Slothsneeze

***Spoiler warning:** Plot and/or ending details follow.**"...."*
**Slothsneeze** is a fluffy dusty brown tabby tom with very dark stripes and bridge, with olive green eyes.
**Slothsneeze** was born to Teguslink and Paleblossom alongside his sibling Fawnkit. He has served under Valleystar's and Dawnstar's reigns.

## Relations

Crush:

Friendships: Snowthistle, Nepenthe

Enemies:

Mentor: Unknown

## Interests

*Likes*

Slothsneeze typically tries to find enjoyment in the simple things in life, therefore making him a tom that is rather easy to please by the smallest acts. Understanding what the bad days feel like, on days where he isn’t plagued by relentless health issues, he often will cherish those moments to the maximum. Among his likes, the most direct ones would be days in which he feels healthy, as well as good company or conversation among peers. He is quite the social feline, taking delight in this networking with others, often performing acts that may brighten their days such as bringing small gifts on random occasions. He enjoys any sort of activity, particularly running across the moors, as the act of flying across the open expanse gives him a sense of freedom. Due to this, he will often challenge his Clanmates to sporadic races or hunts despite never quite caring about the outcome. Whether he wins or loses, he will have been satisfied. Additionally, Slothsneeze enjoys trying new things, sunrises, sunshine, and simple background noise, as they help remind him of the vitality that the world holds.

*Dislikes*

While Slothsneeze rarely ever expresses any negative emotion, he holds a quiet distaste for any pretentious cats that dare overshadow anothers’ achievements by over-flaunting their own. Naturally, he dislikes crude and insensitive cats, or particular dramatic cats that have a flair for over-exaggerating or complaining about mundane things. Pertinent to his health, Slothsneeze dislikes the experience of pain, and he surprisingly dislikes sleep as well, since most times the act only leads him to wake up frustrated the next morning. He often tries to avoid absolute silence or being alone, as they make him feel uneasy, also finding dislike in cloudy days and sunsets. He tends to be hypersensitive to jarring lights, sharp noises, or sudden touch. Along with this, he does not enjoy violence despite understanding combat is crucial in the protection of the Clan, nor does he like to see other cats hurting and the helplessness that comes with it. When it comes to himself, he hates the way his worries try to consume him even though they are often irrational and completely incorrect.

## Skills/Faults

*Skills*

While strong will and ambition are typically grouped together as one, Slothsneeze is a cat who is indeed strong willed, despite lacking a burning ambition to pursue idealistic dreams. Rather, his optimistic outlook on practically everything around him allows him to be satisfied with his current state of life despite its many flaws, and he chooses to hold the things he cherishes close to his heart. He hardly gives up on anything, and is a hard worker in his field, constantly networking and providing for his Clan. Additionally, he is rather inquisitive and is a quick learner, willing to listen and learn about anything that he may add to his arsenal of knowledge. His bright and generally amicable temperament allows him to get along with others quite smoothly, and he is also able to retain a sound mind through difficult events as he is slow to anger and will act in a pragmatic fashion. He is welcoming towards everyone and is often a good listener, often empathetic toward the plights of his Clanmates and always willing to keep a secret if need be. In regards to his role as a moor-runner, it is unsurprising that when he exerts himself, he is actually quite the fast runner, with sharp wits and senses that help him carry out his duties catching quick inhabitants among the lush meadows. Ever the perceptive feline, he catches on quick to emotions, habits, or body language of his prey, allowing him to almost predict what his catch will do next. This skill also applies to cats, and his sensitivity grants him a deeper subconscious understanding of those he surrounds himself with.

*Faults*

Despite being so outgoing, surprisingly, Slothsneeze is also quite the jaded feline. His most notable flaw would be his physical health, as he has a rather weak immune system and therefore finds himself sick more often than not if he is not careful. In addition to this, he also experience chronic pains throughout his body that typically vary in intensity, though this oftentimes affects his energy levels and leaves him fatigued on particularly bad days. This exhaustion can interfere with daily chores, and sleep often does little to alleviate it. Sharp stimuli can make him uncomfortable, and there are days where he does not move much from his nest, which can make him seem lazy to others unaware of his internal struggles. No matter the conflict he experiences with himself, he does not typically depend on others and will hide whatever flaws he holds under a bright smile. Independent to a fault, Slothsneeze often wonders why he feels so lonely surrounded by so many cats, when the culprit is his refusal to expose his vulnerabilities to others. Aside from occasionally going to the medicine cat den for herbs during difficult days, he keeps a lock on issues regarding his health, as he does not want to come across as weak or in need of pity. Otherwise, Slothsneeze is rather poor at fighting and at most only knows a few basic self-defense techniques, as he has always found a dislike for violence and never looked into it much. While mentally he is considered a very resilient cat, after his mother’s death he grew to be a bit of a hypochondriac, and while he knows the fears he holds regarding his own physical health are exaggerated for the most part, his attempts to rationalize these anxieties are very hit or miss.

