[the GREAT escape -- nightshade; branch.

[N i G H T i e e *]

n i g h t s h a d e

Paper bags and plastic hearts
All our belongings in shopping carts

o o c :

Nickname: nightiee, usually; but anything works, really.
Other Characters: none at the mo'
Email: n/a

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b i c :
Name- Nightshade
Age- 32 moons
Gender- tom, dude =P
Clan- Branchclan
Rank- deputy


Personality-
This is a cat who upon first glance, seems to be the sort that one could figure out almost immediately. He has a good sense of humor, an easy-going attitude, and is an all around generally easy type of individual to get along with. He likes to joke around, though it is not because he is trying to be comical or to draw attention to himself in any way. Rather, this part of his attitude comes naturally to him, without conscious effort- much like breathing. He has an optimistic outlook to life, and there isn't much that fazes him or gets him riled up. Problems that other cats fret over, he finds rather funny, and would think the entire situation rather amusing. It might seem to others, as though Nightshade isn't the type to be deputy, or any other high ranking position in the clan, for that matter.
Perhaps Nightshade's biggest downfall however, is his pride. He can take a nicely aimed joke, or a few blows to his ego- but start to constantly riddicule him or look down upon him and you've got trouble on your hands. He'll take whatever you throw at him, and dish it right back. He isn't one who is afraid to speak his mind, and has no problem with telling others off. He is slow to anger, usually resorting to quick retorts and sharp words - but get him angry enough and one will find that he has a hot temper and a viscous manner. So of course, he's not about to go and make a fool of himself as deputy of Branchclan. He can seem carefree, and perhaps a bit unmotivated, but he never underestimates his duty, nor would he let his clan down.
Much as he gets along with others, he doesn't easily confide in anyone, save those that are close to him. Sure, if it's just to hang, he's one of the best to be around, but he won't talk about his personal feelings with just anyone, and there are very few to whom he would place his absolute trust. That is, most see one side of him, but not his innermost feelings. Behind his 'outside shell', he is actually quite guarded and distant, though he dislikes that part of himself and it is rarely ever revealed. It is only when he is alone, or feeling anxious that these feelings surface and seem to bring about an entirely different cat than is usually seen.
On the topic of love, he feels utterly inept. He can act the part of the gentleman- with their polite words and gallant manner; he's even got the swagger downpact, and yet he cannot understand the female gender. They confuse him- and he dislikes being unsure, and much like 'a fish out of water'. He puts on a good show though, acting like he knows what he's doing.


Appearance-[x]

"Looks don't make the cat - isn't that what everyone says? That what's on the inside is what really counts. One can look (for lack of a better word) unattractive on the outside, but that doesn't matter, so long as they have a beautiful soul; a beautiful heart?"

Nightshade isn't a cat who one would pick out of a crowd. Some would think him beautiful, others not, perhaps a few wouldn't even remember him. Thing is, Nightshade isn't stunningly handsome, yet neither is he your average joe. He has an abstract beauty to him, a subtle facade.
Nightshade is a medium sized cat, with a dark brown, almost black coloured pelt. He is a solid and rugged cat with short fur, though it retains a silky texture to it. On the face and the shoulders, the fur is much shorter, but along the under parts of his body, such as his stomach and his hind legs, it is slightly longer. The stiff guard hairs provide extra insulation against the harsh weather, while softer hair along his stomach forms a blanket that keeps in body heat and protects him from the elements.

His body is quite long, with a broad chest and a flat, level back. His legs, though somewhat stockier, are nevertheless strong and set well apart. Well rounded paws that are tufted around the toes, hide sharp and deadly claws. He makes hardly a sound while traversing through the treetops; his steps are quick and sure.
Nightshade has quite a long tail, much to his own amusement. He takes to waving it gently back and forth as he walks, and loves the fact that when he holds it straight up, it seems as though a tree branch is coming out of his back.

His neck is short but muscular, situated upon which is a medium sized head. His muzzle is square, his chin is firm and his cheekbones are high. Dark black ears are set quite forward atop his head. They are large and triangular in shape, broad at the base and tapering to a point. Amber coloured eyes are beautiful to behold, though one must take the care to notice. They can seem quite plain and ordinary, although in the right light they are vibrant with many hues. One can seem to lose themselves in their depths.

