Raspberryclaw

[attr="class","arrgenMAINTEXT"]Raspberryclaw knows it's not easy being second-best. Having grown in the shadows of her star sibling, Raspberryclaw can be bitter and ill-tempered. The warrior strives to measure-up and prove her mettle in every way, yet somehow her deeds never quite seem worthy of any notice. She finds this odd, considering she's always worked twice as hard to overcome her own self-perceived shortcomings. A bit of a perfectionist, she picks at other's flaws or anything that outright inconveniences her. And with a tongue as sharp as her mind, finding the socially acceptable thing to say has never been a priority. Unfortunately, this sort of behavior doesn't earn her many friends. To combat any sense of loneliness or self-pity derived from this, the cat's more prone to push others away and ignore anything she doesn't want to comprehend- How come her accomplishments weren't ever worth anything? How come Cherrybriar/star got all the praise? How had she earned anything she's been given by luck alone?

Given her ambitious, competitive nature, Raspberryclaw throws herself willingly into most available assignments. She's unafraid to volunteer and doesn't say no to a double-shift patrol. Work brings her some sense of fulfillment, even if her dedication goes unnoticed. She's fiercely loyal to her clan over all and even sibling rivalries can't challenge her allegiance. While she might harbor resentment for her sister personally as leader, she respects the position and title Cherrystar holds. Even moreso, she recognizes how much responsibility rests on her sister's shoulders (not that she did anything to earn it, nyah *sticks her tongue out*)

As far as her view of the other clans is concerned, most of Raspberryclaw's worries are internally driven. She doesn't concern herself with the other clans so long as Thunderclan remains unaffected. If her little world is safe, she couldn't care less about whatever those other ruffians are up to. If they stay on their sides of the borders and don't threaten their stake to prey, Raspberryclaw will keep to her own. She would likely support rogues, kittypets, and defectors joining Thunderclan- Afterall, who wouldn't want to join them?

While age has made her tougher and rougher around the edges, Raspberryclaw does enjoy a few of the finer things in life. She enjoys quiet walks by the stream, catching moths at dusk, a warm mouse, and chasing crickets through the fields. Rumor has it she might even be dining on tasty gourmet kibble set out by a well-meaning two-leg.

[attr="class","arrgenMAINTEXT"]Born alongside her two sisters, Cherrykit and Strawberrykit, life for Raspberrykit was challenging from the start. Given how their mother doted on her bolder sister (Cherrykit) daily, resentment was planted in her young heart at an early age. She often felt slighted and ignored when her mother praised the calico for the most trifling of things or dreamed about all she'd accomplish someday. What about her- What would she do someday as a warrior? When pressed, their mother dismissed all daydreams but those of her favored daughter.

As an apprentice, her star sibling still managed to steal the show and excel during training. Of course, Raspberrypaw rose to the challenge and was determined to train even harder than the other apprentices. The ambitious cat pushed herself to leap higher, to run faster, and to scout with more accuracy than any full fledged warrior (with decent results, despite running herself thin). However, her accomplishments never seemed to catch the attention and approval she craved. After her assessment, she was given the name Raspberryclaw for how swiftly she could leap and claw a bird from the air (a favored trick). Strawberrypaw/whisker and Raspberrypaw/claw passed their assessments at the same time as Cherrypaw/briar, but she couldn't help but feel their accomplishments were overshadowed by the other. In the following week, Raspberrypaw vented occasionally to her other sister- Truly, Strawberrywhisker was the only cat who really understood how it felt to be so belittled and underappreciated.

Raspberryclaw performed her warrior duties with ease. Escaping camp to patrol was a true joy- The fresh air kept her head clear and her mind bright. Without constant training with her sisters or sleeping together in the smaller apprentice den, she's able to keep their rivalry from her thoughts. Out of sight, out of mind. For a while, the she-cat is happy with her lot in life. At 27 moons of age, she even had herself an apprentice to train, bluepaw, and was determined to train up someone perfect. However, her sister isn't to be outdone. When their deputy dies in a border skirmish, it's no surprised when the highly praised Cherrybriar takes his place. Disgruntled and annoyed, Raspberryclaw doesn't go out of her way to congratulate the molly. Rather, she spends a night out hunting and does her best to ignore the turn of events- and the possible future it holds. Jealousy gnaws at her core two moons later, when Bearstar dies unexpectedly. Of course, the star becomes a literal star. Cherrystar. Raspberryclaw held no reservations regarding to whether or not the title had been earned. More than one cat has heard her grumble, "Momma always said she was gonna be a star. Guess she spoke it into existence... Not like anything else did it." Not when Raspberry had always worked so much harder with so little reward!

As she aged, the cat tried to find like-minded friends or allies, but never could quite get the hang of social gatherings. Too crude, too crass, Raspberryclaw found it easier to offend than befriend. So she rolled with it and embraced a coarser exterior. Her second apprentice, Nimblepaw, was spared no mercy during training. At least it paid off when he was granted a place in the warrior den moons later, newly named Nimbletwig. Poor kid.

When Cherrystar's deputy Beechthorn was found crushed by a fallen tree, Raspberryclaw cut a wise remark that wasn't well received. "You'd think he'd have known to jump out of the way," she scoffed, "some choice of deputy, sis." And while she might have felt remorse for a loss to Thunderclan, she couldn't resist a subtle jab where it hurt. No surprise, Raspberry wasn't chosen as the deputy's successor.

Currently, she's taken to wandering the terrain of Thunderclan. She performs her duties well and without complaint, but her sour reputation keeps most others at bay. Save for Strawberrywhisker, her dear sweet sister. Patient and longsuffering, Strawberrywhiskey has never let her down.