[Fawn]

Name: Brook-kit -> Brookpaw -> Brookfall
Age: 22 Moons
Gender: Tom
Clan: RainClan
Rank: Warrior

More images Here & Here

Description:

Like his brother Gorgeleap, everything about this tom reads 'substantial'. Long-furred and heavy of bone, upon first glance you expect the ground to quiver when he walks. Instead, he moves more like an arctic fox - sure-footed even in water, thanks to his wide, strong paws - and with an even, elegant stride that should belong to a lighter cat. Brookfall was born pale, nearly an off-white color, with the suggestion of shading on his back, tail and paws.

As his personality became more distinct with age, so too did his markings.

Brookfall now boasts a silvery-white coat laying unevenly against a strong body, with the densest areas being a luxurious mane, vulpine tail (complete with white tip) and a well-protected underbelly. His markings have developed into dark splotches of deep gray, black and variegated shades of silver. The most noticeable of which are in a speckled pattern across all four legs. A partially formed tabby M on his forehead with silver dusting down his muzzle would look comical on a less powerful looking cat; he wears his markings well, and even the haphazard patterning looks deliberate.

In keeping with the appearance of both parents, Brookfall's ears are tufted, and his whiskers are long and sturdy, thick as pine needles in newleaf. Broad of muzzle, the centermost point - his nose - is like another black splotch on his coat, and ties in his overall appearance nicely.

Not to be left out, however, are Brookfall's eyes. They're an intense yellow, a strong shade that couldn't be mistaken for amber or gold. They are definitely yellow. Lined in black for added definition, his gaze is striking, perhaps even more-so than his markings.

This is a tom that's very easy to pick out in a crowd, and not just because of his height.

If you find it easier to look down instead of up, however, you'd be able to find Brookfall easily there as well. This tom has one extra toe on each paw; a major source of insecurity as a kit, Brookfall now appreciates having an extra digit for its usefulness during fishing.

Description Summary: Large silvery tom with splotchy dark silver & black markings, yellow eyes, long fur and an extra toe on each foot.

Personality:

Witty - "You always try to see, a better version of me."

There's something a little dangerous about a personality rooted in wit and charm. With a tongue that can praise and encourage with great skill, Brookfall can likewise knock someone's feet out from under them with a few biting, acerbic words. He picks up conversational nuances and subtext the way an owl notices the movements of a mouse several feet below. The mark of an intelligent creature is the ability to adapt in social situations, and to read the audience with little difficulty. Brookfall enjoys his brother Gorgeleap's cynical wit, though he counters it with something a little less... barbed. Their conversations tend to be amusing to those listening in, and the banter can be maintained for a surprisingly long time.

Brookfall makes for better company, however. He can joke without the undertones of cynicism, and see the humor in a serious situation, providing a different perspective for listeners. However, he also knows when his wit isn't appreciated. Charm, however, usually always goes over well - and he enjoys it, finding that 'he who has many friends has no friends'. When you're as wary and secretive as he is, the less cats that can read his true thoughts and intentions, the better.

Brookfall enjoys a 'healthy emotional distance', while putting on a charismatic smile, for unhealthy reasons.

Romantic - "My Prince Charming"

Brookfall makes for an excellent 'boyfriend'. He's sentimental and has a gift for planning ahead. Evening walks by the willow stream? He would enjoy that just as much as the she-cats he courts. He appreciates good conversation (as long as it steers clear of any personal questions directed at him) and especially likes cats who are honest with themselves and with others. He has a long memory, and remembers good moments very well, able to recall how something made him feel. On the other hand, this means he remembers the bad moments with equal clarity. Brookfall has difficulty getting over emotional points in his past. Sometimes his thoughtfulness comes back to bite him in the late hours of the night, when he can't quite turn off his thoughts long enough to get some rest.

That said, you will never find Brookfall grumpy, not even after a long, tiresome night or a particularly early morning. He keeps up an affable attitude, and can slide into a charismatic state of mind with ease.

