morningstar, windclan leader.

charismatic. award-winning smile. bright, confident stature. indeed, morningstar is a cat who dominates the space wherever they go. exuding a kind of aura that makes it difficult to not get drawn in, it's hard not to respect them purely by disposition alone. every order that is given, it's given with a ringing tone and with a clear set purpose - every time they speak a word, it's done with a purr to lull cats around them into a sense of security. a blazing star, morningstar is the kind of cat whose appearance as well as their mannerisms line up and match perfectly, and it shows in the influence that they manage to exert. even with those who may have personal disagreements with the leader, it is difficult to say much about their bedside and table manners, other than the fact that they know how to pick and choose their words carefully, and they do so in such an effortless way it is any wonder how they've managed to do it. regardless, it's an art that they have clearly perfected.

flirtatious. watch out, attractive cats. watch out, ordinary cats. watch out, everyone in between. morningstar is here, and they're here to shake everything up. one to lavish others in compliments, especially when they believe it will result in getting them what they want, the dilute tortoiseshell makes it very clear that they may, potentially, feel something for you. or perhaps not, really. after all, it's easy for them to make another cat tongue-tied and then draw the rug out from underneath them, laughing as they've acquired the home field advantage. either way, they have assets and they know how to use them, and they know how to butter up most cats except for the rather straight-laced. a purr here, a nice word there, and they've got someone hook, line, and sinker. it also helps that they have a wild streak of pursuing cats and not settling down.

vain. and how! morningstar's got it good and they know it. they believe strongly in their appearance and they have firmly crossed the line of arrogance into showboating territory. they can hardly be blamed for how much self love they lavish upon themself, but it can certainly create a cause of annoyance for those around them who truly pick up on it. that is, anyone who doesn't find the trait endearing, as it is usually coupled with one of their more positive traits. it almost comes off as if they're kidding around.

they're not, though. no, they really think they're all that. it's just, you know. they also know how to have fun.

cunning. at least, when it comes to wrapping cats around their finger. perhaps they're not the best hunter in the forest or the best fighter, but they are certainly a thunker if only through figuring out, how can i make this situation work out for me and my clan? always with windclan in their self interest, they pursue it with extreme prejudice and they put all their mental capacities into forming plans. their mind is constantly churning, and although they may look flighty or spacey at first glance, it's clear that there is a methodology behind their actions. by the time anyone who is affected by the plan knows about it, it's too late as their charisma helps to act as a cover up, to make them look clueless and like a fun character who may get on someone's nerves, rather than someone who is a mastermind of a tactician.

some of this cunning comes with an ambition, and while they can honor the warrior code, they are more than willing to be underhanded if it gets windclan one step ahead. they are not a cat to be pushed around.

holier than thou. very much adding onto their vanity, morningstar always wants their word to be considered on-level with starclan's. if they declare an order, they mean it, whether it's to their clan or it's to the others. if it's not followed through with, they are merciless in ensuring it is upheld. quickly switching to malice, the policies of a typically flirtatious and outwardly fun-looking leader turn sour, because they believe their way is the right way. it's difficult to negotiate with morningstar for this reason, as well. if they propose an idea, it's near impossible for them to not want to follow through with it, to convince them that some other idea may be better. after all, they believe their head is the smartest one.

the only time that they will ever bow to anyone is starclan. they know that they graciously donated nine lives upon them, and they're willing to concede to that. if starclan gives them a sign, they follow it. it's likely the only thing that makes them look like the almighty competent leader who still has a rein in there somewhere, because at the very least it can be relied upon that whatever they do, it's within the warrior code.

diplomatic. it's easy to think of morningstar as an aggressive cat because of the above descriptions, but in actuality they can be quite tame and well-mannered when they want to be. at gatherings they will keep their tongue stilled unless they have a particular idea, instead playing up their charisma rather than any kind of desire to dominate. they have a silver-tongue, and they aren't afraid to use it if need be. they are also not so aggressive that they believe they should be able to rule all clans. they believe, certainly, that other clans would be wise to follow them or else a fight is at large in their immediate future, but when it comes to inter-clan affairs, they keep their nose out of it if windclan is not the subject.

