[Fawn]

Name: Roachkit -> Roachpaw -> Roach??
Age: 3 Moons
Gender: Tom
Clan: NightClan
Rank: Kit

Kit, Adult

Description:

Roachkit is a small tom with glossy sable fur and dark points spread over his face, paws, ears and tail. His eyes appear more mud brown than copper, but will lighten into an intense orange as he ages. His fur is sleek and short, pressed flat to his body in a way that will show off scars and muscles gained over many moons. It is somewhat water repellant, a good thing to have in a territory with a designated swampland. Roachkit has wideset ears that look as brown and broad as roach's wings, perhaps the reasoning behind his name, and these are something he will have to grow into.

Roachkit will develop his father's stockier body, though he'll never quite have the same density or muscle-mass owing to his mother's more petite frame. Shorter and leaner, he will do a good job of embodying his namesake - being quick on his paws and notoriously hard to kill.

Description Summary: Skinny brown tom with dark points and copper eyes.

Personality:

Ambitious, Arrogant

From the moment he could stand on his own four paws, Roachkit knew he was destined to be different. The fact that his littermate, Antkit, a tiny she-cat too frail to do more than breathe, died before their first moon was a testament to this. He had survived, and that meant something. The seeds of ambition were planted early on in Roachkit’s mind, half pushed towards it by his parents Sablefoot and Marshflower, the atmosphere of NightClan alone was enough to make this young tom want to strive for great things.

That he had older siblings to compete with only spurred him on more.

Volatile, Hardworking

Roachkit can’t handle failure. He loathes himself for his weaknesses almost as much as his Clanmates’; he mocks those he feels deserves it, lip curling in distaste whenever someone shows a trait he deems weak or cowardly.

Roachkit works hard never to show those traits in himself, often punishing himself with harsh words or an even harsher training session when fear or hesitation crops up. He refuses to follow in his older brother’s footsteps, refuses to be some sniveling coward crushed under the paws of someone bigger, better, stronger.

Roachkit will work until his paws bleed, until that feeling of inadequacy finally runs out.

Cunning, Two-Faced

If Roachkit actually made an effort, he would get along with his Clanmates just fine. In fact, for those who have earned his respect and admiration, he can be downright friendly. But for those that don’t? He becomes something of a tormentor, picking on those smaller and weaker than himself if only to remind them of their place in the world.

That said, his downright nasty personality can backfire on him - especially if he needs someone to do something for him. Despite respecting some cats in the Clan, Roachkit is truly only out for himself. He can smile and speak words of encouragement, but on the inside, criticisms and sneering are heartfelt and rapidly multiplying.

Roachkit can see the benefits of a silver tongue, however. The brother he loathes so much has at least managed to keep himself alive through a quick word here and there; Roachkit seeks to take valuable traits from others and use them as his own, shaping himself based on who he considers strong and weak.

Some may call him a bad apple, but Roachkit would only leer at this. He isn’t bad, he’s a product of his environment. The kind of tom NightClan can be proud of, not some soft-spoken, cowardly warrior who let’s others walk all over him.

History:

Roachkit and Antkit were born in Newleaf to Marshflower - a pretty dilute tortoiseshell - and Sablefoot, a handsome dark brown pointed tom. Both warriors, both respected, both on their second litter. Unfortunately, the she-kit, Antkit, failed to make it past her first moon, which left Marshflower sharing her nest with only a small, stubborn little son.

It was clear that Roachkit was loved and looked after by his parents, and for the first few moons, Roachkit could have grown into a polite young fellow with mild ambitions. One incident changed all that; Marshflower gained permission from deputy Rainfur to take her son out into the forest to stretch his growing legs.

Overjoyed, he’d raced on ahead, quickly leaving his mother behind. Fortunate though it was that he crashed into a warrior patrol instead of something much more likely to eat him, the scene he’d stumbled upon would change him forever.

It was his brother, Spiderbite, groveling under the claws of an enormous black-furred warrior. Other warriors were present, and they simply looked on, unphased by what was obviously a regular occurrence. Roachkit had gasped, reeling back in disgust at the display of spinelessness and powerlessness in his own kin. Marshflower quickly collected him, ushering her kit back into the safety of camp - but the damage had been done.

Any respect he’d had for Spiderbite had been mercilessly destroyed. Roachkit watched instead how his brother was treated by his so-called friends, how he scraped and groveled and trailed after them like a piece of frogdung stuck to Blackstag’s heel. It made Roachkit’s skin crawl just to witness it, and a growing, gnawing hatred for everything Spiderbite represented began to fill up Roachkit’s heart.

No matter what, he mustn’t become like Spiderbite. He had to establish himself as a cat who wouldn’t be pushed around by anyone - the sooner the better.

Roleplay Sample:

"You don't think I'm strong enough?"

A soft body hit hard earth, the sensation jarring enough to stop Roachkit in his tracks. The kitten's large brown ears rigid atop his head as an all too familiar scent stung the roof of his mouth. S-Spiderbite? Roachkit crept forward, scarcely able to breathe as the sound of his own heartbeat almost drowned out the noise of the scene unfolding ahead.

His brother was pinned flat to NightClan's territory, and if it weren't for the distinctive shapes of Buckfur, Frostjaw and Blackstag, Roachkit might have thought a TreeClan patrol was attacking. Instead, he saw Spiderbite's friends look on, their expressions blank, as Blackstag's words rang cold and snarling into the crisp night air.

"Silence!" Blackstag snapped, and both Roachkit and Spiderbite winced, Roachkit unseen within the ferns nearby.

"Look at you, what a pathetic warrior. I bet you are scared of this war, scared of dying. Why don't you go follow Rainfur around, the two of you can preach peace all night long. Is that what you want Spiderbite? The comfort of the nursery, the safety of peace?"

Roachkit's stomach twisted painfully, the kitten tucking his trembling paws into his body, trying to quell the nausea clawing up his throat. He could smell his brother's fearscent from here. Why is Spiderbite the only one like this? Why weren't they helping him?

The answer came to the young tom as he watched Spiderbite squirm under Blackstag's grip, the small warrior murmuring whatever he could to placate his attacker.

Because he's weak, Roachkit whispered, betrayal and disgust enveloping him twice over. Roachkit couldn't look away, nor could he bring himself to call this cat his kin - not after seeing him like this. Suddenly, a deep rumble cut into Blackstag's little lesson.

"We have company."

Roachkit's head shot up, and with a mewl of terror the kitten pelted head first back the way he'd come, running until his chest hurt - so afraid of being next.

"Roachkit! I told you not to wander off!" His mother snapped as he collapsed against her front legs; the queen, irritated, gave him a swat across the ears with her tail before gripping him by the scruff to carry him home. He could hear her growling through his fur about never letting him leave camp again and how he'd spoiled it by running off, but Roachkit could barely listen.

He couldn't get the image of Spiderbite and Blackstag's gang out of his head.

Other:
Roachkit’s older siblings are: Mothlight (she-cat) and Spiderbite (tom)
His parents are Marshflower and Sablefoot. All four are currently alive.

Roachkit’s hatred for Spiderbite began in THIS thread.