Even if he's had a bad day, it's not at all beyond Brookfall's character to bring the queens new feathers for their kits to snuggle into or play with, and even bring a flower or a pretty stone to a special someone. He is a tom of sentiment, and romantic gestures. Likewise, he responds well to unexpected kindness or romance from she-cats in return.

Generous - "You’re Too Good To Me"

Brookfall is generous with his time and his words. He's as much likely to outright give an apprentice a particularly tasty-looking fish as he is to give up a prized fishing spot. This isn't to say he's a doormat; if Brookfall isn't feeling very generous, you'll know. If he has every right to refuse or give someone a bit of trouble, he will.

But for the most part... He's agreeable. He's kind. He's a good listener, and makes for a trustworthy, non-judgmental friend if you need one in a pinch.

His generosity isn't always without condition, but what he gives usually makes up for what he takes or asks in return.

Artificial - "You’re too perfect, too perfectly orchestrated."

Uh oh, that smile got you, didn't it?

Brookfall hasn't been... entirely sincere. About anything. He says one thing and feels another. His persona of being a charming, non-judgmental cat is about 75% false. He does judge, and he does think poorly of some of his Clanmates. He just never lets it show.

There are a lot of things he never lets show.

His emotional scars, his insecurities, his deepest desires. It's much safer to simply compliment you on your pelt, or your fishing techniques. To ask how your day's been, than to talk about what's been bothering him lately. He's even false with his family; if anyone were to ask 'how are you doing, Brookfall?' he would give the anticipated answer, and push the conversation onto more neutral ground.

The only one he may be honest with from time to time is Gorgeleap. It's easy for a professional liar to spot when someone else does it - even if the person Gorgeleap lies to the most is himself.

Brookfall understands that all too well.

So he wraps his heart in plastic and knows just what to say, when to say it, and to whom.

Dishonest - "Are you guilty? Is there a secret that you’re hiding?"

Brookfall is a liar. It's almost a compulsion at this point; in an effort to keep the peace and keep any serious attention off himself, Brookfall will weave a lie or a half-truth as easily as a spider weaves a web. His intention is not to hurt others. Rather, he wants to protect himself through any means necessary. And to keep others from finding out the truth.

You see, Brookfall happens to have a secret.

To anyone that asks, he's simply taking some time to himself - ruminating on the world at large, enjoying the seclusion and privacy of his own company.

To himself, however, he can barely admit what's really going on. Against his better judgment, but in line with feelings that are hard to be rid of, Brookfall occasionally brings a fish, sometimes more than one, to Darkrose just beyond RainClan's border.

He makes sure never to get her now roguish scent on his own pelt. She hasn't asked him for anything in return - yet. Brookfall is aware that he may be walking into another emotional trap, his heart once more caught in the claws of a she-cat whose feelings for him seem there one moment, gone the next. However, that doesn't make it any easier to stop what he's doing.

He's getting a little too good at smiling at his Clanmates and keeping his fingers crossed behind his back.

Evasive - "It’s you or me who breaks it all."

It's a surprise to no one that Brookfall's evasive when it comes to revealing his true emotions. He's also evasive when it comes to settling down; neither wanting to sire a litter or develop a reputation as a playboy, Brookfall enjoys the chase, but always stops before things get too far.

He dodges commitment the same way he'd dodge an attack in battle.

He's evasive with himself, too. He tends to rationalize his behaviors, though a part of himself he can't fully lie to. There will always be a little piece of Brookfall that's aware of everything that's gone wrong, but he avoids any kind of introspective musings in that area. It gets more difficult to block out his conscience when he's lying awake in his nest, and the days' events repeat themselves - or worse, the memories of his time in the Purist's camp, padding hopelessly after Darkrose, threaten to overwhelm him.

But he manages. He wakes up with a smile and a friendly glint in his eye, no matter the deep-seated unrest inside.

Wary - "Can you blame me? For protecting myself, baby."

Brookfall's toxic relationship with Darkrose is still showing signs of lasting damage. What would he do if he fell in love with someone else? Brookfall has no idea - and it scares him. He's afraid of giving his heart to another cat, only to fall into an awful pattern of falling for all the wrong she-cats.

It's an interesting juxtaposition Brookfall finds himself in. He wants to convince the whole world he can be trusted, despite not being able to trust anyone - sometimes not even his own family.

One thing to note, however, is that Brookfall’s artificial kindness and persona is directed at Clan-cats only. He has no love for loners, even kind ones. Cohorting with a non-Clan cat would threaten his standing with RainClan, and even the unexpectedly interesting conversation just isn’t worth that. Besides, loners are the last cats he’d ever put his trust in. It’s a dangerous cat that has no ties to anyone except themselves.

He should know. He’s in love with one.

I'm gonna hurt you first.
I'll be the one who makes you cry,
I'll be the one who gets to decide.
Oh I'm gonna hurt you first.

History:

By now, you might be wondering how Brookfall ended up so... superficial, dishonest and edgy with commitment.

Was it an unhappy childhood, spurred by siblings who didn't understand him and parents who neglected him?

Not even close. Brookfall was born in a healthy litter of four, each kit thriving under Lilygleam's and Burrthorn's care and guidance. Except for Silverfrost, the smallest and weakest of the litter. Brookfall did not understand why Silverkit was so tiny and so fragile compared to the rest of their siblings, but that did not make him love his brother any less.

He got along with everyone, even Gorgekit, before his more complex and/or negative personality traits came to light. He was a happy kit, with untarnished affection for his family.

The trouble didn't start for Brookfall until he became an apprentice.

It began so well. Brook-kit became Brookpaw beside his siblings, apprenticed to a young warrior called Darkrose. The first two moons were ordinary; peaceful, despite any undercurrent of tension rippling through the Clan that Brookpaw was too young to detect.

He adored his lessons with Darkrose. She didn't make fun of his extra toes; quite the opposite, instead she expressed envy, informing him that an extra claw would help him hook and pull larger fish out of the water. Encouraged by this, Brookpaw began to find his footing - not just when fishing, but as a young, still malleable mind and personality in the Clan.

And then the Civil War broke out. Brookpaw was 8 moons old when the tension came to a head, and Swanfeather took her so-called Purists with her to the wooded cove. Of his family, Gorgepaw and Gorgepaw's mentor Whitewater, left with Swanfeather. Darkrose too, cast her allegiance with the medicine cat, and Brookpaw, not for any political reasons, followed her.

In truth, he did not condone the Clan's bifurcation at all. He disagreed with the purist mentality; 'blood' and 'lineage' did not carry as much weight in Brookpaw's mind as decency and compassion. Loyalty was not measured by the branches of one's family tree.

But Brookpaw could not ignore the contents of his own heart. Darkrose was not just beautiful and compassionate, she was only 9 moons older than him - a difference he knew would matter less and less after he was a warrior. So the young tom caught up in puppy-love went with her, using the excuse that he wanted to continue his training with her to mask his real feelings.

Brookpaw's training did continue - for eleven moons in total, something that was hardly the norm. The Purists did not have a Clan leader on their side with which to award Brookpaw with his warrior name. What they did have, however, was a darkness that Brookpaw had been unable to foresee.

As he spent more and more time with his mentor, the mists of deception gradually began to lift. She was no longer as beautiful or as kind as he had once believed. Her heart had a sharp edge, and it pricked him every time he reached for it. Darkrose became more outspoken about her views, and showed no horror when the Purists began killing the Loyalists.

That had been the first slap to the face.

If not for his brother, Gorgepaw, also being present, Brookpaw would have seriously considered going home. However, he was afraid of the reception he would receive. Afraid of how his parents would react. Afraid to admit that he had been blindsided by his own feelings for Darkrose.

At 17 moons, the civil war finally reached its dramatic conclusion.

