Post by lyre on May 19, 2014 22:47:46 GMT
Name: Nettlenose
Gender: Tom
Age: 37 moons
Clan: ShadowClan
Rank: Medicine cat
Theme: Soldier - Straight No Chaser (orig. by Gavin Degraw)
Short Description: A gray tom with a white belly, faint tabby stripes, and pale green eyes.
Personality:
Positive Traits:
- Caring
- Easygoing
- Cheerful
- Fair
- Diplomatic
Negative Traits:
- Tends to lie
- Self-critical
- Indecisive
- Can be lazy and apathetic
- Holds grudges
- Melodramatic
Nettlenose's main characteristic is his genuine care and affection for others. He's eager to please and loves to give -- after all, that's the reason he became a medicine cat. Nettlenose can be trusted to go out of his way for the benefit of another, even if that someone is a stranger. He enjoys being helpful and is no stranger to working hard when he needs to, but this often leads him to making promises he can't keep and overwhelming himself. Still, know that Nettlenose only has the best intentions and intensely desires to please everyone. This core quality usually expresses itself throughout the rest of his personality, but his motivations are often misunderstood. There's more to Nettlenose than meets the eye.
It should come as no surprise that Nettlenose loves to socialize. His easygoing, cheerful personality makes him an easy cat to get along with. He makes it a point to be polite and open-minded, so he's always willing to lend an ear. His relationships and interactions with others are where Nettlenose really shines. He has a diplomatic approach to everything, and although some would view him as a suck-up, it's only because Nettlenose can't stand conflict. He tends to sugarcoat things to spare the feelings of others and can usually be too passive with his "go-with-the-flow" way of thinking. In fact, Nettlenose normally suppresses his feelings to keep peace. Many do not realize this, so it's important to keep an eye on his body language -- you can occasionally tell when he's holding back from saying something.
It's a natural thing for Nettlenose to deny himself and give generously to others, but despite his friendliness, Nettlenose is surprisingly selective of those he calls "true friends". The peculiar thing about Nettlenose is that he likes to listen and enjoys the company of others, but will hardly ever reveal himself to others as easily as they do to him. It's almost a cruel irony -- Nettlenose gives and cares just a little bit too much, but is weary of being disappointed in return. Nettlenose is very big on the "give-and-take" aspect of relationships. He'll throw himself into one wholeheartedly, but he expects nothing less from the subject of his affection. Nettlenose is aware that he's easily taken advantage of, but don't be deceived: taking advantage of Nettlenose releases all his raw emotion that he otherwise keeps under control. Nettlenose doesn't hate often, but when he does, he hates ridiculously. Once you've made an enemy of Nettlenose, he'll hold onto that grudge stubbornly.
That's pretty much Nettlenose in a nutshell; he has two different levels at which he functions -- 100% or not at all.
As others come to know him better, they'll realize that this is all just the tip of the iceberg that is Nettlenose. Once someone gets past Nettlenose's defenses, it becomes apparent that Nettlenose is not as perfect as he strives to be. Which is probably the first thing to really know about Nettlenose: he is his own harshest critic. He holds himself to very high standards and desperately aims to please. Whenever he falls short of these goals (or even if he just feels like he did), Nettlenose can be very critical of himself. Of course, it motivates him to push harder and excel to new heights, but his tendency to doubt himself and his abilities can also hinder this.
Which is another thing to know about Nettlenose: he's incredibly indecisive. This is perhaps the most frustrating characteristic to others who know him. He's got a keen mind for details -- it's one of his spectacular qualities (making him a damn good medicine cat and conversationalist), but it has its disadvantages. Nettlenose can get caught up in all the little details and that's what causes him to go back and forth on a decision. He absolutely despises being pressured or hurried into anything, and it only serves to stress him out further. Although his hesitation can be infuriating at the worst of times, Nettlenose is just a thoughtful cat who truly thinks through something before taking action. At the very least, it keeps him from acting rashly. Even when he does make a decision, though, he'll probably doubt himself and wonder if it was the best option.
