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i resized a sketch i'll redo it later. maybe

❝ 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐥 ❞

( — GENERAL / IT'S SAID THE SHIP IN PORT IS THE SAFER ONE )
NAME. POPPYPATCH && poppy, pop
AGE. 34 moons | 3 years
GENDER. dmab [he/him]
HEIGHT. 10in | 25cm
WEIGHT. 11lbs | 5kg
RANK. earthclan warrior

( — RELATIONSHIPS / BUT IT'S NOT THE REASON IT WAS MADE )
SEXUALITY. gay / open to flings and long-term
STATUS. ½ of nothing — crushing on nobody
FRIENDS. list friends here
ENEMIES. list enemies here
FAMILY.
& nettlegaze (father). living.
& russetfall (mother). unknown.
& lark-- (sister). unknown.

( — PERSONALITY / SO PLEASE FORGIVE ME IF I WANDER OFF )
POS. intelligent. personable. faithful. level-headed.
NEU. reserved. idealist, stubborn. pragmatic.
NEG. sardonic. despondent. uncertain. distant.

poppypatch is, at the very center of his core, an idealist. he's the type of person who is largely guided in life by his own point of view. decisions and motivations are driven by his opinions and you will find that he can be quite stubborn in his convictions. this causes him to accept an independence of sorts due to the improbability that he will never find someone whose values and beliefs perfectly align with his own. within him, there is a persistent desire to positively affect the rebuilding society of the clans, although he struggles with ideas on to do so or, to an even greater extent, if he can at all. with the unfortunate recent tragedy and his inability to decide on a path for himself, the tom has a despondent tone to his character.

because of his reserved nature as well as underlying struggles with his own morality, he isn't one for fast friendships. it takes time for the waters to warm and even more so before his reluctance to grow closer to another subsides. even then, most of his relationships are awkward and rocky at best; at worst, they are uncomfortable and short-lived. he tends to come off as distant. inside he longs for a companionship with someone he trusts completely, though he oftentimes finds himself questioning whether or not this is obtainable. aside from the intimacy of relationships, he is personable in a more general scope. combined with his level-headed composure, poppypatch comes off as a responsible, well-behaved individual. and that's true in most cases.

internally, poppy is rife with conflict. intelligent as he is, he can't seem to figure out who he wants to be. he's uncertain of most things, tending to have trouble with making big decisions. this can also cause him to keep from voicing his opinion or to avoid stepping in out of fear that he may later regret it. luckily his pragmatic way of thinking makes up for some of this. sensibility gives poppypatch a grounding force, albeit one that can cave with enough pressure or, in some cases, temptation. he finds himself torn between wanting to be something that would make himself proud and something that would make others proud. and that's his achilles' heel: he can never truly be satisfied for one reason or another. he is left sardonic over the good he actually does do when he has to face the fact that he can't possibly please everyone, himself included. his lack of true identity creates a problem that impedes his personal happiness. still, he remains faithful that someday he'll have given influence toward something greater than himself.

( — HISTORY / AND FORGIVE ME MORE IF I JUST STAY )
｢ gorgeclan ｣
fittingly named after the location of the clan: a gorge. the territory was nestled in the crevice between two craggy stone walls of a canyon. the cats of the clan utilized the area expertly in a way that could be taught only by those who had lived in the area for a decent amount of time. this ensured their safety as inexperienced individuals were likely to fall to what very well could be their death. the camp was based in the flatter surfaces higher up which were reached by following paths or hopping rocks. above were the outcroppings of the canyon walls that provided shade and shelter from rainfall. the top of the canyon was lush with flora and fauna, though more difficult to reach. below was the valley, home to a bounty of rodents and a expansive river.

the clan was blocked in by other territories and often had skirmishes with members from bordering lands. relations were tense and it eventually got to the point that fights were becoming more ruthless. a drought in the the area further worsened the state. as the river became a more vital resource, so did warriors. there was only so much protection offered by their territory so they relied heavily upon their members to be a secondary defense. they would look to starclan for guidance and, when applicable, forgiveness. as time went on, their numbers started to grow smaller. in the time leading up to the starfall, they were desperate for change.

｢ before ｣
russetfall and nettlegaze were never in love. her pregnancy was an accident - well, as much as it could be in the case of feral cats. to put it simply, poppypatch wasn't planned. both he and his sister were born from an affair that'd gotten out of hand. it had begun innocently with childhood friends passing flirtatious jokes between each other. neither of them recognized the attraction for what it was, perhaps hiding the fact because russet was already promised to a different tom. but, as things like this tend to, it eventually got out of control.

nettlegaze adored the molly. it got to the point that his actions were becoming overt which put them both at jeopardy. he would bring her prey in the morning and sneak her away at night to a place outside of camp where they'd talk for hours. for him, it was love. the closest he ever got at least. the closest he ever would. unfortunately for him, he wasn't particularly charming in the least. niceties hardly made up for his grizzled appearance, one forged in countless fights under the name of his clan. he walked with a clear limp, jaw set awkward from a wound never properly healed and eyes tired from his years. his personality was equal parts simple and strict. cheating with someone seemed so out of character that nobody ever suspected a thing from him.

on the other hand, russet differed from him in nearly every regard. she was younger, brighter, a star to his night. the she-cat was only a few moons younger than he, but she appeared to be less than half his age. her lithe frame was hardly scarred, decorated in swirling patterns that entranced nettled. she was social, maybe overly so. russetfall stuck her nose where it didn't belong and continued to dig even when she found herself in a metaphorical pit. it wasn't a surprise that she ended up in the position that she did. at some point she found herself a romantic partner in the form of a clanmate named cedarstep. he later became her mate. they were only together for half a year before her eyes began to wander.

having grown up alongside each other, russet and nettle had always been close. not best friends, but near it in that regard. she confided in him her worries of a long-term relationship. was she too young? was cedarstep not meant for her? would she regret it if things didn't work out? one day their conversations shifted from her relationship to their own. recently promoted to deputy, nettlegaze felt boldness spark in him, the title boosting his ego in a foolhardy way. he began to make advances that were hesitantly welcomed by the she-cat. they had started something and, from how things were progressing, it seemed that they were going to keep building upon it. and they tried to. the two would meet at trysts, entertain the idea of futures they would never have and children they would never name. both of them knew it was wrong. not only that, but it was harmful to themselves to discuss such notions when they knew russet was dedicated to another happy relationship.

when a rumor started to circulate around gorgeclan that the two of them may have had something going on, nettle was quick to cut it short. he was the deputy, a politician that couldn't be caught in a scandal. he and russet met for a final time to officially end their romance, but feelings were overwhelming and wills weak. she announced her conception weeks later. things between them fell apart then. understandably, they were both frustrated with the circumstance, though neither would accept blame for it. the stress of being found out and the lie they would have to live strangled their friendship, twisted it so tight that it died from the asphyxiation. all that was left was negativity. hurt. regret. hatred. somehow, cedarstep was more understanding than either of them involved when he was told.

