than his parents', he mourned them both with a bit of suppressed sorrow.
Darkstorm had a giant void in his chest. He had lost his parents. Okay, that happened to everyone. But he had also lost his first crush, and that hurt like hell. To fill that chasm, he then began to ascend into the political realm. Maybe it was just to keep his mind off of Blackpebble, but he was finally doing something that he had intended to do all along. Gay or not, he was going to gain a voice and surpass his loose-brained sister. He did so quickly with his natural ambitiousness and skills with rhetoric. Along the way, he could vaguely tell that Blueflower was not pleased; she then, for some reason, decided to be the one to antagonize him with every step. It never really hurt him emotionally, but instead he saw it as a bother and a challenge. It helped him be distracted from his problems, so hey, it was welcome. To this day he still isn't sure if maybe this was her very odd and quirky way of helping him, or if she was simply doing to to be a nuisance. Their conflicting views and personalities made it bound to happen anyway, though, so throughout their political career (Blueflower may deny that she is not involved in such things, but she so obviously is) they have been picking on each other and trying to make their standings deteriorate. It was harsh sibling rivalry, but it wasn't all too suprising to everyone in the crowd.
Now he spends his days battling with his sexual desires, having found another way out that wasn't politics: feigning interest in she-cats. When not dealing with ShadowClan and when he wasn't risking anything, he would flirt with she-cats who accepted his advances fairly well. He never really went anywhere with any of them, though, and still doesn't, for it just doesn't satisfy him. Darkstorm often still battles with Blueflower, and its a rare sight to see them not quarreling over some issue or another. This way they have managed to uphold a rather curious kind of bond, but it's something that they won't admit readily. As a respectable warrior of ShadowClan, he lives out his days in relative peace, but who knows how long that will last.
EXTRA:
[/i] - Fort MinorTheme Songs:
* Where'd You Go? - Fort Minor
* Quelqu'un m'a dit - Carla Bruni
* Disappear - The Summer Obsession
* Second Chances - October Fall[/ul]
Catch Phrases:
