Jackalfoot

Jackalfoot is a shorthair cinnamon tabby tom with white. He has black patches that stretch up from his paws and tail-tip.

He was born in Caveclan just before the Great Freeze hit, and was exiled at around nineteen moons old.

## Personality

Asshole, abuser, attention seeker. Cocky, manipulative bastard. Bitter, angry. Need we say more?

## History

Jackalfoot's parents are unknown. His brother, from the same litter, is Dovewhisper.

Jackalfoot was a relatively normal kitten, if a bit brash and rude, but became bitter and resentful after his parents' deaths. They were some of the first losses of the Great Freeze, after getting ambushed by a small pack of hungry coyotes.

Jackalkit was bitter about the cruel joke of his name, he was angry that his parents left him, he was resentful that Dovekit could just move on and that the other kittens still had their parents. When other cats started dropping, the feelings only worsened as he closed himself off from others, pushing them away with harsh words, cruel and twisted for maximum damage.

Jackalpaw was apprenticed to Raggedfang, the temporary Caveclan deputy. Raggedfang was proud and confident, and Goldenstar hoped that he'd have patience with the equally proud Jackalpaw. Unfortunately, Raggedfang was also manipulative and calculating, traits he hid from Goldenstar that only worsened the same traits in Jackalpaw.

Jackalpaw relentlessly bullied the other cats his age, doing all that he could to keep them away despite their endless kindness. He was a bit kinder to Dovewhisper only because they grew up together.

Despite his cruelty, there was one cat who kept giving him chances: Bumblepaw. Bumblepaw was not foolish enough to believe that Jackalpaw was nice, but he was kind regardless. At some point, Jackalpaw realized that he *wanted* Bumblepaw's kindness, even if he didn't want to be friends. His bullying only worsened toward most of the apprentices, but he eased up when Bumblepaw was around, hiding the worst parts of him. He was almsot friendly. *Almost.*

When Bumblepaw came into camp one day, a groundhog in his jaws, Jackalpaw couldn't stop the pang of resentment.

*That should be me*, he thought when the warriors praised Bumblepaw on his catch. *That should be me*, he thought when the kittens came out to do the same, looking up at Bumblepaw with all the love and awe one would have for a parent.

It wasn't that great. Sure, Bumblepaw caught a groundhog, but Jackalpaw caught a Stellar's jay recently. He should get praise too.

He wanted to learn how to catch a groundhog.

Jackalpaw took the opportunity to do exactly that, asking Bumblepaw where he caught it, if he could show them.

*"Alone,"* he'd asked Bumblepaw. *"Our mentors don't need to know."* Of course he wouldn't try to catch any, he'd just see where they were. Of course, they would be back by sunrise. No one would have to know they were even gone.

Bumblepaw reluctantly agreed to show him where they were, explaining how he caught it: *a fluke. A chance encounter. It was half-grown and disoriented.* Blah, blah, BLAH! The moment Jackalfoot saw one, he put himself between it and its burrow, leaping at it while Bumblepaw watched in horror. The animal turned and snapped his toes just before he could pull away fully, effortlessly crunching through bone with its powerful jaws.

Jackalpaw was lucky the bite missed the worst of him, Weaselberry said after a panicked Bumblepaw carried him back to camp. He could've lost his entire paw, if he didn't die of blood loss.

*What did you do?* Everyone asked, pinning their judgement on Jackalpaw. *'Cause I know this didn't happen 'cause o' Bumblepaw.*

Bumblepaw, the Golden child who can do no wrong. Bumblepaw, who everyone loves. Bumblepaw, who led Jackalpaw out of camp and only got hugs and affection when he returned, whereas Jackalfoot got blame and punishment. Like it wasn't enough already that he had to sit around for months while his foot healed.

**Trigger Warning for the following section: manipulation, abuse**

While he recovered, stuck in the medicine den, he made it a game to see how long he could keep Bumblepaw around. Might as well, since the younger apprentice was always there anyway, fretting and guilty and blaming himself.

*I'm so lonely and bored,* Jackalpaw would say. *Stay with me; you're the reason I'm here in the first place.* It was embarrassing, really, how easy it was to use that guilt to keep him around. It was fun, to watch Bumblepaw's excitement grow when his friends called him and then fall the moment Jackalpaw opened his mouth.

He didn't keep the leash on Bumblepaw all the time. Goldenstar caught on quick, and made sure Bumbleheart stayed out longer than a simple training session or patrol would require. Jackalpaw tried to keep Bumblepaw around at night after that, but it wasn't lost on him that Bumblepaw left; some nights, he went to sleep next to his actual friends, and other nights Jackalpaw caught him leaving camp entirely.

It was a bit disappointing, to be left alone. Before, Jackalpaw didn't care, but sitting around the medicine den with nothing to do was boring.

When Jackalpaw recovered, it was moons after he should have already been a warrior. Bumblepaw already was one, given the name Bumbleheart. He convinced a reluctant Goldenstar to let him have a warrior assessment, and earned the name Jackalfoot. Cruel, perhaps, but so was the tom bearing the name. A reminder could be as cruel as it was necessary.

Without apprentice duties or training to separate them, Jackalfoot carefully inserted himself even further into Bumbleheart's life. Bumble's friends hated being around Jackal, so his very presence made things awkward. It was a good first step.

When Dovewhisper died, Jackalfoot felt a twinge of s*omething*, but he used it as an opportunity. Dovewhisper was close with Bumbleheart, and Dovewhisper was his brother. Bumbleheart was grieving, and Jackalfoot was right there to take advantage of it. *I'm the only one who understands. I lost my brother.*

Jackalfoot's control eventually took over Bumbleheart's life, almost fully isolating him from his family despite living in the same camp, using his grief, guilt, and anxieties against him.

Jackalfoot won. He had someone to care about, but the ball was in his field. He had a friend who couldn't hurt him, that wouldn't leave him.

Jackalfoot was *winning,* until he was caught. He slipped up just once, and Goldenstar exiled him for it without a moment's hesitation.

They'd pay for this.

[To be continued]

## Trivia

Jackalfoot was originally played by Yeet, but Shadow took him when they left the server.

He was nine months old at the time of creation.

He was originally exiled at sixteen moons old, but Shadow changed it to nineteen so that it made more sense for the major effect it had on Bumble, and because of a three-month time skip where he had no character development.

What Yeet wrote that Shadow still needs to write in properly:

Personality: he is rough and obnoxious. he is very strong and cocky. He treats other apps like garbage cause he thinks he's better than him. he is pansexual.