｢ kit ｣
cedar and russet managed to stay together despite the entire ordeal. in fact, he was excited at the prospect of having kits even if they weren't his own. nettle loathed him for it. or, more accurately, he loathed the tom for being where he wished he could be: starting a family. the mother-to-be didn't share the optimistic attitude. she felt miserable about herself and the pregnancy. that attitude certainly wasn't helped when it proved to be a rough gestation. constantly ailing, russetfall suffered through sickness for over two months. and, when the kits were born, she was happy for only a brief period. two kits came of the litter. a tom first followed by a she-cat, poppykit and larkkit respectively.

relief was what she experienced, euphoric yet fleeting. she took solace in the fact that she would no longer have to carry the extra weight of kittens nor deal with the prerequisite symptoms that accompany a pregnancy. russetfall felt better then than she thought she ever would. that cushion of joy was soon ruptured by the sounds of crying. she decided early on that she couldn't stand the noise.

it was at a point nearing the second moon of their lives that their mother would disappear. early one morning she woke up before the sun had even risen to come to the forceful realization that she couldn't keep living this way. so full of frustrations, she took one of the kits and fled. a patrol was sent out in search of her and the child but it was in vain. russetfall was gone. cedarstep insisted on going after her and he too vanished. the trio was never heard from again. while there'd be the occasional claim that someone had seen or smelled something, it was largely presumed that they had joined another clan. some felt that they may have died. their presence lingered in the clan; three members short felt like a big hole in the modestly sized group. a sick twist of fate that poppykit would fully develop his sight just in time to watch his mother walk right out of his life. two parents and a sibling is a lot to lose but he was too young to completely comprehend it at the time.

nettlegaze was still deputy. he had seen the kittens only once, having gone to see them the day after they were born, but had never visited after. his ex's departure stung him deep. and although it was true, he would never admit to even himself that he didn't mourn the baby she had taken with her. but when cedar followed in their footsteps, the responsibility of the remaining child fell to him. the reality of it all hit him harder than an opponent ever could. the kitten was his. reluctantly he accepted the role of a parent, albeit not entirely for the right reasons. of course part of him was excited at the prospect, but another part was due to the fact that he didn't want to paint himself in a bad light. after all, a high ranking official refusing to take care of a child after the mother left the picture would cause talk around the clan. more than there already was at the time.

unsurprisingly, he was ill-prepared for fatherhood. managing his time and upholding a strong persona were his main struggles. if he spent too much time with poppykit, then he would look soft. yet, if he spent too little time with his son, then he would look cruel. his appearances were in spurts, a few visits a day wherein he entered the nursery for anywhere from ten minutes to a full hour. there he would entertain poppy with stories of being a warrior and chat with the queens who seemed to enjoy his presence most of the time. nettlegaze, despite his best efforts, never fully got into the swing of things. it didn't matter in the end because the moons passed shockingly fast and soon poppykit was moving onto the next stage of his life.

｢ apprentice ｣
poppypaw.

poppypaw. the tabby loved the sound of his name. the alliteration, the way the consonants popped! in his head when he sounded them out - it sounded so full of life, so jubilant! it was what he based himself off of. he hadn't been an energetic kit compared to the normal standards. his missing family and awkward part-time relationship with his father were likely to thank for that. but that changed the day he was apprenticed. there was a certain flare that came with his new name, an energy that sparked and burned brightly enough to show clear on his face. his ceremony was a milestone for himself and his assigned mentor, mousehop, who had never before trained an apprentice.

mousehop was easy to pick out in a crowd. once you found her, you'd realize that her name fit perfectly. she was a small she-cat, one that reached only the shoulders of the average warrior. her fur was short and grey. mousy. it would stick up in wild tufts at seemingly random points. her whiskers were long and clearly visible next to her tiny nose. the molly certainly wasn't what came to mind when thinking of gorgeclan's finest, but she didn't let her appearance deter her in the slightest.

which would have been a good thing had she actually been a skilled warrior herself. mousehop, in fact, was most definitely not a skilled warrior. she was a skittish cat who had trouble sitting still for too long. oftentimes she would pace back and forth as she spoke or would constantly shift. during lessons she would occasionally realize that she didn't remember how to do the thing she was meant to be teaching. poppypaw didn't learn how to pounce correctly until he was over a month into his apprenticeship because of this. mousehop had a tendency to ramble and trail off when she spoke, too, which easily derailed the topic. this didn't bother the apprentice. in fact he grew to enjoy her company more than anyone else's. a naturally cheerful demeanor made her a comfortable person to be around while her eccentricities added to the experience. the warrior's high energy was so different from that of his father and the mothers in the nursery that he was intimidated by her for a good while.

poppy's training was slow. the both of them were at fault for mousehop found it difficult to play the role of a mentor while the apprentice encouraged them to be friends foremost. they talked more than they did anything that would constitute as learning. most weren't bothered by the dynamic, though there were a few members of the clan that voiced their dislike of the blase approach. through their talks, they learned a lot about each other and themselves. for instance, mousehop expressed her wishes to have something more to do in life. being a warrior was fun and noble in her eyes but also repetitive and bleak. what was she supposed to do? do patrols until she died? hope that one day she would be chosen as deputy so she'd have purpose again? graduating had thrown her into what she felt like was a dead end. poppypaw took on this way of thinking subconsciously. it wouldn't affect him until he himself was in her position. until then, he nodded. he gave her his condolences.

similarly, he was also finding being a warrior being underwhelming. unlike a good portion of other apprentices his age, poppypaw didn't find the role being as extravagant as it was played off to be. it was a wise realism fed by his mentors laments, and one that dampened his spirits for the future. from that, however, he came to the conclusion that he had more interest in practicing medicine than learning to hunt and fight. mousehop enthused this by taking him to see their medicine cat, clayfur, a few times a week. poppy took quick to studying bush medicine, guided under the tutelage of their elderly healer and her own apprentice, redpaw. the other apprentice became a close friend who would be more important in his life later on. this continued for a few moons until he felt sure enough in his abilities to tell his father. nettlegaze wasn't pleased.

his father chastised him for wasting time. they already had a medicine cat apprentice. it was bad enough that poppypaw had skipped over so much valuable learning to the point he was behind the other apprentices a remarkable deal, but then he went an hid it for months. he had lied straight to his father's face every time, too. nettle was near livid. nine moons and his kid still couldn't properly hunt! had the deputy himself not been so experience with war himself, he might have been more open-minded to the idea. sadly, he was too paranoid about the security of their clan to properly rationalize the situation. in the end, he permitted his son to continue being mentored under clayfur, though the tone said much more than his words did. poppypaw had never thought of himself as a disappointment before so the abruptness of seeing how much of one he was hurt.

the next day he woke to salt in his wound. mousehop approached him, not for a lesson, but to tell him that she was no longer his mentor. the leader had stripped her of the responsibility. adding insult to injury, she had also been demoted back to the rank of apprentice herself in hopes that another few moons would force her into being a more mature and capable asset. it was dismaying to put it lightly. even worse, she avoided him for a portion of time. in fact, she withdrew from everyone initially feeling embarrassed. ashamed. poppypaw did what his heart told him to and returned to clayfur. as things continued, he became to like healing less and less. what was frustrating was that he couldn't even entirely blame his father for it, either. as it turned out, he had enjoyed the medicine because it was based mostly upon learning rather than practicing. he could memorize names and uses without having to hone his skills. being a warrior was about action; being a healer was about compassion.

his interest died slowly yet suddenly at the same time. damaged dreams fell apart the longer he stuck working with clayfur and redpaw. with every injured cat that came in, he could feel his confusion grow. is this really what he wanted to be doing? the answer was yes. was he sure? the answer was no. the passion was still there, he could feel it deep down. the enjoyment was another story. poppypaw was having less fun. and that was perhaps because he began to understand that being a medicine cat wasn't meant to be fun. there was lots of stress that came with the position. they needed to save people, clean wounds, make sure their clanmates didn't bleed out or choke on their sickness, do so much more. the breaking point was when a warrior was brought to the den; he had gotten into a fight with cats from a neighboring clan and been pushed from a steep drop off.

