RYECLOUD - SKYCLAN

RYECLOUD ✻ SKYCLAN

name

Ryecloud

reasoning

{Rye} - For his golden bi-color markings. Although typically a name more common for WindClan, his mother had become familiar with the plant when traveling to Highstones once as a warrior and found it suitable. 
{Cloud} - For his gentle nature and kind disposition

age

32 Moons

gender

Tom

alliance

SkyClan, for better or worse

rank

Warrior

physique

short description

Stocky golden bi-color tabby tom with light blue eyes and a stubbed tail 

physical description

A fresh splash of blue, as pale as the sky, boldly reflects in the last lingering pools of the ashen land. They are his eyes, warm and inviting, coming to free the charred remains of his home with the promise of a clean slate, of life starting anew. They stand defined upon his elegant brow. Above which rests his ears. Two silent sentries, perhaps a breath too small, awaiting the slightest sounds of command. Following down along the thicklength of the tom's neck one then comes upon his broad shoulders. Muscular and dense, they  hold the burdens of life without complaint. Mountains of stone rising from the swamp. Slipping, sliding, the onlooker next falls from the gentle hill of his spine down the  length of his limbs. Though not tall for his age, and rather the opposite, his body is still well proportioned and rather elegant in its own way. Rather then creating an awkward fit, this apparent strength adds a regal air. So too did his tail once fall, regal and long. Now only a stub remains, a reminder of the fire. As if he could ever forget. But here the eye does not stop, and cannot rest. For along with the build comes a pelt unique and exquisite in its own right. Pale gold patches dappled an alabaster base, each length of hair thin and soft with a thick undercoat. 

Picture

personality

positives

• {Charismatic} - Although lacking internal confidence, Eveningcloud has developed an outer strength and compelling charm. He knows how to use his tongue to his advantage, forming words to evoke, entice, and inspire devotion. 
• {Adaptable} - While highly sentimental, and prone to having emotional attachments to just about anything, Evencloud is easily able to adapt to any situation. He'll use his wits and charisma to not only survive, but thrive. 
• {Gentle} - A large heart is the primary guide to this tom's actions. To those he loves he devotes himself to. Even cats he has never met before start of with his good opinion. Even so, he'll act out of kindness before resorting to bloodshed. 
• {Bold} - Given that he so friendly, this warrior will not hesitate to state his mind if the need arises. He'll do it carefully, but he'll make his point known one way or another. And in the face of danger he can easily be considered brave, even if he knows he will not survive. 
• {Intelligent and Strategic} - What he might lack in speed and strength, Eveningcloud makes up for in planning. He'll use his words to get what he wants, and secretly arrange a way to get whatever the clan, or himself, needs. This is usually overlooked due to his overbearing kindness, but that is just one more reason why he's so good at it. 

negatives

• {Manipulative} - Although this can be used for the better of his clanmates, it makes him more willing to keep secrets and use others to suit his needs. While he'd never do anything he deems cruel to another without fair reason, what others think of being manipulated is another matter entirely. 
• {Low self-esteem} - Eveningcloud has long learned to internalize his self-doubt, bottling it up for no one to see. His mother was keen on digging her claws into this aspect of him, making the warrior all the more willing to call himself a failure. He sees himself as weak, unable to be the hero in the end do. 
• {Hopeless Romantic} - With his never ending devotion comes a drawback. He'll fall for the girl that he knows, without doubt, could never possibly return the favor. But to her he will always follow, dreaming for the day that will never come. 
• {Soft} - Although willing to do what it takes to get what is best to happen, he could never do anything malicious. Some might consider this a valuable trait, but in the life of a warrior sometimes, sometimes it takes something a little darker to get the perfect world everyone is dreaming of. He would risk loseing everything if it meant being the "better" person, and this is truly a fall-back. 
• {Self-sacrificing} - To others does he put his faith, not himself. And to them he would easily give himself, his life, and his strength. In this way he becomes a doormat for others to use and abuse. He can't see his own worth, and this is never a good thing. 

the past

the history

- Before Birth
Nothing ever got between Ivyclaw and her dreams. Into everything she threw herself, claws first and brain following. Sharp, cunning, manipulative, and with a body to back it up. She knew how to get what she wanted. Love? Romance? Those were not part of being the strongest warrior, and thus they were not part of her vocabulary. No one ever thought she would settle down. 

That is, until she started showing. The day that a fellow warrior first noticed the tell-tail signs of pregnancy was the beginning of her nightmare. Ivyclaw didn't know the first thing about being a mother, much less did she want to take on the task. And so she pushed forward, ignoring advice and continuing to perform her duties as best she could. Nothing would get in her way of being the best warrior, especially not a kit. "Maybe it'll die" she once mused after partaking in a laborious border patrol skirmish. 