if windclan is ever asked upon for help, morningstar is more than willing to offer it in times of crises. unless windclan was personally threatened by this, however, do expect them to remember the favor they've deigned upon you and to bring it up later - in return favor form. they keep a sharp wit and an eye on proceedings, even if they may feign a disinterest in other personal affairs.

ambitious. what got them to be leader in the first place is their drive to lead and to see bigger and better things for windclan. ambition is typically painted as a bad thing; and while, in morningstar's case, it certainly can be in some situations, for others it allows windclan to not come off as weak, but a formidable clan being taken in deliberate directions. they want windclan to thrive, and they are willing to fight for territory in a battle they're sure they will win if that is necessary. they do keep covert plans on the run in case they do need some unification of the clans, though overall starclan is keeping them from enacting any of these plans... for now.

condescending. at least, in the case of arguing with them. morningstar is quick to assert their leadership status and how they've been granted the nine lives, not you. sometimes they'll do this in a passive aggressive, undermining way because it's difficult for others to argue against it and they're fully aware of that. with one step forward they're willing to shake up the ground around them and they're more than willing to let you know how ridiculous your idea is; they'll just do it in a charming, sweet way so it's difficult to realize that they're insulting you until after the fact. just like everything else about them, it's underhanded and can be considered less befitting of a leader, but it's the way they get their point across.

proud. more than anything, morningstar believes strongly in the power of windclan and the power of their leadership. although it may come across as them being a leader who strikes fear into the hearts of cats, in reality they're very much glowing with affection and admiration for their own clan. which is why when windclan is placed in a position where they look weak, even in the slightest, it's difficult for them to seek help, either for themself or for the clan they're in. they look for any solution that doesn't require helping (unless it's the "exchanging of favors") because they're not a beggar. windclan is not a clan of beggars. they're a strong-built community of moor cats capable of fending for their own and thriving within this dog-eat-dog world. for morningstar to admit any sort of weakness, it demonstrates a desperation on their part or trust, if it is a windclan cat.

Positives:
- Charismatic
- Diplomatic
- Cunning
- Determined

Neutral:
- Flirtatious
- Proud
- Flamboyant
- Ambitious

Negative:
- Vain
- Condescending
- Holier Than Thou
- Aggressive (Passively & Overtly)

the dead of night gave way to a steamy love affair between two windclan cats - two windclan cats who acted in a vicious betrayal of a long time mate. said two were rabbitheart (the she-cat) and leopardclaw (the tom), and they went behind the back of lightningstorm, rabbitheart's mate. for him to witness such a pregnancy later served as the greatest heartbreak of all, a physical reminder of the lack of loyalty that rabbitheart demonstrated toward him, and it only made sense then that he carried such hatred toward leopardclaw, who deliberately stole his mate knowing full well that she belonged with him.

of course, the affair had only been designed as a one night stand, and so the instant rabbitheart needed support, leopardclaw turned her away and went on with his warrior duties. it only made sense, then, for her to come crawling back to lightningstorm, who had a pretty good reason to not be too happy. still, he couldn't blame a kit for his mate deciding that she didn't need him and thus, he agreed to help out with the pregnancy and the care afterward, though not for her sake. she understood the mistake that she carried and she appreciated the fact that he wouldn't be so angry at her as to abandon the kits she had with someone else, despite the fact that they really shouldn't be his responsibility.

the little bundles arrived within the world in newleaf, squealing, with one dilute, one pure white, and one calico; they thus became known as morningkit, cloudkit, and spottedkit, respectively. morningkit already started to show their personality right from the getgo, with a confidence exuding from the kit as they grew older and a natural penchant for bossiness. spottedkit fell in right behind them, with a sweet silver tongue but a desire for mischief as she more than once managed to sneak out of the camp long before her apprentice ceremony. cloudkit preferred to simply watch his siblings with a rather docile framework in place for his personality. he didn't act as a moral stand-in for them; in fact, if anything, he was rather a doormat and the both of them managed to drag him into their problems and had him take the blame whenever the going got rough. all three of them lived a relatively normal kithood outside of that, with firestorm serving as a surrogate father in leopardclaw's absence, none of the three knowing the true origins behind their mother's pregnancy. rabbitheart herself behaved oddly with them, seemingly in pain around them, which left firestorm almost a single father.