Nightshade also carries a faint scar on his side that he got while during his apprentice years. A hunting excercise went astray and in his haste, he did not see a sharp branch protroduing out across his path. He nearly rammed into it, swerving to the side to avoid all but the sharp point which cut open his soft kitten-like flesh and drew blood. Since then it has healed over, but the scar has never really faded away.

"Everyone has the right to be beautiful -to be thought of as beautiful. It's your choice how to go about it. In the end, it's only perspective. Only your perspective."

Tattoo- Nightshade's tattoo is located by his right shoulder. It is in the shape of a crescent moon; the fur there a gleaming silvery white colour. It is simple, and quite small, yet because of the colour against his otherwise brown and red coat, it stands out even from a distance.

History-

I remember the light was very dim- the sun was falling. Yet the darkness wasn't complete, not with those last rays of light still touching the earth. But what it could do; changing everything the way it did, I couldn't believe it. How could the trees I always saw, and the grass I'd noticed but never really looked at, be so different? The sky - this couldn't be the same sky. It was as if someone had taken a paintbrush and added streaks of colour and texture. There were hues there I'd never seen before. This land, it had been transformed.

Nightshade was born into a loving family one chilly evening. It hardly seemed fair, that he should have been one of the lucky ones with affectionate, doting parents. Who decided what kind of loved ones you had in your life? If not who, then what decided? What made the choice? Fate?
He was one of a two kit litter, an unusually small litter, but that was how it turned out. His sister arrived not too long after, and his first memories were of the den, his mother's warmth, and the steady breathing of the small body beside him.

Moons passed, the days blurred. Nightkit, as he was now called, was a handful. Everything fascinated him- it was all new, exciting- and he was so eager to know more about this place that he called 'home'. He dragged his sister among the branches with him. Together they embarked upon dangerous adventures with far away destinations, and obstacles around every bend. Their mother never let them go too far (they really never went more than a branch away from their den) but the kits were so small, and everything else was so big. It seemed like an adventure all in itself, being outside the den.
"That's a robin." Sagekit once said proudly, pointing with her tail at a small bird flitting amongst the leaves. "Mama told me." and you could see the glint in her eyes, the happiness there.
"I knew that." Nightkit responded, though he had not and it was a lie. Yet, how could he not have known something, though his sister had? He was being selfish, short-sighted; he was young. Sagekit seemed unaffected by his comment (she knew him too well) and she just smiled and hit him playfully on the head.

And when i told you this, what i had noticed, what i marvelled at, you turned to look at me, and there was laughter in your eyes. "Just your perception of it; that's all that changed." you told me, and all i could do was stare. You always understood better than I did; you had a way of fitting everything together. You formed ideas and they found meaning in your words and always, they had such an affect on me.

The day Nightkit became Nightpaw marked bright in the young cat's mind. Here, he could prove himself. He could learn, could explore, could discover what was waiting for him out there, away from the confines of the den. His sister was just as enthusiastic, though perhaps a little more practical. 'Nothing is ever as great or as easy as you think it will be.' she had once told him. He laughed at this, seeing the truth in her words, but his eagerness hadn't been stemmed in the least. Together, he and his sister trained as apprentices- learning to hunt, to stalk, to climb swiftly through the trees. Nightpaw got himself and his sister in much trouble, sneaking around late at night and climbing a bit too high, or a bit too far out onto a branch. Against her better judgement, Sagepaw always accompanied her brother on his crazy expeditions, though she deeply regretted it every time they were almost caught.
Nightpaw had a knack for keeping his head clear, and his purpose set in his mind. He learned tricks of steering clear of authorities, becoming quite the troublemaker for one so young.
Yet he always knew how far he could push, how far he could go before he crossed that invisible line. He had a toe on it, but never quite went that far. "I get her into the worst kind of trouble sometimes," he admitted to his mentor once, referring to Sagepaw, "but .. i've always been there to get her out." And there was a glint in his eye, one that said, i understand responsibility- that there's consequences too.

Nightpaw and Sagepaw moved smoothly from apprenticehood to warrior. Nightpaw had learned a bit about responsibility and courage, and Sagepaw had learned a little about possibility. Nightshade, as he was dubbed, still retained his sense of humour and overall lack of concern. 'First priority is always the clan,' Sageleaf told him, and it was then that he had really felt an ounce of anxiety- for what being a warrior really meant. He was scared what she would do now, knowing what she was willing to give up.

