Berrybushel

* Art
* Real Life

## **Physical Description**

Berrybushel is a young tom-cat with curly white fur and blue-grey tabby patches. He has a lanky, slender build and unusually large paws that never quite seem proportionate to the rest of his body. The most noticeable aspect of his appearance is his eyes - they have a strange metallic sheen, appearing almost silver or like stainless steel, due to a genetic anomaly he shares with his siblings. He sports a jagged scar across his muzzle.

## **Personality**

For a kit so small to be as sweet as he is, it must mean Berrypaw's heart takes up well over half of his tiny body. He’s got a certain boyish charm to him and his wide-eyed, freckled smiles; it’s hard to say “no” to him, whether it be to his offers of helping to carry fresh moss or a soft, hesitant plea for a little nibble of that tasty-looking mouse. Of course, a chance of the former is *much* more likely than the latter; Berrypaw seldom asks for help, especially as he grows older, as he prides himself in his sense of “southern hospitality”, so to speak. He refuses to let someone else be uncomfortable in his stead, and always makes sure to give someone else the first choice of nest or lunch.

That being said, this also means Berrypaw has a habit of being self-sacrificial. He’ll often neglect his own needs and feelings to prioritize those of his loved ones, especially his siblings. He fancies himself their protector, their *biggest* big brother, and while he’s not argumentative in any way, if someone picks on his siblings, Berrypaw is the first to leap to their defense. His large paws make him a powerful fighter, though he hates resorting to blows.

His desire to look after his siblings manifests itself in other, less fortunate ways. Berrypaw finds comfort in living in a clan, but he’s painfully aware of how he and his siblings stick out like a sore claw — their eyes, their *eyes* — so Berrypaw is dead-set on fitting in as much as he can. He follows the leader’s orders blindly (because that’s what the clan wants, and the clan is safe, and he wants his siblings to be safe, too) and upholds the warrior code and even if he doesn’t understand *why* he has to bare his teeth at the other Clans — they’re just cats, after all, just like him and Citruspaw and Applepaw and *everyone else* — he does it anyway, because he’s *supposed* to.

Change is difficult for Berrypaw; he has a habit of slipping into a routine that he follows doggedly. Even if there’s a subtle change to that routine, he’ll be off-kilter for days, feeling lost and disoriented until he can get everything back to normal. He’s terrified of the world as he knows it slipping past his paws, and while he knows it makes him old-fashioned, Berrypaw finds comfort in tradition. It’s what he knows, after all. It’s what’s *safe.*

## **Life**

Berrykit is born to unknown loner parents, alongside his siblings Citruskit and Applekit. At two moons, they are discovered by a ShadowClan patrol and brought into camp, where they would then be raised by the Clan.

### **Kithood**

While exploring ShadowClan's camp for the first time after being brought in with his siblings, Berrykit has an unfortunate encounter with a pollen-filled flower. When he tries to sniff it, he's bombarded by a wave of pollen, and can't stop sneezing. Fortunately, Aspencarol, a warrior, is nearby, and helps guide him away from the flower. Berrykit thanks her profusely, and is surprised to find out that she already knows his name. Feeling comforted by her kindness, he asks her about her namesake, and the two begin discussing aspen trees.

One day in the nursery, Berrykit watches a new cat enter, carrying some moss. He offers to help her, but is politely denied. Still, he follows her and watches her make a nest, and finally asks if she's a new queen. She says yes, to his delight; the prospect of new denmates for him and his siblings is something he looks forward to. Berrykit asks what she plans to name her kits, as they'll arrive in one to two moons, and promptly realizes he'd completely forgotten to introduce himself. He quickly does, and she does the same, introducing herself as Oakencreed. She tells him her kits will be named Lavenderkit, Hyacinthkit, and Cosmoskit, after flowers. Berrykit, delighted, tells her how much Applekit loves flowers. He wonders, briefly, if his mother had loved berries.

Still, though he'd already met two kind cats, Berrykit is still overwhelmed by the sudden shift into Clan life. One night, he sits by the nursery entrance, keeping watch over his siblings. He quickly realizes, however, that Applekit is still awake, and likely has been for some time. He asks her if she's alright, well aware of how hard on her it was to suddenly be surrounded by so many strangers. Although he has a feeling her reassurances aren't completely true, Berrykit doesn't pry; instead, he asks if she'd be honest if she truly hated it in ShadowClan and tell him, to which she lies and says yes. He believes her nonetheless, always one to trust his sibling's word, and goes on to tell her about his own opinions of the Clan and the cats he'd met after she asks for them. He tells her about his encounter with the flower and Aspencarol, as well as how nice Oakencreed had been to him. He promises to take her to see the flower, after a bit of gentle teasing.

## **Relationships**

Citruskit | Sibling | @Finley- | ★★★★★

Applekit | Sister | @AntarcticOctopus | ★★★★★

Aspencarol | Acquaintance | @Aspencarol | ★★★★☆

Oakencreed | Acquaintance | @H0ppingHare | ★★☆☆☆