Brightmask

Brightmask is a lightly-colored tortoiseshell she-cat, her face one half black and one half ginger. Her eyes are correspondingly mismatched, one a dusky olive-green color, the other bright blue.

## Personality

Unlike her brother, she got her warrior name right on time - while she is not the prodigy he was with combat or hunting, she worked hard to learn what she needed to, and, most markedly, she does not have the same disciplinary/attitude issues that Shadestorm does. On the contrary, Brightmask is extremely subservient and obedient to the higher-ups in the Clan, always jumping to do what is asked of her and perform each and every one of her duties to the best of her ability. She acts very respectful and polite towards all of her Clanmates, but is especially so towards higher-ranking cats, including the leader, deputy, and senior warriors, to the point of being overly formal. This sometimes excessive formality can make her interactions with others seem somewhat impersonal or stiff, but for the most part, this awkwardness comes merely from being completely inept socially, not from any sense of apathy; she's incredibly awkward and rather shy at times, not knowing how to hold any kind of conversation with someone that isn't a report of her status on her duties or the progress/status of others on their duties. Her respect for her "superiors" causes her to defer to them and their choices a lot, going along with whatever the higher-ups decide or ask of her without question, and oftentimes waiting for orders rather than trusting her own instincts, pushing away her own thoughts or feelings in favor of waiting for direction. She is always worried about offending others or seeming disrespectful, oftentimes not speaking up or suggesting ideas for fear of making someone upset with her, as she doesn't deal well with being yelled at or otherwise put on the spot. However, despite her typical timidity, she is fiercely devoted to her Clan, willing to throw herself into battle in order to defend VineClan, even if it means putting herself in danger. She doesn't value herself nearly as much as others, and will often be the first to give up prey so others can eat or jump into harm's way to protect another (unless she's ordered not to, of course), showing a rare recklessness that is otherwise not at all visible in her everyday life, where she is always cautious and wary. She often believes that higher-ups are infallible, thinking that they can do no wrong, but she does have a strong moral compass and sense of loyalty that would be tested if she discovered corruption in someone she is supposed to respect. Her biggest source of insecurity is her half-Clan blood, which she sees as physically manifested in her mismatched eyes, causing her to be deeply self-conscious of her appearance, on top of everything else.

## History

Same as Shadestorm's only she and her brother reacted differently to the treatment their father gave them; Brightmask wanted her father's approval and affection desperately, so she bent to his wishes and did her utmost to be everything he wanted her to be. However, rather than getting the love she wanted for obeying her father, Whiteclaw began using her as an example in all of his fights with Shadestorm, telling him that he should be more like his sister. Brightmask herself couldn't understand why Shadestorm wouldn't just *do what Whiteclaw asked* or *respect the higher-ups* for once, and that combined with their father putting her on a higher pedestal than Shadestorm drove a wedge between the two littermates. The pair practically can't be around each other at all without devolving into a screeching argument, so Brightmask does her best to avoid him, as she doesn't want to "cause a scene." She mourned for her father when he was killed by a leopard when she and Shadestorm were apprentices, and does her best to live her life in his memory, unaware of the damage her father did to her psyche.