( tw;; death )

"he's not going to make it." the statement was grim. it shook poppypaw to his core, twisting his gut with an urgency that had him clenching his jaw and shivering. clayfur had just given the tom a death sentence. her face was drawn, but not nearly as much as redpaw's or his own. she didn't look distressed or sorrowful. she didn't even seem sorry. not as she said this to the dying cat himself. not as she heard his last wishes. not as she administered cane toad toxin that had him lifeless within a mere couple painfully long seconds.

later that night, poppypaw couldn't sleep. not after witnessing something so gruesome. at first he thought that had was afraid of clayfur. she was their medicine cat. she was supposed to care. and she just didn't. after a prayer to starclan, the molly had left to tell the leader of the passing. when she returned, the three of them finished their day in silence. even hours after, the scene replayed in poppy's mind. and the more he thought of it, the more he picked it apart. it took most the night for him to process the event, and the conclusion rushed upon him so suddenly that he felt as though he were hitting the ground from a long fall. it wasn't that clayfur didn't care - she was just used to it.

the very next day he told nettlegaze that he wanted to be a warrior. his dad was please but it seemed that someone had told him of what happened the day before. he and poppy sat down and had a long talk. they grew closer from it. they finally understood each other. the deputy and apprentice privately met with their leader, spottedstar, who, out of the kindness of her heart, assigned him the same mentor as she did mousepaw (formerly known as mousehop).

bushtail wasn't nearly as fun a mentor as mouse had been. she was, however, a much better one. poppypaw learned fast with her teaching. he grew to respect her wisdom and patience. moreover, he enjoyed her lectures because they lessened the distance mouse wanted to put between poppypaw and herself. soon, their relationship was mended completely. the two of them would still visit the medicine cats regularly. it was relieving to know that clayfur held nothing against him for abandoning his studies. life felt better after all was said and done. the remaining moons passed by and then suddenly he was . . .

｢ warrior ｣
poppypatch.

he was indifferent to the name this time around. at this age he knew that he wasn't built around his name. rather it was the other way around. poppy because of his red fur. it was vivid and bright much like the bloom of the flower itself. he put more meaning into the term because he had done much growing since he left the nursery. wiser now than he was then, the world didn't seem so big anymore. in a metaphorical sense of course. patch because of his coat, too. darker hues on his back made up disconnected patterning that resembled patchy striping. there were also the light spots of cream on his muzzle and chest. he was poppypatch and things made sense for a little while.

mousehop graduated alongside him. she was given her old name back and with it came her previous enthusiasm that'd been missing for so long. her shift back was refreshing; it was nice to see that she was happy with herself again. a few weeks earlier, redpaw received his own name. redstem now worked as a fully-fledged medicine cat. the three of them remained tightly knit. eventually, redstem and poppypatch entered a romance with one another. it was casual, comfortable, and, most importantly, hidden. medicine cats were forbidden to have mates. "dating" was a gray area on the matter since it so closely toed the line of a lifetime partner. still, they thoroughly took delight in whatever they had. and if people knew they never said anything.

the transition to warriorhood wasn't as difficult as expected. it was like a birthday in the way that things are exactly the same but you act like they've changed. at the start he was living off the emotional high that came with achieving a major lifelong goal. it lasted just under a moon before dying down. it was at this point that poppypatch recalled what mousehop used to bemoan because he began to feel it. there was a redundancy to clan life. he fell into a routine of hunting in the morning, having a snack midday with some clanmates, and a late afternoon patrol. on more than one occasion he would push himself to vary what he did, and, eventually, he completely ruined his scheduling and fell into a habit of aimlessly going about things and attending to his duties in a scattered manner. it wasn't particularly productive and he had the decency to feel bad about that. not enough to fix it though.

difficulties arose as gorgeclan began to have more frequent battles with the neighboring groups. the river in their territory was the most reliable source of water in the area and as the months grew colder, the other clans became more forceful in trying to overtake it. little rainfall came with dryleaf. poppypatch sympathized with the struggles of the nearby clans and at some point even discussed a truce with spottedstar. this idea was shot down, their leader too fearful that their kindness would be taken advantage of. poppy only argued halfheartedly. in truth, he had no evidence that she was wrong. he had the same worries.

it came as a great shame to his father that poppy was reluctant to fight. he was capable enough, but shied away from the grittier duties expected of a warrior. he managed a way out of battles as often as he could, be it reassigning himself to a last minute hunting patrol, insisting that he stay at camp to take care of elder and kits, or (on the very rare occasion) faking sick. not that he would ever admit to that last one. his beliefs were not in aggression, but in passion. he prayed to starclan for a quick end to the conflicts. nettle, apparently feeling the need to make up for his son's stunning ability to avoid even the most urgent calls to arms, pushed himself to carry the metaphorical torch instead. the deputy would frequently go out and return with more scrapes than he left with. he became reckless, vicious. as time crept on and the battles pushed towards a war, the entire clan seemed to adapt with the times. necessary, is what spottedstar had called it. barbaric was a more fitting term.

eventually, gorgeclan agreed to a merge with the adjoining duneclan. it was a smaller outfit settled in some dry, sandy stretch of land topside the gorge. what made them stand out was their sheer willingness to do most anything for access to the river. palestar, their revered leader, agreed to assimilate the groups in hopes that they would both benefit. she even voluntarily stepped down for it to happen.

nettlegaze was hardly thrilled with the turn of events. he felt threatened having new faces among their ranks. so threatened in fact that he went so far as to try and start a rebellion against the merger. spottedstar nipped it in the bud as soon as she caught wind, and whatever following he had dissipated within under a week. truthfully, it was reassuring to have additional members. cats felt safer once they got used to the new way of life. enemies became allies; strangers became friends. the additional support to their defenses certainly helped a lot in the long run. eventually, gorgeclan proved to be too strong an enemy to overcome between the sudden rise of numbers and already difficult terrain. fights became more sparse, though they never entirely ceased.

poppypatch was hesitant to accept the newcomers yet was one of the warmer welcomes to the clan. he tended to mediate between the cats until tensions fell. the passive approach allowed him to get along quite easily with all parties and a friendly disposition carried him far during the process. he took pride in aiding the joiners in learning their ways. in particular, he enjoyed instructing how to climb the cliff faces.

there was, of course, stress that came with such a drastic change. it was felt harshly by redstem who broke off their relationship over it. poppy was hurt, somewhat shocked even, and the two of them held a bitterness for each other afterward. it didn't last very long. things were never the same though. deep down, he understood that it was for the best. what they had would never have become anything more serious. it was also at this time that poppypatch was assigned an apprentice which was a decent distraction from a recently broken heart. bumblepaw was her name. she had large paws and one leg was shorter than the rest to the point that her gait was clearly affected. despite it she showed great aptitude for any physical activity and had a persistently optimistic personality. the warrior trained her with all the care of an older sibling. he made sure to take an approach more appropriate than mousehop's had been, but casual all the same.