as apprenticehood approached the kits, morningkit rapidly proved themself to be a natural when it came to getting other cats to do what they wanted, which made firestorm absolutely convinced that they would become leader someday. as a result, he unintentionally started to spoil them, grooming them for the potential that they displayed in their early moons. at the time, they were referred to as a she-cat, and often they were referred to as "a bossy kind of molly". the phrase, they believed, didn't fit them, but their argument revolved primarily around the bossy part, despite a part of them feeling intimately like as if that wasn't the reason why it made no sense when applying to them. still, they took pride in the title, flaunting it around the nursery without a care in the world.

the day arrived for the three to receive their apprentice names. their name became morningpaw and they were assigned to the leader himself, nightstar, a large black tom with a stern regalness about him. despite that being applied to him, when he decided to take them out for training, they managed to weasel their way out of work with flattery, a compliment or two, a playful disposition that made even the toughest of his walls crack. through their mentor, they learned that the ability to get on someone's good side like this meant that they would be able to assert control, and nighttar served as a testament to that. more than one training sessions they managed to waste instead with play, the immaturity of their age reflecting their ability to focus. this served as a stark contrast to their sibling, cloudpaw, who managed by the first moon of apprenticehood a kind of mastery over hunting that they could not even come close to demonstrating.

"it's not that hard," cloudpaw told them when they stared with wide eyes as he managed to catch a mouse all on his own. "you've probably got it by now. you're being trained by the leader."

"well...not really." for once, a puncture wound managed to be inflicted upon their ego, and it stung. how could their brother be better than them at anything? especially when firestorm fed them the promise of future leadership...

"oh? what are you doing while training, then?"

and that served as a lesson for morningpaw: pick and choose the appropriate times to bend others to their will. demonstrating it willy-nilly let them fall behind both their sister and their brother.

as a result, their flattery died down later on in their apprenticehood, allowing them time to catch up with their brother and sister.

while playing the role of apprentice, they found themself questioning who they were even more than before - in their demonstration of skill, they found out the kind of cat that they wanted to be and what level was realistic for them to achieve. as they went on, hunting seemed to be the major portion of their repertoire, and it is also then that they discover why, in their kithood, that the she-cat portion rendered a misnomer - they were a they-cat, existing outside of the binary terms set by the others.

which is something they certainly asserted back within their clan with mixed results, as it was assumed they were doing this simply for the sake of not having kits.

regardless, warriorhood fast approached when they managed to prove their upcoming strength within a fight with shadowclan on their borders. with that, they received the name morningheart by their mentor for their stunning passion as well as their persuasive attitude within the clan, and although their gender identity was met with mixed results, their prowess certainly wasn't. their siblings also earned their names: cloudmist, for his calm demeanor, and spottedtalon, for her fierceness. it seemed, for the three warriors, that life was good.

that was, until sometime during their warriorship, the news was broken to them that the three of them, by all means, should not exist.

what news to take, to learn that they were the result of a one night stand! it'd come from rabbitheart, who had grown tired of hiding the truth from the three of them and suffering from an invisible pain none of them could manage to wrench from her. and as with all news like this, the results also became a mixed bag. cloudmist took it the best; he believed that accidents happened, and that it must have happened for a reason. spottedtalon was not so much enthused as her own reaction rivaled with a great storm, a questioning of her existence completely taking over her mind as she fell into reclusiveness. morningheart...well, morningheart wasn't sure how to feel about the development.

much deliberation kept them to the warrior den, but it was then that nightstar confronted them, right at the moment they really did most need it.

"you've become a recluse, morningheart," he noted with a tone of amusement, which led to a flash of defensiveness within the tortoise shell's chest.