## Personality

Generally speaking, Slothsneeze is a very genial and openminded feline, good-natured and with a countenance that is consistently bright and friendly with Clanmates no matter who they are. Quite the social feline, he will often strike conversations with anyone as long as they are willing to keep his company. He is a rather curious cat, and enjoys inquiring about others, whether it be emotional or strictly work related; his easygoing nature typically makes him a rather unproblematic feline, and connections are things that he constantly pursues. A notable trait of his, Slothsneeze also tends to be ever the optimist, choosing to make the best of the cards life had dealt him. It is rare to see him without a smile, and even in times of turmoil he will prefer to keep things lighthearted, perhaps making jokes to crack the tension. His unshakable optimism does not mean that he is unrealistic, however; he simply believes that he must push through life despite hardship, and if he lets his doubt eat away at him he would be accepting defeat. While he is an equable feline, he is also rather excitable, especially regarding topics he is passionate about, or just if he is in good company. He is constantly paying attention to the little, almost trivial things in life, whether it be a pretty view or an odd revelation that he made over a sleepless night. He is very active when he can, and on days where his health plagues him, he often does what will bring forth the most normalcy and constantly puts up a strong front, both for himself and for others, always trying to push through his fatigue to keep a casual facade. While he is not necessarily an insecure cat, he does have a fair share of anxieties that he strives to brush off to the best of his ability, and is not very good at taking compliments or being in the center of attention. Rather, he would prefer to stand on the sidelines and uplift the others around him, though the task can feel a bit bittersweet to him sometimes. Despite his fear of displaying his vulnerabilities, an invisible barricade that prevents him from forming truly deep bonds with others, Slothsneeze is a truthfully empathetic cat who holds genuine care for his Clanmates, always carefully monitoring others to ensure that they are doing well. Since he understands the terrible pain that comes with loss, he tries to take care of those around him in small ways, so that he can aim to avoid the confusing abandonment that comes with the disappearance of loved ones.

## Detailed Appearance

Contrasting the typical massive builds of those his breed, Slothsneeze possesses a medium frame, with lean muscles that are more suited toward his rank as a moor-runner. Due to his physical weakness, he can almost be described as bordering skinny, though his thick fur compensates for this fact and makes him seem a lot healthier than he is. His pelt is mostly made up of umber hues, the base coat a shade of warm tan while darker brown tabby stripes dominate certain regions, adorning his spine and legs, banding his thick tail, and decorating his cheeks and forehead. The same dark brown appears around his muzzle and underneath his eyes, accentuating the set of golden optics that are stark against the darker accents of his fur. Slothsneeze possesses long ears tufted at the ends, sensitive to any vibrations or rustling that may be the result of fleeing prey out on the moors. In addition to his stark senses and ruddy pelt, these aspects of his appearance aid him in better performing tasks assigned for his role, and hidden within large dusky paws, alabaster claws are sharpened to a wick in order to better catch prey for the Clan. Slothsneeze’s countenance can be described as rather affable, possessing a boyish charm rather than a fierce masculinity. These features along with his natural easygoing temperament make him rather approachable, not intimidating in the slightest.

## Kin

Mother: Paleblossom

Father: Teguslink

Sibling: Fawnkit

## Backstory

Slothsneeze was born as the son between one of the Clan’s trackers, Paleblossom, and a local tourist named Tegu. Prior to meeting Paleblossom, Tegu had been a wandering loner, taking great enjoyment in exploring the big outdoors and discovering new things. Though, his attention was snared by Paleblossom’s delicate charm almost immediately, and the two began courting from then on. Eventually, Paleblossom convinced Tegu to join the Clan for her sake, and smitten as he was, he gradually agreed and took on the name, Teguslink. Paleblossom herself had always had issues with her health; she often had heart murmurs that were kept secret and left untreated. Therefore, it was no surprise that her kitting was particularly difficult for her, as the ordeal subjected a great strain upon her body. Her first kit, Fawnkit, was stillborn, and her second, Slothkit, seemed to be rather feeble upon birth. Despite the grief of losing their firstborn, Softblossom and Teguslink proved to be loving parents, and Slothkit grew up under their gentle care. During his early kit-hood, however, Teguslink began to act in ways that suggested a growing dissatisfaction with Clan life, often sneaking out during the day or staring up at the stars during the night. This didn’t interfere with his duties toward Slothkit as a father or as a devoted mate, but this mounting longing did not go unnoticed by Softblossom, who picked up on the traces of melancholy in his gaze. Understanding that tethering him down for a lifetime would make him miserable, Softblossom decided to yield to his wanderlust and let him go, as long as he would come back to visit every moon. Having agreed to these terms with a mixture of reluctance and eagerness, Teguslink returned to the outside world. He would keep his promise to visit for three moons, before the tom would never show up near Clan territory again, the reasons unknown. Around this same time, Softblossom’s health conditions would worsen, all revolving around her heart, though she would keep this fact continuously hidden from Slothkit despite tending to him with a fierce passion. A couple days before his apprentice ceremony, Slothkit accidentally came across his mother during one of her fainting spells, though before he would properly process the depth of the situation, he was assured by Softblossom that it was nothing serious, and that she must have just been tired. Slothkit went to sleep that night without acting out on his suspicions, and would regret his lack of action as his mother would pass away by the time the sun rose across the horizon. Though devastated by this loss, there was little Slothkit could actually do about the situation but try and push onwards, which he has continued to do despite hardship.

## Trivia

* Slothsneeze still visits his mother’s grave in private every so often, each time bearing new gifts that vary with the seasons. In the spring, fresh and colorful flowers; in the winter, shiny trinkets or pelts that will keep her warm through the snowy weather.

## Links

Theme Song/Voice Claim