through his mentorship, he became close with bumble's single father, lionpounce. the two found themselves having a short-term relationship. really, it was more a series of flings than anything else. for a while poppypatch thought it was love only to realize that it never would be. for as handsome and alluring his partner was, there was nothing about the other tom that caused him to feel special. it was amicably broken off. even with redstem, it had felt nearly lackluster beneath the fun. try as he might, poppy could never figure out why they didn't connect and his attempt at uncovering the reason led him to enter several noncommittal romances. his affections rarely evolved into infatuation. when they did, he ended up focusing more on how much better things could be rather than how good they were. he always grew away from the toms he got close to. he was sure he loved, but never felt that he was in love. maybe he wasn't meant for it.

bumblepaw graduated to bumblewing in the fastest six moons of his life. he was enthralled by the girl's accomplishments and remained relatively close with her up until the disaster. it was a nice celebration and a fitting counterpart to the demotion of his father. nettlegaze at some point suffered an accident that broke his leg. it never healed properly. more importantly, he could never walk correctly again. with an established limp and what could be considered a useless limb, he was left nearly dragging himself around. he was forced into an early retirement, unable to do the work of a warrior, where he grew resentful of life. poppy did his best to maintain relations and, to an extent, succeeded. but it was clear how much pain his father was in. emotional and physical. ironically, the former duneclan leader was appointed deputy shortly thereafter.

the moons leading up to the starfall were probably the worst of his life. nothing tragic happened. poppy just felt apathetic towards them. he wasn't growing any, once again falling into living the same day over and over again. mousehop found herself deeply invested with another molly whom she spent most her time with. redstem and he didn't speak as often anymore. bumblewing was closer with her group of younger friends. and all around him were the faces of lovers he could never make things work with. poppypatch wasn't sad nor was he angry with the monotonous theme. he was simply . . . discontent.

it was no matter though because life went on.

｢ starfall ｣
“when the star meets the earth it will be cleansed of its impurities. when the sacrifice has been made, the land will start anew.”

clayfur scoffed at the prophecy. she wasn't the type to disregard messages from starclan, but that one hadn't made a lick of sense. "bah! the only impurities here are my thoughts about rushleap! don't you go tellin' no one though. could lose my job." she wasn't dismissive of the warning, though her inability to figure out what it meant kept her from lingering on it too long. redstem worked to try and decipher it himself to no avail. duckspots - transferred medicine cat courtesy of duneclan - even tried their hand at it. poppypatch listened to the three of them go back and forth with the conversation lost as a kit in the prairie. their leader was notified later on. she kept the news to herself for a few days in hopes of the medicine cats coming to a conclusion of what starclan was trying to convey. without a definitive answer, though, she was forced to relay incomplete news to the clan.

naturally, it didn't go well.

the wording was enough for alarm. cleansing the earth of impurities didn't exactly strike confidence in anyone. was the star a leader? the sun? and what were the sacrifices? were they a who? paranoia rippled through the masses as the warning was taken to heart. poppypatch worked with others to try and quell the fear trickling through the clan, though even he felt it to be a death sentence. he didn't understand and, admittedly, a part of him didn't want to. it was frightening. instead, the tabby tried to divert his focus into helping others. the day-to-day had been interrupted and he took up extra chores while order temporarily faltered.

things never fully recovered. they were rocky from then on out. from what poppypatch heard they were a lot better off than some other clans. devout as they were, they never resorted to any extreme measures. tales of clans performing actual sacrifices left a terribly vile taste in the back of his throat. there were many rogues that passed by their lands, bringing grim tales of society falling to shambles piece by piece over the prophecy. it was surprising to learn that it was so widespread. even more so when nobody had a clear idea on what it meant. it was a mystery up until the very moment it happened.

watching the hellish light descend from the sky had been a haunting experience. what followed was indescribably worse. for days after, poppy could still see the bright plummeting figure, could still hear the earth-shattering boom of the impact. as if that weren't bad enough, he had been caught in a frenzy of screaming cats who were equally terrified for their lives. it felt hazy following the event. as he continued on, he witnessed things he never thought he'd see. his clan was destroyed, their territory collapsing on itself and crushing most in a violent rockfall. it was miraculous he survived. not something he would take for granted either.

poppypatch was drowning in grief. his home, his friends, his life - all taken from him in a flash. mousehop survived as well. his other companions had not been so fortunate. the two of them ended up joining with a traveling group days later. a relief effort is what they branded themselves as. together, they went around providing aid to those who needed it. digging cats from holes, carrying herbs across shattered territories, taking in other lost souls. it was nice feeling like he was doing something to make a change, however small it was. the nomadic life just wasn't for him in the end.

when he heard of clans beginning to form, poppy took interest. mousehop opted to remain behind, leaving him on his own for the first time. it was sheer luck that he happened upon earthclan first. and, although they were atheist, he decided to stay. maybe they weren't the most like-minded individuals, but he respected their values. that and their leader seemed to have a good head on her shoulders. it had potential.

hopefully he won't be disappointed.

｢ tl;dr ｣
poppykit is born of an affair. his mother, russetfall, grows frustrated with where she has ended up in life and so she flees the clan early in his kithood, taking his sister with her. russet's mate follows as well which puts poppy in the care of his deputized father nettlegaze. when he is apprenticed, he's assigned mousehop as a mentor. rather than properly training, they frequent the medicine den to indulge his interest in healing. the two become good friends with the medicine cat, clayfur, and her apprentice, redpaw. when it's found out that he hasn't been training to be a warrior for the last couple moons, mousehop is told she's no longer his mentor. she's demoted back to apprentice while he is allowed to continue studying medicine. after clayfur has to put down a fatally injured patient, however, he decides to take up proper training. his new mentor is bushtail who, coincidentally, is also training mousepaw.

poppypatch is given his warrior name. mousehops becomes a warrior again, too. poppy and the recently named redstem end up in a casual relationship. a rising number of conflicts with gorgeclan and the neighboring groups causes lots of fights, most of which poppy doesn't play a part in. the nearby duneclan merges with them and he helps to train the newcomers to traverse their new environment. he and redstem break it off and are left on awkward terms. later, he is assigned bumblepaw as an apprentice. her dad, lionpounce, and he start a relationship, though it's later broke off. poppypatch begins to have flings with more toms hoping to find love, but lacks a real connection with any of them. bumblewing becomes a warrior, something he is very proud of.

the starfall leaves him shaken and uncertain. gorgeclan is largely destroyed with mousehop being his only friend to have survived. the duo end up joining a traveling group that hopes to help those struggling in the aftermath of the tragedy. he enjoys the works but not so much the constant wandering of the australian landscapes. when he hear tell of clans forming once more, poppy decides to look into them. mousehop, unfortunately, doesn't share his interest in the possibility of a new life in a more traditional setting. they say goodbye and he leaves. poppypatch ends up in earthclan with hopes of a brighter future.

