Ravenfire

[attr="class","arrgenMAINTEXT"]confident but dependant
With everything that he is Ravenfire prides himself as a confident young warrior. He's good at instigating activities as well as friendships. He's strong in his relationships with other clan members and isn't afraid to speak his mind. His friendliness to the other clans is also very apparent. Gatherings are riddled with his beautifully spoken words. Besides, who wants to fight with a cat they actually like?

But despite this "confidence," Ravenfire desperately craves the acceptance and confirmation of his half-brother, Shrikethorn. His insecurities are fed by obeying his brother's every whim, and knowing that he's doing well. Without Shrikethorn he's simply a broken soul. He looks up to Shrikethorn and will follow him to the ends of the earth.

social but stubborn
We mention once again just how social Ravenfire is. He's a brilliant liar and puts on his mask very well to hide his hatred and bitterness toward his own family and the rest of the clan. He's friendly, kind, emotionally compatible with many others in his clan and out. However, he's as stubborn as a badger. Besides Shrikethorn no one can even think about making him do anything he doesn't want to do. He's not afraid to stand up for himself and he doesn't allow older warriors to walk all over him. He's an ambitious and strong-willed tom who is willing to get into fights if he feels the need to.

intelligent and manipulative
While he doesn't show it often (because if anyone knew Ravenfire could be found out fairly quickly) he's actually very smart. He can sometimes act as the clan clown, but really he's watching your every move and trying to figure out the next step in manipulating your very existence. He fawns over taking on the role of the puppet master and takes his manipulation very seriously. He's very good at deciding whether or not you're interesting or useful to him.

intuitive and deadly
Despite the lack of care for others, Ravenfire is brilliant at interpreting the emotions of others. He may not be able to fully understand them, due to locking his own away, but he's really good at manipulating them in others. His whispers and lies are like the scent of roses and with the effect of poison. This is generally how he leads his victims to their demise or destruction.

loyal but bitter
If you earn his respect, which is NOT easy, trust me, Ravenfire will become incredibly loyal to you. For now, his only loyalty belongs to Shrikethorn, who has thus far been the only one he feels truly understands him. But that doesn't mean there isn't bitterness in his heart. Bitterness at his family, at his clan, and at his half-brother. He doesn't realize just how much pain and anger he has towards his former mentor for all the pain he'd been through when he was an apprentice.

[attr="class","arrgenMAINTEXT"][CONTENT WARNING: MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL ABUSE, DEATH, AND DARK MANIPULATION]

kithood | brokenness
They push you around. Getting milk is hard. Sometimes you're left alone, mewling for attention and affection and only getting emptiness. You cry for your mother but there is no answer. You can hear her voice but she does not turn it to you. At least not lovingly. She sounds sweet, kind, but you only get harsh sounds. You learn to be silent. Sometimes you go hungry. Sometimes you get milk from someone, not your mother.

When you open your eyes, and you begin walking, you learn to avoid your father at all costs. You learn that your mother will only give you attention if you scream at the top of your lungs, even if it is anger. You learn that because your siblings are beautiful they are worth so much more than you. At first, you cry yourself to sleep, but even then your mother snaps at you to stop. What's the point of life if this is all there is.

And then you begin to see his face every day. Now that you are allowed out of the nursery, you can't stop following him. The kindness he gives you is what you're desperately hungry for. He's your older brother, he tells you, and says that you're special compared to those "starkissed kits." You're one of a kind and stronger than your siblings. He tells you that Starclan didn't choose you because they're afraid of you.

Because you're a monster to them.

You start talking back to your mother, your words flowing like licking flames burning the wood below. You don't even try to play with your siblings anymore, preferring to sit back and criticize them like their father criticizes you. The whispers of your older brother hissing through your ears and into your inner thoughts, changing the way you see the world around you. Instead of the weak little starless kit that your family has tried to force you to be, you become stronger than any of your siblings. Intelligence and the power the darkness gives you make you a force to be reckoned with.

And then three of your siblings go limp. You watch with interest as the life and light disappear from the eyes of your sick sister Sparrowkit. A moon after that your sister Thrushkit and brother Condorkit go "missing". You remember seeing him the night of their disappearance, but he lulled you back to sleep and you remember dreaming of the river raging around you, filling your lungs with water.

The morning after they are found by the river and are brought back to camp. Once again you see dull, milky, empty eyes. No life inhabiting them whatsoever and you can't help but stare in curiosity. Your mother screams in anguish at their demise, but your eyes lock with his and you see him smile sweetly at you, inviting you into his comfort. So you go to him and he wraps his tail around your small frail body.

It feels nice.

of course, the next morning, you find that your mother has gone missing too, and you no longer have to be under her disappointment and neglect. You hated her anyway. But you're expected to grieve, and so this time you go to him yourself and hide in his embrace. You've found where you belong.

apprenticeship | brokenness
It was a relief, finding out that he would be your mentor. You didn't think anyone else would understand you as well as he did. But it wasn't easy like you thought it would be. It didn't go smoothly like you wanted it too. While he never yelled at you, his words were sometimes like poison that seeped into the depths of your soul only for them come back at you like cool honey. You craved his encouragement. You craved his ownership over you. Sometimes he would leave you alone in the middle of the forest to do some useless task for a punishment, but then once your punishment was over he would bring you freshkill to share.

You would do whatever you could to please him, listen to him, and learn from him. He taught you how to appear in front of the clan, the best ways to hunt, and how to fight with the brutality of the black panther themselves. Your hunger for knowledge and power and hatred was fed to you through his teachings and you soaked everything you could, desperate to please him. Just as you craved his acceptance, he craved your obedience and demanded it of you.

You were never trouble for him, and your obedience extended out to the rest of the clan. Sometimes you would show your anger, sometimes you would show your bitterness, you would tantrum your temper and create a scene, but it was always for the right things at the right times. You were never truly upset, other than the deep hatred that you hid behind your outbursts. It was all an act. You know perfection was impossible and so they needed to see your imperfect side sometimes.

So you became a social butterfly with a specialty in deducing the emotions of others. You gained many friends in many different age ranges and even found someone to "crush on" and manipulate to your liking. Her name was Deerpaw and she was a beautiful little feline, one who hung on his every word. And you loved it. She felt bad for how you were treated by your aunt Finchsong, your sister Heronpaw, and your brother Dipperpaw. She would stand up for you and stand beside you, so you told her that you loved her. Told her that once you both were warriors she would become your mate. Her happiness fed your power hungry heart.

Then came the real challenge. His first real assignment for you. She was poison. She was a curse. You were blessed, not by the stars but by the darkness. You were sent as a prophet against the starkissed in your clan, to clean it from it's evil power. And you would fight against the stars with all your might.

You ambush her, shove her down into the smooth, cool water of the river. Her face smothered in the merciless liquid. You fight through her thrashing, but she's held down firmly beneath the surface. Finally her body falls limp under your paws, just as you hear the bushes part and a gasp fall from the mouth of Finchsong, your older half sister. Your eyes snap to hers in quick succession and for a moment you hold your breath, ears back, fur standing on end and heart pounding in your stomach. You've been caught.

But he saves you the trouble. She begs for her life, desperately telling him that she would keep her mouth shut. You carry Heronpaw's body back to the clan while he carries Finchsong's scruff, dropping her to the floor before the clan and before Whitestar. She's quickly banished from Riverclan and hasn't been seen since. Neither you, nor he has caused anymore death since then, but you watch Dippersight with eager bitterness.