The clan speculated who the father was. Rumors circle, choking out reality and birthing a false image cast in a dim light. He had to be a loner, dark and unimaginably handsome with a heroic past. No one else could possibly have caught Ivyclaw's heart. Or maybe a kittypet, someone soft enough to cool the flames of her passion. But it mattered not, in the end, what everyone thought. No tom ever stepped up to claim what was his. His true father didn't want to be known. 

- Kithood
The birthing was long and arduous, filling the night with violent cries of agony. Ivyclaw had not wanted this, and even in the face of unimaginable pain she fought against the inevitable. To her great dissatisfaction two tom were born, healthy enough to survive and strong enough to resist their mother's anger. 

"I could have named you Runtkit" the queen constantly teased her youngest son Ryekit, using it as a barb and a threat. "You're lucky it isn't allowed." He had indeed been born tiny, sickly, and weak. It had taken an extra week then usual for the tom to open his eyes, and even then he would always be a tiny bit short, a tiny bit behind. Always her little failure, her mistake. 

But she had made two mistakes, and that changed everything.

Goosekit was large, tall, and born with a thick pelt. He was everything an elder brother needed to be, and more. He was the father that Ryekit would never have, and the only force that could protect him from Ivyclaw. A protection that only worked by absorbing her hatred, and shielding it from the other. 

She wasn't abusive in the normal, apparent way. To others she was simply an authoritative parent who spent the majority of her time out of the nursery and on patrols. Her sons were raised to be perfectly loyal, abiding by any spoken rule immediately without conflict or argument. Any back talking received a verbal lashing, if not a slight cuff to the ear. But parents are supposed to keep their kids in track, she was just doing her job. After all, only sticks and stone can break bones, right? 

Apprenticeship 
Many of the clan were shocked to see Ryepaw apprentice at the same time as his brother. After all, he still looked so fragile, so small. But Ivyclaw was adamant, she would not spend another moment in the nursery (indeed, she had stopped visiting weeks before their official ceremony). Besides, wouldn't it be better to have a mentor instead of an absent mother?

But fate was cruel, and unjust. Warriors were few and far between, the clan still young and hardly grown. There was few warriors able bodied and available to mentor. To make matters worse, Ivyclaw knew how to get what she wanted. And she wanted to keep an eye on her mistake. 

To be fair, his mother wasn't a terrible mentor. She taught him everything with a strong, overbearing confidence. She made sure he perfected each move, every technique, to the utmost of his ability. Her standards were too high, though, and the small tom could never live up to them. So he was constantly berated. "You're too small." "Too stupid." "Too slow." "Be better." "Be stronger." "Be perfect." "You will never be good enough." 

The only savior at the end of the day was Goosepaw, and Ryepaw's own ability to make friends with anyone and everyone.  Ivyclaw couldn't be her usual terrible self when his brother or a group of apprentices were around. Ryepaw could be strong with friends backing him up, and Goosepaw was strong on his own. He could stand up to her. He could make everything alright. And everything would be alright. 

But like I said, fate is cruel. 

It happened suddenly, a blink and he was gone. He wasn't trying to be brave, or be the best. He just wanted to catch that Robin. Eveningpaw loved robins, and Goosepaw new it would bring his brother's tears to an end. At least, for the moment. The Thunderpath was quiet, void of any sign of life. It was deceiving. It lied. 

- Warrior
"It's your fault." Ivyclaw's words twisted their elongated claws into his chest, tearing out what little confidence he had. His ceremony had gone and passed, a lonely night of silence and regret. Duckpaw had been a darling to train, just as insecure and gentle as he. Her bright smile always reminded him that that there was hope. He was proud, prouder then he had ever been upon the day of her warrior ceremony. Duckfeather would always remain his friend, and a reminder of his inner strength. 

But even with an apprentice under his wing and the name of a warrior upon his head he wasn't free, not from Ivyclaw. He wouldn't be free until her death. But fate, as cruel as it is, can also be kind. She passed away of health complications, a result of the fire. The same fire that took half his tail away. The same fire that took their leader away. He would never truly figure out what he thought about it all. Was he happy to see her go? Upset? Did he mourn his last known family member, or was he thrilled to be rid of the heavy cloud? 

Even now he doesn't know, but one thing is certain. Without Ivyclaw his life has turned upside down. Now he can grow, learn, live, and burst forth as a tree ready to meet the sun. No longer was his path blocked out by the shadow of a black Oak. Now, now he could be who he wanted to be. Now he can truly live. 

about you

alias Melk
timezone, state, and country EST, Ohio, 'Merica
other character Spiderstep of WindClan, Snowfoot of ThunderClan, and Laurelpaw of ShadowClan