— EXTRAS
- devoted to starclan still
- thinks starclan calling themselves 'starclan' is disrespectful
- dodges personal questions like bullets
- poopie patch

( — PLAYLIST )
i. little prince // ajj
ii. keep on running // andy bull
iii. alive // the tragic thrills
iv. it gets better // aliceband
v. the ship in port // radical face

Description

i resized a sketch i'll redo it later. maybe

❝ 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐥 ❞

( — GENERAL / IT'S SAID THE SHIP IN PORT IS THE SAFER ONE )
NAME. POPPYPATCH && poppy, pop
AGE. 34 moons | 3 years
GENDER. dmab [he/him]
HEIGHT. 10in | 25cm
WEIGHT. 11lbs | 5kg
RANK. earthclan warrior

( — RELATIONSHIPS / BUT IT'S NOT THE REASON IT WAS MADE )
SEXUALITY. gay / open to flings and long-term
STATUS. ½ of nothing — crushing on nobody
FRIENDS. list friends here
ENEMIES. list enemies here
FAMILY.
& nettlegaze (father). living.
& russetfall (mother). unknown.
& lark-- (sister). unknown.

( — PERSONALITY / SO PLEASE FORGIVE ME IF I WANDER OFF )
POS. intelligent. personable. faithful. level-headed.
NEU. reserved. idealist, stubborn. pragmatic.
NEG. sardonic. despondent. uncertain. distant.

poppypatch is, at the very center of his core, an idealist. he's the type of person who is largely guided in life by his own point of view. decisions and motivations are driven by his opinions and you will find that he can be quite stubborn in his convictions. this causes him to accept an independence of sorts due to the improbability that he will never find someone whose values and beliefs perfectly align with his own. within him, there is a persistent desire to positively affect the rebuilding society of the clans, although he struggles with ideas on to do so or, to an even greater extent, if he can at all. with the unfortunate recent tragedy and his inability to decide on a path for himself, the tom has a despondent tone to his character.

because of his reserved nature as well as underlying struggles with his own morality, he isn't one for fast friendships. it takes time for the waters to warm and even more so before his reluctance to grow closer to another subsides. even then, most of his relationships are awkward and rocky at best; at worst, they are uncomfortable and short-lived. he tends to come off as distant. inside he longs for a companionship with someone he trusts completely, though he oftentimes finds himself questioning whether or not this is obtainable. aside from the intimacy of relationships, he is personable in a more general scope. combined with his level-headed composure, poppypatch comes off as a responsible, well-behaved individual. and that's true in most cases.

internally, poppy is rife with conflict. intelligent as he is, he can't seem to figure out who he wants to be. he's uncertain of most things, tending to have trouble with making big decisions. this can also cause him to keep from voicing his opinion or to avoid stepping in out of fear that he may later regret it. luckily his pragmatic way of thinking makes up for some of this. sensibility gives poppypatch a grounding force, albeit one that can cave with enough pressure or, in some cases, temptation. he finds himself torn between wanting to be something that would make himself proud and something that would make others proud. and that's his achilles' heel: he can never truly be satisfied for one reason or another. he is left sardonic over the good he actually does do when he has to face the fact that he can't possibly please everyone, himself included. his lack of true identity creates a problem that impedes his personal happiness. still, he remains faithful that someday he'll have given influence toward something greater than himself.

( — HISTORY / AND FORGIVE ME MORE IF I JUST STAY )
｢ gorgeclan ｣
fittingly named after the location of the clan: a gorge. the territory was nestled in the crevice between two craggy stone walls of a canyon. the cats of the clan utilized the area expertly in a way that could be taught only by those who had lived in the area for a decent amount of time. this ensured their safety as inexperienced individuals were likely to fall to what very well could be their death. the camp was based in the flatter surfaces higher up which were reached by following paths or hopping rocks. above were the outcroppings of the canyon walls that provided shade and shelter from rainfall. the top of the canyon was lush with flora and fauna, though more difficult to reach. below was the valley, home to a bounty of rodents and a expansive river.

the clan was blocked in by other territories and often had skirmishes with members from bordering lands. relations were tense and it eventually got to the point that fights were becoming more ruthless. a drought in the the area further worsened the state. as the river became a more vital resource, so did warriors. there was only so much protection offered by their territory so they relied heavily upon their members to be a secondary defense. they would look to starclan for guidance and, when applicable, forgiveness. as time went on, their numbers started to grow smaller. in the time leading up to the starfall, they were desperate for change.

｢ before ｣
russetfall and nettlegaze were never in love. her pregnancy was an accident - well, as much as it could be in the case of feral cats. to put it simply, poppypatch wasn't planned. both he and his sister were born from an affair that'd gotten out of hand. it had begun innocently with childhood friends passing flirtatious jokes between each other. neither of them recognized the attraction for what it was, perhaps hiding the fact because russet was already promised to a different tom. but, as things like this tend to, it eventually got out of control.

nettlegaze adored the molly. it got to the point that his actions were becoming overt which put them both at jeopardy. he would bring her prey in the morning and sneak her away at night to a place outside of camp where they'd talk for hours. for him, it was love. the closest he ever got at least. the closest he ever would. unfortunately for him, he wasn't particularly charming in the least. niceties hardly made up for his grizzled appearance, one forged in countless fights under the name of his clan. he walked with a clear limp, jaw set awkward from a wound never properly healed and eyes tired from his years. his personality was equal parts simple and strict. cheating with someone seemed so out of character that nobody ever suspected a thing from him.

on the other hand, russet differed from him in nearly every regard. she was younger, brighter, a star to his night. the she-cat was only a few moons younger than he, but she appeared to be less than half his age. her lithe frame was hardly scarred, decorated in swirling patterns that entranced nettled. she was social, maybe overly so. russetfall stuck her nose where it didn't belong and continued to dig even when she found herself in a metaphorical pit. it wasn't a surprise that she ended up in the position that she did. at some point she found herself a romantic partner in the form of a clanmate named cedarstep. he later became her mate. they were only together for half a year before her eyes began to wander.

having grown up alongside each other, russet and nettle had always been close. not best friends, but near it in that regard. she confided in him her worries of a long-term relationship. was she too young? was cedarstep not meant for her? would she regret it if things didn't work out? one day their conversations shifted from her relationship to their own. recently promoted to deputy, nettlegaze felt boldness spark in him, the title boosting his ego in a foolhardy way. he began to make advances that were hesitantly welcomed by the she-cat. they had started something and, from how things were progressing, it seemed that they were going to keep building upon it. and they tried to. the two would meet at trysts, entertain the idea of futures they would never have and children they would never name. both of them knew it was wrong. not only that, but it was harmful to themselves to discuss such notions when they knew russet was dedicated to another happy relationship.

when a rumor started to circulate around gorgeclan that the two of them may have had something going on, nettle was quick to cut it short. he was the deputy, a politician that couldn't be caught in a scandal. he and russet met for a final time to officially end their romance, but feelings were overwhelming and wills weak. she announced her conception weeks later. things between them fell apart then. understandably, they were both frustrated with the circumstance, though neither would accept blame for it. the stress of being found out and the lie they would have to live strangled their friendship, twisted it so tight that it died from the asphyxiation. all that was left was negativity. hurt. regret. hatred. somehow, cedarstep was more understanding than either of them involved when he was told.