Despite his sociable disposition, at the end of the day Nettlenose enjoys his solitude. He likes some time to himself in order to recharge and gather his thoughts. He usually takes advantage of this through his herb-gathering, which is an important part of his day. It may seem odd, but Nettlenose can be quite defensive of his privacy and does not enjoy feeling as if he's being investigated. This is another flaw one may encounter as they get to know him: Nettlenose has a tiny problem with telling the truth. They're little white lies that he tells for whatever reason or little "bendings" of the truth in order to best benefit himself in a given situation. This can come across as manipulative or conniving, and usually falls in next to how he sugarcoats things. It's one of those awful little things that Nettlenose hates about himself but catches himself trying to justify. He doesn't lie just for the sake of lying, of course. It's usually with the intention of avoiding conflict or some other paranoid purpose that Nettlenose is prone to. Humorously enough, Nettlenose is very keen on detecting whether someone else is lying or not; he's not the type to call you out, but rather entertain your false story for his own amusement. It's a rare expression of his mischievous, playful side.
There are other little quirks to Nettlenose, such as his strange melodramatic tendencies or his sudden bouts of laziness and apathy. He can be quite the drama queen at times, so if he ever does get injured or sick (being the medicine cat only magnifies this), you can trust him to exaggerate his woes. It's usually in lighthearted jest that he'll become so flamboyant, but typically Nettlenose is known for overreacting to almost anything. Another little quirk that others might discover about Nettlenose is that despite being so caring and hardworking at the best of times, his energy can fluctuate easily. He's fantastic at initiating projects, but struggles with finishing them; Nettlenose is prone to boredom and shifting his attention to new pursuits. It's just something that others learn to deal with. At times, Nettlenose just decides that he's lost interest and that's that.
But if there was only one thing to know about Nettlenose, it would be that he's a helpless romantic. He struggles with this side of himself, as he has to sacrifice it to fulfill his role as a medicine cat. He longs for a true romance and a faithful partner that he can shower all his love and affection on. Because when Nettlenose falls in love, he's bound to fall hard. It's the one regret he could only confide to the closest of friends: giving up his right to a mate and a family. It's the driving force behind his devotion as a medicine cat; the sacrifice carries more weight with him than anything else. Still, he entertains daydreams of having a mate one day, which is only made more romantic in his mind by being forbidden.
Appearance:
Give us a description of what your cat looks like if you don't have an image for it.
History:
Nettlekit and his brother Aspenkit were born on a rainy evening in leaf-fall, to a young queen named Graywhisker. Aspenkit was the bolder of the two, but Nettlekit seemed to be the more thoughtful kit. Still, the two were inseparable in their early moons and shared in each other's mischief. They complemented each other well, and it was assumed this would hold true when the two became warriors. This prediction, however, was altered when Nettlekit expressed an interest in medicine. Thistlepaw, the medicine cat apprentice, had been captured by Twolegs on ShadowClan's furthermost eastern border. The circumstances of the abduction were bizarre; the mystery surrounding the event still weighed heavily on the Clan. Although Thistlepaw had been missing for a little over a moon, the medicine cat Briarpelt remained hopeful of her return. Therefore, Nettlekit's interest was ignored and he was encouraged to drop the matter until Briarpelt healed from the tragedy.
When his sixth moon rolled around, Nettlekit was made an apprentice alongside his brother. He was trained by a warrior named Harefoot, an excitable she-cat who was eager to take on an apprentice. Nettlepaw, although disappointed by his inability to train as a medicine cat apprentice, did not want to let his mentor down. His first moon of training went relatively well, although Nettlepaw often seemed distracted or slightly disinterested in his training. He was determined to do his best, though, and Harefoot praised him for his keen sense of direction and smell. But just as Nettlepaw was beginning his second moon of training, Briarpelt approached him. The medicine cat had felt that giving up hope in Thistlepaw's return meant he had lost faith in StarClan. But he now believed that life must go on, and that a new medicine cat apprentice must be trained. Briarpelt had expected Nettlepaw to jump at the offer, but instead the young tom seemed distressed.
Nettlepaw liked his mentor and feared letting her down by accepting Briarpelt's offer, but he felt driven to set his paws on that path. And although Nettlepaw was young, he had always envisioned himself as growing up and having a mate and a family. He decided to think it over, but his decision was slowly being drawn out over the moon. His brother, an impulsive and ambitious cat, became frustrated and demanded Nettlepaw make up his mind. "Listen, mouse-brain," Aspenpaw had said. "Why wait for something when it has already been handed to you?" Nettlepaw, although he hated being pressured into things, finally saw the sense in what his brother was saying.
Other: N/A