"it is within my right to be by myself," they huffed, turning their back to him.

"certainly. but it is unlike you. during your apprenticehood, you showed a lot of courage and assertiveness. where did that all go?"

they faltered. then, they allowed only one cat, only one, to see their weakness. "i was, supposedly, a mistake. on my mother and... father's part."

he approached, his head bowing slightly. "is that it, then? well, i'll have you know that if you are a mistake, you are one of the best mistakes that windclan has ever made."

morningheart snorted. "you're just saying that. i was always an underachiever."

nightstar purred. "in some things. but in others, you excelled. and...you have a gift. why not use that? you were brought into windclan for a reason, and it needs you."

with that, they took those words into heart, stirring them from their funk and bringing them forward - and not a moment too late, as their sister started heading down a road that she needed them for.

she'd been about to head out of the clan, out of the home that helped to provide for her, but they recited what nightstar told them. despite what may be seen of this leader, of how they present themself now, that didn't prevent them, back in the day, from getting touchy. and they certainly did, as they always did and always would, with their family. while diametrically different from them all, they loved spottedtalon and cloudmist.

which was why, of course, it was a terrible tragedy to lose one in a fight with shadowclan.

ill-fated, the war became, around morningheart's thirtieth moon. a particularly bad skirmish broke out between the two of them, and it resulted in the loss of the very sister that they managed to save.

it was then that they decided they would do whatever they could to honor their remaining sibling, cloudmist, and to do what they could in order to support windclan. they worked hard as a warrior to compensate for their earlier moons, and they could swear that even in the aftermath after their losses had been cut, nightstar smiled down upon them. it was almost as if he knew something about what they might become in the future, though they never thought that deeply into it. it was as it was, after all.

cloudmist and themself took on an apprentice each shortly after that, with morningheart's being a small she-cat by the name of starlingpaw. with diligence, they brought up this she-cat under their own new morality: of trying to earn windclan everything for itself. to charm everyone around them with feminine wiles. with dedication, with support and love and care in its own way; they performed as an intelligent tactician, and their apprentice thrived under this care, following suit after them in their footsteps. parents watched in awe, even at the declining happiness from rabbitheart. at least lightningstorm looked on with a sense of accomplishment and glee completely alighting his eyes, even with the knowledge that they were not really his kit.

with both of their apprentices earning their names on time, morningheart and cloudmist relaxed, caught up, and allowed the next few moons to pass them by.

unfortunately, life wasn't so simple when the sudden shock of a leaf-bare gone wrong left windclan weakened, stripped of many of its good cats, and crippled it effectively by forcing old deputy mousetooth to leave for starclan up in silverpelt.

with his clan falling apart around him, it made sense for pressure to get to nightstar; and it was met with a great gratefulness that morningheart had been chosen to follow in his steps.

moons passed as windclan finally faced a lap of luxury for a time. with it moving onward, with morningheart moving onward, they believed falsely in the extending prosperity that hit the clan, which unfortunately left everyone frozen when nightstar's final life completely slipped from him. anxiety filled morningheart; what if they were the wrong cat? what if nightstar chose incorrectly? what if starclan rejected them?

"you were brought into windclan for a reason, and it needs you."

they hung onto that as they received their nine lives.

[previous medicine cat] - 1st life. Knowledge.
Spottedtalon - 2nd life. Devotion.
Mousetooth - 3rd life. Protection.
Appleleaf, a pretty ginger she-cat - 4th life. Love.
Blackclaw, a black tom - 5th life. Vitality.
Cherryheart, a sandy she-cat - 6th life. Compassion.
[to be filled in by wanted] - 7th life. Strength to go on.
[to be filled in by wanted] - 8th life. Intuition.
Nightstar - 9th life. Courage.

with these lives bestowed upon morningstar, they have carried their clan through the rest of its lifespan, from their age of forty moons. it started with anxiety, but they have grown, taking nightstar's advice to heart.

as of current, they have eight lives left, their first having been lost during a fight with riverclan.

morningkit morningpaw morningheart morningstar