｢ kit ｣
cedar and russet managed to stay together despite the entire ordeal. in fact, he was excited at the prospect of having kits even if they weren't his own. nettle loathed him for it. or, more accurately, he loathed the tom for being where he wished he could be: starting a family. the mother-to-be didn't share the optimistic attitude. she felt miserable about herself and the pregnancy. that attitude certainly wasn't helped when it proved to be a rough gestation. constantly ailing, russetfall suffered through sickness for over two months. and, when the kits were born, she was happy for only a brief period. two kits came of the litter. a tom first followed by a she-cat, poppykit and larkkit respectively.

relief was what she experienced, euphoric yet fleeting. she took solace in the fact that she would no longer have to carry the extra weight of kittens nor deal with the prerequisite symptoms that accompany a pregnancy. russetfall felt better then than she thought she ever would. that cushion of joy was soon ruptured by the sounds of crying. she decided early on that she couldn't stand the noise.

it was at a point nearing the second moon of their lives that their mother would disappear. early one morning she woke up before the sun had even risen to come to the forceful realization that she couldn't keep living this way. so full of frustrations, she took one of the kits and fled. a patrol was sent out in search of her and the child but it was in vain. russetfall was gone. cedarstep insisted on going after her and he too vanished. the trio was never heard from again. while there'd be the occasional claim that someone had seen or smelled something, it was largely presumed that they had joined another clan. some felt that they may have died. their presence lingered in the clan; three members short felt like a big hole in the modestly sized group. a sick twist of fate that poppykit would fully develop his sight just in time to watch his mother walk right out of his life. two parents and a sibling is a lot to lose but he was too young to completely comprehend it at the time.

nettlegaze was still deputy. he had seen the kittens only once, having gone to see them the day after they were born, but had never visited after. his ex's departure stung him deep. and although it was true, he would never admit to even himself that he didn't mourn the baby she had taken with her. but when cedar followed in their footsteps, the responsibility of the remaining child fell to him. the reality of it all hit him harder than an opponent ever could. the kitten was his. reluctantly he accepted the role of a parent, albeit not entirely for the right reasons. of course part of him was excited at the prospect, but another part was due to the fact that he didn't want to paint himself in a bad light. after all, a high ranking official refusing to take care of a child after the mother left the picture would cause talk around the clan. more than there already was at the time.

unsurprisingly, he was ill-prepared for fatherhood. managing his time and upholding a strong persona were his main struggles. if he spent too much time with poppykit, then he would look soft. yet, if he spent too little time with his son, then he would look cruel. his appearances were in spurts, a few visits a day wherein he entered the nursery for anywhere from ten minutes to a full hour. there he would entertain poppy with stories of being a warrior and chat with the queens who seemed to enjoy his presence most of the time. nettlegaze, despite his best efforts, never fully got into the swing of things. it didn't matter in the end because the moons passed shockingly fast and soon poppykit was moving onto the next stage of his life.

｢ apprentice ｣
poppypaw.

poppypaw. the tabby loved the sound of his name. the alliteration, the way the consonants popped! in his head when he sounded them out - it sounded so full of life, so jubilant! it was what he based himself off of. he hadn't been an energetic kit compared to the normal standards. his missing family and awkward part-time relationship with his father were likely to thank for that. but that changed the day he was apprenticed. there was a certain flare that came with his new name, an energy that sparked and burned brightly enough to show clear on his face. his ceremony was a milestone for himself and his assigned mentor, mousehop, who had never before trained an apprentice.

mousehop was easy to pick out in a crowd. once you found her, you'd realize that her name fit perfectly. she was a small she-cat, one that reached only the shoulders of the average warrior. her fur was short and grey. mousy. it would stick up in wild tufts at seemingly random points. her whiskers were long and clearly visible next to her tiny nose. the molly certainly wasn't what came to mind when thinking of gorgeclan's finest, but she didn't let her appearance deter her in the slightest.

which would have been a good thing had she actually been a skilled warrior herself. mousehop, in fact, was most definitely not a skilled warrior. she was a skittish cat who had trouble sitting still for too long. oftentimes she would pace back and forth as she spoke or would constantly shift. during lessons she would occasionally realize that she didn't remember how to do the thing she was meant to be teaching. poppypaw didn't learn how to pounce correctly until he was over a month into his apprenticeship because of this. mousehop had a tendency to ramble and trail off when she spoke, too, which easily derailed the topic. this didn't bother the apprentice. in fact he grew to enjoy her company more than anyone else's. a naturally cheerful demeanor made her a comfortable person to be around while her eccentricities added to the experience. the warrior's high energy was so different from that of his father and the mothers in the nursery that he was intimidated by her for a good while.

poppy's training was slow. the both of them were at fault for mousehop found it difficult to play the role of a mentor while the apprentice encouraged them to be friends foremost. they talked more than they did anything that would constitute as learning. most weren't bothered by the dynamic, though there were a few members of the clan that voiced their dislike of the blase approach. through their talks, they learned a lot about each other and themselves. for instance, mousehop expressed her wishes to have something more to do in life. being a warrior was fun and noble in her eyes but also repetitive and bleak. what was she supposed to do? do patrols until she died? hope that one day she would be chosen as deputy so she'd have purpose again? graduating had thrown her into what she felt like was a dead end. poppypaw took on this way of thinking subconsciously. it wouldn't affect him until he himself was in her position. until then, he nodded. he gave her his condolences.

similarly, he was also finding being a warrior being underwhelming. unlike a good portion of other apprentices his age, poppypaw didn't find the role being as extravagant as it was played off to be. it was a wise realism fed by his mentors laments, and one that dampened his spirits for the future. from that, however, he came to the conclusion that he had more interest in practicing medicine than learning to hunt and fight. mousehop enthused this by taking him to see their medicine cat, clayfur, a few times a week. poppy took quick to studying bush medicine, guided under the tutelage of their elderly healer and her own apprentice, redpaw. the other apprentice became a close friend who would be more important in his life later on. this continued for a few moons until he felt sure enough in his abilities to tell his father. nettlegaze wasn't pleased.

his father chastised him for wasting time. they already had a medicine cat apprentice. it was bad enough that poppypaw had skipped over so much valuable learning to the point he was behind the other apprentices a remarkable deal, but then he went an hid it for months. he had lied straight to his father's face every time, too. nettle was near livid. nine moons and his kid still couldn't properly hunt! had the deputy himself not been so experience with war himself, he might have been more open-minded to the idea. sadly, he was too paranoid about the security of their clan to properly rationalize the situation. in the end, he permitted his son to continue being mentored under clayfur, though the tone said much more than his words did. poppypaw had never thought of himself as a disappointment before so the abruptness of seeing how much of one he was hurt.

the next day he woke to salt in his wound. mousehop approached him, not for a lesson, but to tell him that she was no longer his mentor. the leader had stripped her of the responsibility. adding insult to injury, she had also been demoted back to the rank of apprentice herself in hopes that another few moons would force her into being a more mature and capable asset. it was dismaying to put it lightly. even worse, she avoided him for a portion of time. in fact, she withdrew from everyone initially feeling embarrassed. ashamed. poppypaw did what his heart told him to and returned to clayfur. as things continued, he became to like healing less and less. what was frustrating was that he couldn't even entirely blame his father for it, either. as it turned out, he had enjoyed the medicine because it was based mostly upon learning rather than practicing. he could memorize names and uses without having to hone his skills. being a warrior was about action; being a healer was about compassion.

his interest died slowly yet suddenly at the same time. damaged dreams fell apart the longer he stuck working with clayfur and redpaw. with every injured cat that came in, he could feel his confusion grow. is this really what he wanted to be doing? the answer was yes. was he sure? the answer was no. the passion was still there, he could feel it deep down. the enjoyment was another story. poppypaw was having less fun. and that was perhaps because he began to understand that being a medicine cat wasn't meant to be fun. there was lots of stress that came with the position. they needed to save people, clean wounds, make sure their clanmates didn't bleed out or choke on their sickness, do so much more. the breaking point was when a warrior was brought to the den; he had gotten into a fight with cats from a neighboring clan and been pushed from a steep drop off.