"It's quite ironic," she had said weakly, trying for a bit of humour. "Usually trouble follows you."
Nightshade hadn't been able to answer- the words stuck in his throat. Why her? The question kept replaying over and over in his mind, yet he had no answer. There was no answer. Why her?
He tried not to look- he focused on her eyes. Everything else, it was so unrecognizable, but her eyes, they were the same.
"The apprentice was in the wrong place." she said calmly, as the Medicine cat dashed around with herbs. Luckily, I was in the right place." and she grinned happily, as though expecting him to laugh.
Why her?
"Could you promise me one thing, Nightshade?" There was no demand in her voice, no expectations. Just a choice.
"No regrets, okay?"

My eyes wandered. I looked anywhere but where it counted. There was so much anger. Not the firey, burning anger, but a dull, muted one.
How was it that you could come to terms with this, and yet I could not? What reasoning did you have to see the bigger picture? I had only caught a glimpse.
"Perhaps only when you come to terms with death, can you truly begin to live." you whispered, thoughtfully. "To see the beauty and the wonder of it all .." and I felt the weight of the world as it sought to drag me down, to blind me, to crush the air right out of me. "It's not fair." I had said with blind fury. But you were equal to that; you were untouchable.
"No," a shake of your head, your eyes finding mine.
"It is fair."



I wasn't very clear in my history, but in summary, Sageleaf injured herself saving an apprentice from falling off a branch. She lost her balance herself and slipped from the branch. She wasn't killed from the fall, but she had serious wounds that wouldn't heal. The flashback in italics is of his last conversation with her before she died, and basically, that is when he comes to peace with himself and with her, and stops being bitter. He misses her, but he accepts her choice. That was quite early on during their warrior years, so he's had awhile to heal and grow since then.

Role Play Example-

D E C E M B E R P A W --*

Green [beautiful] eyes peered out through the underbrush, a tan tail swishing playfully through the branches as the figure darted out from under the cover, bounding lightly and then launching himself as far as his legs could propel him. He arched his back, liking the feeling of the air swishing through his fur as he lept. His paws scrambled on the bark, as he just managed to get a hold of the tree branch, pushing himself up, willing himself not to fall. He grinned happily, peering downwards at the ground below him.
Not bad, not bad at all

Yawning, he saw out of the corner of his eye the tinge of colour in the sky- the last of a rainbow, that vanished in another moment. Disappointed that he hadn't seen it earlier? Perhaps, but then Decemberpaw didn't quite care for rainbows and pretty butterflies.
He turned his striped head, deciding whether or not to find Brokensong. He needed to do something; being bored out of his mind wasn't something he enjoyed, and at the moment .. well the tree hadn't occuped him quite as long as he had thought it would. His tail flicked disinterestedly, shifting his head slightly, just as a ray of light hit him full in the face.

Wonderful.

Blinking from the sudden brightness, he tossed his head as eyes became mere slits, masking the green beneath dark eyelids. Through slanted eyes, he managed to make out a group of cats prowling around below. A hunting patrol, of course, this being such a beautiful day and all. [He glanced nastily at the blaring sphere of light]
His gaze fell on the apprentice Fancypaw first. He hadn't ever talked to her before, strange since they were in the same clan and all. He watched her playful antics, seeing how she affected even the older warriors with her charm. Shadowprowler blushed heavily, a tom actually blushing! Where was dignity when you needed it? Decemberpaw wrinkled his nose, dislike for the tom evident in his gaze, but he had to supress the urge to laugh.
It amused him; it did. Really.

"So you got poor Shadowprowler hankering after you too eh?" he called out lightly from his place on the branch.
He knew of her 'reputation'. So she woo'ed the toms. Fine, but it would take more than that to win him over.
Grinning, he made his way stealthily down the trunk, jumping the last few meters to the ground.
"Looks like you're having a blast here." he observed, tilting his head and gesturing towards the two warriors.
His strides were long and graceful, though he took his time as he made his way towards her.

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It's goodbye
But we got one more night

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[⋆ -- fALLEN __ [s t a r]]

could you pm me or amory an usable picture of him? thanks. <3

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