Post by ← serpentine on Dec 15, 2010 20:43:39 GMT -5
rook that takes flight.
when the future is architectured by a carnival
of idiots on show, you'd better lie low.
when the future is architectured by a carnival
of idiots on show, you'd better lie low.
[/size][/b]
g e n d e r .
female
a g e .[/size][/b]
four and a half years
o r i e n t a t i o n .[/size][/b]
undefined
r o u t i n e .[/size][/b]
tribe of the stars above
p o s i t i o n .[/size][/b]
warrior
d e s c r i p t i o n .[/size][/b]
rook is a burly black she-cat with eyes that are a periwinkle blue. while her coat is rather plain, she posesses wings of sleek black feathers, as well as the abilty to breathe underwater.
a p p e a r a n c e .[/size][/b]
compared to her clanmates, rook appears .. normal. when she was a kit, her abilities unawakened, wings ungrown, she was taunted for this so-called 'normality.' the only thing that set her apart from a normal cat were her unusual eyes, a shade of periwinkle blue. she was in the shadows of her clanmates until her wings grew during adolescence. they were her one claim to fame, and she vowed that she would use them on her path as a warrior of the tribe. her other ability appeared much later, and she was two years of age before it fully awakened.
she found that she could feel the emotions of others -- a gift, or a curse? -- and on occasion, manipulate them.
her pelt is short-cropped and thick, with coarse, protective guard hairs the same shade of deep ebony as her whole. while this dark 'boring' fur might seem like she missed out, it is a blessing under the cloak of night -- and besides, appearances never really mattered much to her in the first place. her build isn't that of a typical she-cat, it is rather strong and able instead of lithe. this was what first marked her as a potential warrior, though in time she proved to be more adept at it than hunting in the long run.
her legs are long but well-muscled, and her tail is moderate in length. rook's claws are unusually long, a trait common in the tribe of the stars-above. her wings, which are usually retracted and hidden, transition to smooth black feathers.
p e r s o n a l i t y .[/size][/b]
it is rook's personality, too, that many prefer to skim over. it isn't unpleasant, but some cats find her unnerving, the way she seems to see right through them, and they prefer to leave her alone. she says she doesn't mind; she prefers having only a few good friends, anyway.
secretly? it bugs her. she sees the others, large gaggles, laughing and having fun, and she envies them. if only she had friends, she'd think, it would be better.
rook isn't antisocial, but somewhat aloof, quiet to strangers and preferring not to reveal a whole lot. she didn't begin to speak until she was three months old, and during crises she becomes entirely mute. those who know her, though, are surprised to find that rook has a wicked sense of humor and a shockingly playful, mischevious side. her brilliant mind, a very analytical, scientific one, is apt to think up fantastic schemes.
unlike others, rook doesn't react impulsively. she likes to think things through, and perhaps overthink, strategies and tactics for what would be best. in harsh battles and times of crisis rook is one of the few who stay perfectly expressionless. this is something she is unaware of, and it isn't on purpose - she is simply so engrossed in finding a solution that she neither talks nor does she seem to react.
the same goes with anger, though it's pretty easy to tell when she dislikes you. rook doesn't act on this rage, not at first -- she sits, silently, stewing and thinking up revenge. it is clear, though, in every cold, rude remark, in the maniacal glint in her eyes, that something isn't right.
in other words, either kiss and make up or make a run for it, because if this keeps up you may not see the light of day.
in other news, despite her cold, intellegent exterior, she has a caring side. really. believe me, rook does. to those who are closest to her she's great fun to be around, and extremely loyal. it takes a long time -- a hard trek -- to earn her trust, but once you have, it's set for life. once she is on your side, rook will protect you with her life (and she is very, very protective).
likewise, if you have found yourself a new nemesis, there likely isn't hope.
h i s t o r y .[/size][/b]
our story does not, contrary to popular belief, begin on a dark and stormy night. surprising, hm? you expected the stereotypical dark, brooding black cat to be born during a blizzard, or near black ice, in the dark of midnight? oh, and i'll bet you expected her to be evil, too! no, rook is neither of these.
her story begins on a quite extraordinary sunny afternoon in early autumn. this is the time of year when the leaves are beginning to turn spectacular shades of red, yet the weather is still deliciously warm. rook, the kitten of hawk that shatters the silence and sparrow who perches in oak, tumbled out into the den on that bright afternoon with two siblings, both brothers. it was no surprise that they too recieved bird names. yes, the tradition is what the tradition is, but they had created a tradition of their own. don't worry, sparrow did take her kits out into the wide world and name them, but it took quite a while of looking to find what was right.
so, in other words, it was a loophole.
rook was more of a bystander while her siblings stole the show. she didn't mind much, and was happy to participate in their games, though sometimes the kitten resented being a sideliner. she had her own ideas, her own plans -- why wouldn't anybody listen? whenever she spoke up, her peers ignored her and went off to play with their food instead, so rook learned to keep her ideas to herself.
in time she began to be teased for her so-called 'boring' exterior. during adolescence it began as light teasing, gradually progressing to merciless taunting. it eventually cooled, though it was a scar rook never quite got over. while the others had spectacularly patterned coats, with wings and other powers, she was ... average. she began to hate herself.
well, technically, i wouldn't be average, she'd say later. in the real sense, everybody else would be average, and i would be normal -- at the time, because while everyone else was extraordinary, i looked like the normal housecat. either way, though, it took a long time for her to 'blossom,' shall we say. she was earning her full warrior status before her wings grew -- and what wings they were! she couldn't help thinking. finally, she had something to boast about, glorious sleek black wings. as you can see, she didn't realize that she was her own cat even without any fancy appendages. that's teenagers for you.
rook became a warrior, rook that takes flight, protecting her tribe through the art of battle. for a while things were a-o.k., until a border skiff earned her a wounded leg. she was out of combat for about a month before it healed, and during that restless time she'd been busy developing a new talent: empathy. rook found more and more that she could detect the emotions of others. (it was puzzling at first -- she would become enraged or gleeful without any reason, and it took a while for her to realize the real culprit.) it was some time before she began to notice that she, too, could manipulate their emotions -- or at least influence them. rook that takes flight is a persuasive cat already -- another facet of her personality -- but this was the ideal tool.
the quiet, unassuming warrior had a new ability that quite frankly elated her. this kicked butt. it was very, very difficult to keep it a secret, but she reasoned that it would be much more effective if it wasn't known.
the remaining months passed by in a blur. winter, spring, summer came and went, each season rook shouldering more and more duties as she gained a bit of seniority. things were much better than they'd been in a long time. that is, until her father died, drowned in the river. what a senseless, horrible way to die! they said it was an accident, and though she doubted it, rook didn't question it outright. what use would it make? it would never bring him back. it took some time for their family, rook in particular, to reacquaint herself to everday life. it was four months before she uttered another word.
and yes, eventually she got back into the swing of things, and it became an easier burden to bear. but, as they say, some wounds never do fully heal. [/blockquote]