( tw;; death )

"he's not going to make it." the statement was grim. it shook poppypaw to his core, twisting his gut with an urgency that had him clenching his jaw and shivering. clayfur had just given the tom a death sentence. her face was drawn, but not nearly as much as redpaw's or his own. she didn't look distressed or sorrowful. she didn't even seem sorry. not as she said this to the dying cat himself. not as she heard his last wishes. not as she administered cane toad toxin that had him lifeless within a mere couple painfully long seconds.

later that night, poppypaw couldn't sleep. not after witnessing something so gruesome. at first he thought that had was afraid of clayfur. she was their medicine cat. she was supposed to care. and she just didn't. after a prayer to starclan, the molly had left to tell the leader of the passing. when she returned, the three of them finished their day in silence. even hours after, the scene replayed in poppy's mind. and the more he thought of it, the more he picked it apart. it took most the night for him to process the event, and the conclusion rushed upon him so suddenly that he felt as though he were hitting the ground from a long fall. it wasn't that clayfur didn't care - she was just used to it.

the very next day he told nettlegaze that he wanted to be a warrior. his dad was please but it seemed that someone had told him of what happened the day before. he and poppy sat down and had a long talk. they grew closer from it. they finally understood each other. the deputy and apprentice privately met with their leader, spottedstar, who, out of the kindness of her heart, assigned him the same mentor as she did mousepaw (formerly known as mousehop).

bushtail wasn't nearly as fun a mentor as mouse had been. she was, however, a much better one. poppypaw learned fast with her teaching. he grew to respect her wisdom and patience. moreover, he enjoyed her lectures because they lessened the distance mouse wanted to put between poppypaw and herself. soon, their relationship was mended completely. the two of them would still visit the medicine cats regularly. it was relieving to know that clayfur held nothing against him for abandoning his studies. life felt better after all was said and done. the remaining moons passed by and then suddenly he was . . .

｢ warrior ｣
poppypatch.

he was indifferent to the name this time around. at this age he knew that he wasn't built around his name. rather it was the other way around. poppy because of his red fur. it was vivid and bright much like the bloom of the flower itself. he put more meaning into the term because he had done much growing since he left the nursery. wiser now than he was then, the world didn't seem so big anymore. in a metaphorical sense of course. patch because of his coat, too. darker hues on his back made up disconnected patterning that resembled patchy striping. there were also the light spots of cream on his muzzle and chest. he was poppypatch and things made sense for a little while.

mousehop graduated alongside him. she was given her old name back and with it came her previous enthusiasm that'd been missing for so long. her shift back was refreshing; it was nice to see that she was happy with herself again. a few weeks earlier, redpaw received his own name. redstem now worked as a fully-fledged medicine cat. the three of them remained tightly knit. eventually, redstem and poppypatch entered a romance with one another. it was casual, comfortable, and, most importantly, hidden. medicine cats were forbidden to have mates. "dating" was a gray area on the matter since it so closely toed the line of a lifetime partner. still, they thoroughly took delight in whatever they had. and if people knew they never said anything.

the transition to warriorhood wasn't as difficult as expected. it was like a birthday in the way that things are exactly the same but you act like they've changed. at the start he was living off the emotional high that came with achieving a major lifelong goal. it lasted just under a moon before dying down. it was at this point that poppypatch recalled what mousehop used to bemoan because he began to feel it. there was a redundancy to clan life. he fell into a routine of hunting in the morning, having a snack midday with some clanmates, and a late afternoon patrol. on more than one occasion he would push himself to vary what he did, and, eventually, he completely ruined his scheduling and fell into a habit of aimlessly going about things and attending to his duties in a scattered manner. it wasn't particularly productive and he had the decency to feel bad about that. not enough to fix it though.

difficulties arose as gorgeclan began to have more frequent battles with the neighboring groups. the river in their territory was the most reliable source of water in the area and as the months grew colder, the other clans became more forceful in trying to overtake it. little rainfall came with dryleaf. poppypatch sympathized with the struggles of the nearby clans and at some point even discussed a truce with spottedstar. this idea was shot down, their leader too fearful that their kindness would be taken advantage of. poppy only argued halfheartedly. in truth, he had no evidence that she was wrong. he had the same worries.

it came as a great shame to his father that poppy was reluctant to fight. he was capable enough, but shied away from the grittier duties expected of a warrior. he managed a way out of battles as often as he could, be it reassigning himself to a last minute hunting patrol, insisting that he stay at camp to take care of elder and kits, or (on the very rare occasion) faking sick. not that he would ever admit to that last one. his beliefs were not in aggression, but in passion. he prayed to starclan for a quick end to the conflicts. nettle, apparently feeling the need to make up for his son's stunning ability to avoid even the most urgent calls to arms, pushed himself to carry the metaphorical torch instead. the deputy would frequently go out and return with more scrapes than he left with. he became reckless, vicious. as time crept on and the battles pushed towards a war, the entire clan seemed to adapt with the times. necessary, is what spottedstar had called it. barbaric was a more fitting term.

eventually, gorgeclan agreed to a merge with the adjoining duneclan. it was a smaller outfit settled in some dry, sandy stretch of land topside the gorge. what made them stand out was their sheer willingness to do most anything for access to the river. palestar, their revered leader, agreed to assimilate the groups in hopes that they would both benefit. she even voluntarily stepped down for it to happen.

nettlegaze was hardly thrilled with the turn of events. he felt threatened having new faces among their ranks. so threatened in fact that he went so far as to try and start a rebellion against the merger. spottedstar nipped it in the bud as soon as she caught wind, and whatever following he had dissipated within under a week. truthfully, it was reassuring to have additional members. cats felt safer once they got used to the new way of life. enemies became allies; strangers became friends. the additional support to their defenses certainly helped a lot in the long run. eventually, gorgeclan proved to be too strong an enemy to overcome between the sudden rise of numbers and already difficult terrain. fights became more sparse, though they never entirely ceased.

poppypatch was hesitant to accept the newcomers yet was one of the warmer welcomes to the clan. he tended to mediate between the cats until tensions fell. the passive approach allowed him to get along quite easily with all parties and a friendly disposition carried him far during the process. he took pride in aiding the joiners in learning their ways. in particular, he enjoyed instructing how to climb the cliff faces.

there was, of course, stress that came with such a drastic change. it was felt harshly by redstem who broke off their relationship over it. poppy was hurt, somewhat shocked even, and the two of them held a bitterness for each other afterward. it didn't last very long. things were never the same though. deep down, he understood that it was for the best. what they had would never have become anything more serious. it was also at this time that poppypatch was assigned an apprentice which was a decent distraction from a recently broken heart. bumblepaw was her name. she had large paws and one leg was shorter than the rest to the point that her gait was clearly affected. despite it she showed great aptitude for any physical activity and had a persistently optimistic personality. the warrior trained her with all the care of an older sibling. he made sure to take an approach more appropriate than mousehop's had been, but casual all the same.

