Needlepaw

Needlepaw is a pale brown-and-black tabby she-cat with blue eyes and a black tail-tip.

## Personality

She is something of a wild child. She is fiercely independent, disliking being coddled or when others go easy on her, to the point that she will push herself and lash out at others if they attempt to speak down to or mollify her rather than take her seriously. She is pretty much completely unconcerned with what is expected of her - be it that she behave in a more demure or "ladylike" manner, or that she act respectful and obedient to any and all older or higher-ranked cats in the Clan. She's a rough-and-tumble tomboy through and through, with an energetic and determined spirit that lends her to boisterousness and roughhousing more often than not. She is frequently a bit annoyed when larger or more experienced cats are able to best her in playful scraps, but she has absolutely no fear in facing down opponents that are bigger, stronger, or more skilled than she is, whether the setting be friendly or not. Her lack of fear in the face of challenges can make her pretty reckless; oftentimes, she's more driven by emotion or instinct than she is by logical thinking, which can lead her to jump into speech or action that can land her or those around her in trouble, as she does not always fully take stock of a situation before acting. Though she often does not look before she leaps, landing herself in trouble and blundering her way through dangerous situations *does* help her learn, even if it can be a slow process at times. Each time she suffers defeat, she will take stock of *how* she was defeated, and endeavor to better herself so that it won't happen again. She is fiercely competitive in this regard, hating to lose and tending to sulk and act a bit surly when it happens anyway, though she won't be openly sour or rude to the victor unless they gloat, or she feels that they didn't play fair in order to win. Her competitiveness can spur her initiating rivalries with other cats, though she isn't malicious, no matter how bitter she might be about being defeated or how smug she might feel upon being victorious. She is quite assertive, and dislikes being bossed around or spoken down to, so some warriors who attempt to do so rub her the wrong way, and she will often exhibit a spirited indifference to the rules, unless she feels that those rules are actually reasonable and worth following. She doesn't take punishment for her disobedience or viewpoints very well, but will grudgingly do tasks anyway if ordered to by a mentor or one of the Clan's authorities. She can be aggressive and temperamental at times as well, her recklessness sometimes prompting her to attack intruders without asking questions first, even if the strangers had no intention to cause harm. She is especially sensitive to insults - not that she herself is thin-skinned, necessarily, but she hates her integrity being questioned (nothing peeves her more than others telling her what she thinks or feels, or assuming she has done something that she has not), and will fight you on the spot if you happen to insult her family or question their honor. She is good at holding grudges, so anyone who wrongs her or her family is not likely to be allowed to forget what they've done, if she has anything to say about it. She cares deeply about her training and wants to be the best warrior in the Clan someday, and will set aside almost any of her personal feelings or misgivings in order to try to protect and provide for her Clan. She is pretty much entirely uninterested in romance, and tends to wrinkle her nose at matters of love, more interested in pursuing her training than in matters of the heart, and can be pretty oblivious at times; she doesn't have self-image issues, but doesn't really think of herself as "pretty," and doesn't really understand that romantic interest can stem from other things, not to mention that others' interest usually goes right over her head. Despite her boisterous and occasionally disobedient behaviors, she is very devoted to her Clan, and is doggedly loyal to her family, even if she doesn't always know how to support or comfort them beyond simply acting as normal towards them and keeping them close despite their misgivings. She shows her affection mostly through teasing and roughhousing with her loved ones, but will occasionally dole out more kind physical affection, especially if someone she cares for seems to be feeling down, and will do her best to express her feelings verbally if that's necessary as well. Overall, she's more a cat of action than words, and though she's a bit rough around the edges, she cares very deeply for what's important to her.

## History

She was amongst the second litter born to Wolfheart and Russetfish, after her older siblings Breezeclaw and Amberdawn. Growing up, she never got along too well with her older sister - they were just too different - but she quickly formed a bond with Breezeclaw, and, by extension, with her half-brother Crowstalker. She grew to love them fiercely, and she looked up to her father for being a strong and noble warrior (she hissed at anyone who would call him anything less, just because of Crowstalker's existence - Crowstalker was a thousand times better than any other stupid and judgmental warrior around, anyway), wishing to be just like him when she grew older. When her father was killed when she was four moons old, she was absolutely devastated. She has grown even closer to her older brothers in the wake of this, as she was never as close with Russetfish as she was with Wolfheart. She bickers with her littermates, but sticks by them and tries to help them whenever she can.