Brookpaw stood beside his brother when the newly appointed Stormstar arrived in the wooded cove. An ultimatum was delivered; return to the Clan, or stay in the cove and be exiled from RainClan permanently. It wasn't just the threat of exile that forced Brookpaw to step away from his mentor; it wasn't just the fact that Gorgepaw, not about to die for a cause he didn't believe in or get kicked out for no reason, decided to go back.

It was the sight of Lilygleam and Burrthorn standing behind Stormstar, silently asking them to come home. Brookpaw, with his pride damaged and his heart in even worse condition, he tried to ignore Darkrose's eyes burning into the back of his skull as he walked away.

Tried to ignore the words she called after him.

That's when he first truly started pretending. Pretending that things didn't bother him, when they did. The return to RainClan's proper camp had been jarring, and he hated the distrustful gazes that were directed at him now. He didn't like being punished for his mentor's bad behavior. For his misplaced affection.

So he changed. He rebuilt himself. After his assessment by Bluewave, and then Rushwhisker (Stormstar's deputy), Brookpaw was given a new name. Brookfall. With so many cats in camp who didn't really know him, it was easy to slide into this newer, nicer, more charismatic persona.

It was easy to start being the cat he thought they all wanted him to be.

Two seasons have passed since he has achieved warriorhood. Brookfall has no apprentice of his own (for the time being), but despite this he’s done well to earn back the trust, appreciation and friendship of his Clanmates. If anything, he’s become popular; that Purist nonsense was all water under the bridge, and if anyone asks if he misses Darkrose, he’d simply shake his head and laugh. “No. Good riddance. RainClan doesn’t need that kind of toxicity.”

But he’d be lying.

History Update

Life has not quieted down for Brookfall of RainClan. His brother, Silverfrost, became deputy of RainClan after Rushwhisker steps down. At the same time (Greenleaf #4), Brookfall is given his first apprentice, Wrenpaw. They butt heads in the beginning, but with time and Brookfall's carefully constructed facade of patience, Wrenpaw becomes Wrenstrike. Wrenpaw was an older apprentice whose mentor had died of greencough the season before; that said, their time together was short, with Wrenpaw becoming a warrior only a season later, in Leaf-fall #5.

There were no breaks for Brookfall. In Leafbare #5, he was given his very first straight-from-the-nursery apprentice, Pipitpaw. Pipitpaw was a cheerful, quick-witted tom who tested Brookfall's patience even more than Wrenstrike had; he also made it incredibly difficult to sneak away to see Darkrose.

His relationship with Darkrose was strained by her status as a rogue. Any effort he made to coax her to rejoin the Clan was met with a short laugh and a quick dismissal. Before long, they drifted further and further apart - something that seemed to hurt him more than it could ever hurt her. Then, after one wet, miserable Newleaf #5, Brookfall found Darkrose's body inside the little hollow she had called home.

He speculated that she had been injured by someone or something much larger than she, and had dragged herself home to her nest to die. The sight of his mentor, his ex-Clanmate, the she-cat his heart was still so enamored with, has haunted him. Sometimes he wakes up in the middle of the night, his paws itching, his chest burning with the sensation that if he had just tried harder to convince her to join, her death could have been avoided.

But Brookfall knows better. Darkrose was not a nice cat. There were many in camp who would cheer over her death, but he kept the knowledge of her demise to himself. A last little favor for a cat who did not deserve it.

Still reeling from her death, he grew distant with everyone around him, though the demands of Pipitpaw's training kept him firmly rooted to reality—until he lost that anchor too.

In Greenleaf #5, during the Gathering, a horde of foxes attacked the cats during their one night of peace. Though Brookfall fought tooth and nail for his Clan and kin, his apprentice, Pipitpaw, died of his wounds before the RainClan medicine cats could reach him. At 12 moons old, Pipitpaw had been ready for his warrior's assessment; but the stars, as Brookfall knew well, were not kind.

RP Example: N/A

Other: Adopted from Justice! Brother to Silverfrost, Stormfeather & Gorgeleap.

Song featured: "Hurt You First" by Niia