through his mentorship, he became close with bumble's single father, lionpounce. the two found themselves having a short-term relationship. really, it was more a series of flings than anything else. for a while poppypatch thought it was love only to realize that it never would be. for as handsome and alluring his partner was, there was nothing about the other tom that caused him to feel special. it was amicably broken off. even with redstem, it had felt nearly lackluster beneath the fun. try as he might, poppy could never figure out why they didn't connect and his attempt at uncovering the reason led him to enter several noncommittal romances. his affections rarely evolved into infatuation. when they did, he ended up focusing more on how much better things could be rather than how good they were. he always grew away from the toms he got close to. he was sure he loved, but never felt that he was in love. maybe he wasn't meant for it.

bumblepaw graduated to bumblewing in the fastest six moons of his life. he was enthralled by the girl's accomplishments and remained relatively close with her up until the disaster. it was a nice celebration and a fitting counterpart to the demotion of his father. nettlegaze at some point suffered an accident that broke his leg. it never healed properly. more importantly, he could never walk correctly again. with an established limp and what could be considered a useless limb, he was left nearly dragging himself around. he was forced into an early retirement, unable to do the work of a warrior, where he grew resentful of life. poppy did his best to maintain relations and, to an extent, succeeded. but it was clear how much pain his father was in. emotional and physical. ironically, the former duneclan leader was appointed deputy shortly thereafter.

the moons leading up to the starfall were probably the worst of his life. nothing tragic happened. poppy just felt apathetic towards them. he wasn't growing any, once again falling into living the same day over and over again. mousehop found herself deeply invested with another molly whom she spent most her time with. redstem and he didn't speak as often anymore. bumblewing was closer with her group of younger friends. and all around him were the faces of lovers he could never make things work with. poppypatch wasn't sad nor was he angry with the monotonous theme. he was simply . . . discontent.

it was no matter though because life went on.

｢ starfall ｣
“when the star meets the earth it will be cleansed of its impurities. when the sacrifice has been made, the land will start anew.”

clayfur scoffed at the prophecy. she wasn't the type to disregard messages from starclan, but that one hadn't made a lick of sense. "bah! the only impurities here are my thoughts about rushleap! don't you go tellin' no one though. could lose my job." she wasn't dismissive of the warning, though her inability to figure out what it meant kept her from lingering on it too long. redstem worked to try and decipher it himself to no avail. duckspots - transferred medicine cat courtesy of duneclan - even tried their hand at it. poppypatch listened to the three of them go back and forth with the conversation lost as a kit in the prairie. their leader was notified later on. she kept the news to herself for a few days in hopes of the medicine cats coming to a conclusion of what starclan was trying to convey. without a definitive answer, though, she was forced to relay incomplete news to the clan.

naturally, it didn't go well.

the wording was enough for alarm. cleansing the earth of impurities didn't exactly strike confidence in anyone. was the star a leader? the sun? and what were the sacrifices? were they a who? paranoia rippled through the masses as the warning was taken to heart. poppypatch worked with others to try and quell the fear trickling through the clan, though even he felt it to be a death sentence. he didn't understand and, admittedly, a part of him didn't want to. it was frightening. instead, the tabby tried to divert his focus into helping others. the day-to-day had been interrupted and he took up extra chores while order temporarily faltered.

things never fully recovered. they were rocky from then on out. from what poppypatch heard they were a lot better off than some other clans. devout as they were, they never resorted to any extreme measures. tales of clans performing actual sacrifices left a terribly vile taste in the back of his throat. there were many rogues that passed by their lands, bringing grim tales of society falling to shambles piece by piece over the prophecy. it was surprising to learn that it was so widespread. even more so when nobody had a clear idea on what it meant. it was a mystery up until the very moment it happened.

watching the hellish light descend from the sky had been a haunting experience. what followed was indescribably worse. for days after, poppy could still see the bright plummeting figure, could still hear the earth-shattering boom of the impact. as if that weren't bad enough, he had been caught in a frenzy of screaming cats who were equally terrified for their lives. it felt hazy following the event. as he continued on, he witnessed things he never thought he'd see. his clan was destroyed, their territory collapsing on itself and crushing most in a violent rockfall. it was miraculous he survived. not something he would take for granted either.

poppypatch was drowning in grief. his home, his friends, his life - all taken from him in a flash. mousehop survived as well. his other companions had not been so fortunate. the two of them ended up joining with a traveling group days later. a relief effort is what they branded themselves as. together, they went around providing aid to those who needed it. digging cats from holes, carrying herbs across shattered territories, taking in other lost souls. it was nice feeling like he was doing something to make a change, however small it was. the nomadic life just wasn't for him in the end.

when he heard of clans beginning to form, poppy took interest. mousehop opted to remain behind, leaving him on his own for the first time. it was sheer luck that he happened upon earthclan first. and, although they were atheist, he decided to stay. maybe they weren't the most like-minded individuals, but he respected their values. that and their leader seemed to have a good head on her shoulders. it had potential.

hopefully he won't be disappointed.

｢ tl;dr ｣
poppykit is born of an affair. his mother, russetfall, grows frustrated with where she has ended up in life and so she flees the clan early in his kithood, taking his sister with her. russet's mate follows as well which puts poppy in the care of his deputized father nettlegaze. when he is apprenticed, he's assigned mousehop as a mentor. rather than properly training, they frequent the medicine den to indulge his interest in healing. the two become good friends with the medicine cat, clayfur, and her apprentice, redpaw. when it's found out that he hasn't been training to be a warrior for the last couple moons, mousehop is told she's no longer his mentor. she's demoted back to apprentice while he is allowed to continue studying medicine. after clayfur has to put down a fatally injured patient, however, he decides to take up proper training. his new mentor is bushtail who, coincidentally, is also training mousepaw.

poppypatch is given his warrior name. mousehops becomes a warrior again, too. poppy and the recently named redstem end up in a casual relationship. a rising number of conflicts with gorgeclan and the neighboring groups causes lots of fights, most of which poppy doesn't play a part in. the nearby duneclan merges with them and he helps to train the newcomers to traverse their new environment. he and redstem break it off and are left on awkward terms. later, he is assigned bumblepaw as an apprentice. her dad, lionpounce, and he start a relationship, though it's later broke off. poppypatch begins to have flings with more toms hoping to find love, but lacks a real connection with any of them. bumblewing becomes a warrior, something he is very proud of.

the starfall leaves him shaken and uncertain. gorgeclan is largely destroyed with mousehop being his only friend to have survived. the duo end up joining a traveling group that hopes to help those struggling in the aftermath of the tragedy. he enjoys the works but not so much the constant wandering of the australian landscapes. when he hear tell of clans forming once more, poppy decides to look into them. mousehop, unfortunately, doesn't share his interest in the possibility of a new life in a more traditional setting. they say goodbye and he leaves. poppypatch ends up in earthclan with hopes of a brighter future.

— EXTRAS
- devoted to starclan still
- thinks starclan calling themselves 'starclan' is disrespectful
- dodges personal questions like bullets
- poopie patch

( — PLAYLIST )
i. little prince // ajj
ii. keep on running // andy bull
iii. alive // the tragic thrills
iv. it gets better // aliceband
v. the ship in port // radical face