A Hard Love is based off of an even mixture of Warriors and Avatar: The Last Airbender. Feel free to look around and ask any questions that you might have! All are welcome!
Post by Yin on Aug 21, 2017 5:48:15 GMT -5
valerianheart
PERSONALITY When you first think of a Guru, you might think of someone wise beyond their years, seemingly able to know your every movement with their eyes closed, and so calm and composed that nothing can make them flinch. While ValerianHeart is certainly these things, for the most part, it is not all that he is. Those are traits learned through many, many moons, and his previous mentors found it hard to iron out what they considered his less desirable personality traits. Despite his age, ValerianHeart holds the energy and curiosity of a young kitten. He is always up to answering the call for adventure, and he eagerly requests to go along when he is merely tasked as the messenger. What fun is that? He can't just tell so-and-so that their destiny awaits and then sit around while it happens. He loves being where the action is. Some might claim this would go against his pacifistic nature, but he finds that getting his paws a little muddy goes a long way. If it means sticking his nose where it doesn't belong, he might find a way to calm stormy seas before too much blood has been spilt. This tends to get him into trouble he is mostly capable of getting himself out of, though others tend to see him as a physically weak cat who needs the help of others. He does not mind it too much, unless they come to his 'rescue' at the wrong moment and ruin whatever plan he had in the first place. While he can be excitable and stubborn, he can also be as gentle and compassionate as a queen. Most often displayed when he is shown weakness or when around the youngest of creatures, ValerianHeart knows when it is time to soften his voice, to whisper words of encouragement, and to nurture those around him. He cares about everyone around him, regardless of their allegiance or their actions, and would put aside his own needs and safety to help them. This selflessness regardless of the cat he is helping can easily become his greatest downfall, even when he knows what is to come. Much to StarClan's displeasure, ValerianHeart is not the type to speak in archaic riddles. He will deliver messages as needed, but the moment he decodes them, he will outright say what they mean. He speaks his mind, and the amount of filtering he does depends on the situation. Yes, he is blunt, but he can also read the atmosphere quite well. It is usually in the company of those he is more familiar with that he will become so unfiltered that he will speak without thinking over his words. His heavy sarcasm will also make itself known, but don't get too upset over it. The more sarcasm he uses, the more he likes you. ABILITIES Spiritual Awakening - level 3 HISTORY The sky was grey and the wind was crisp on the morning a queen gave birth. There were five wet bundles of fur, seemingly full of life and eager to start life one squirm and helpless mewl at a time. Yet, fate did not smile upon the new litter as three of the five kittens grew increasingly weaker with each passing night. Then, one morning, they simple did not wake up. The queen was stricken with grief, and she mourned the loss of her kits for days. She never got over it, really. Day by day, she would learn how to mask her sorrow so that not even her kittens, as sensitive as they were to their own mother's emotions, could feel it. In time, she was numb, yet she continued watching after her remaining kittens with feigned happiness. The largest of the two was a mostly gray she-cat: Swiftkit. She was everything her brother was not: shy, insecure, a momma's girl. Meanwhile, her smaller brother was a wide-eyed, mostly white bundle of energy who had to be dragged back into the nursery twenty times a day because he would try to wander off. He was Valeriankit, named after the flower after a comment on the color of his fur. He was the troublemaker, and he constantly tried to bring his sister along on his mini adventures. As the pair grew, it became more obvious which had inherited their parents' abilities. Swiftkit exhibited weak signs of bending while Valeriankit showed nothing. He might have been the only kitten out of the litter who was a nonbender, though he harbored a secret that the queens looking after him were completely unaware of. At nearly three moons of age, Valeriankit was at it again. This time, he slipped out of the nursery after the dawn patrol left. Pretending like he was on an urgent mission to track down the "missing" members of the patrol, he sniffed around and tried following their scent. Being the expert tracker he was at the time, he got himself completely lost. In truth, he wasn't too far from camp, but he likes to tell the story as if he had nearly made it to the clan border. He lost the scent of the patrol group as he was overwhelmed by the unknown around him: too many strange plants, scents of animals he hadn't even seen on the fresh kill pile, the beating of wings-- He should have died that day. At first, he wondered if he did. A falcon swooped down from above, talons outstretched and poised to pin him to the ground. He only had enough time to fluff out his fur and yowl pathetically, stop! The bird's direction immediately veered to the right, and the falcon crash-landed into the ground. The sudden diversion gave Valeriankit enough time to take a more defensive stance with his scruffy white fur fluffed out and his tail raised as if it would make him look any bigger than he actually was. The falcon picked itself back up and turned toward him, tilting its head in confusion and consideration. Foolish little Valeriankit proceeded to taunt the falcon, only to flee backwards when the bird took a step toward him. Then came a warrior, barreling through the underbrush. The falcon took off with a startled cry, flying to the highest perch it could find. Yet, it did not leave immediately. Instead, the falcon peered through the branches and watched. Curious. Valeriankit was promptly picked up by the scruff of his neck and carried back to camp. All the while, he shook like a leaf, trying to wrap his head around the situation. It was not the last he saw of that exact falcon. A moon passed before they met up again, but this time it was not by chance. A soft voice called to him in the middle of the night, though it echoed in his head rather than in his ears. Making sure no one stirred as he got up and sneaked out of the nursery, he followed the voice until he was outside of camp. A dark form dropped to the ground, perching before him with wings arched. His fur stood on end and he opened his mouth to yowl for help, yet the same, soft voice hushed him, causing the cry to die in his throat. That night, he made a friend. At least, he was going to call the falcon his friend. He found out many things, mostly because he kept asking questions until he was yawning. The falcon was female, and the falcon was called Sharpbeak. Fitting. She did not know why she could hear his thoughts or why he could hear her's, but it completely killed her motivation to turn him into her next meal. He was thankful for that. The pair went back and forth for only a short while before Sharpbeak flew off moments before a warrior found the kitten, once more, outside of camp. He was not allowed outside the nursery after that, and the queens made sure someone was always up to keep an eye out for his escape attempts. At six moons, he was given the name Valerianpaw. He was finally an apprentice which meant he did not have to be holed up in the nursery anymore! His mentor was a straitlaced she-cat who was nearing her retirement. He was meant to be her final apprentice before she stepped down and moved to the elders' den, and she had her paws full. Valerianpaw was not an easy apprentice to train. He was too curious for his own good, and he would continuously try to trot off in the middle of training to chase after shadows and butterflies or follow an unfamiliar scent. His mentor tried so hard to correct him each and every time, but it seemed to go over his head. Luckily for her, she did not have to deal with him for too long. Not even a month into his apprenticeship, Valerianpaw was woken in the middle of the night. Initially, he believed it to be Sharpbeak, figuring she was finally paying a visit after disappearing for a few moons. Instead, there was a pale glow outside the den. Curiosity got the better of him, and he crept out of the den to follow the glow. There, in the middle of the clearing, was a translucent cat with a pelt of stars. At least, that was what it looked like. He was a mixture of confused, frightened, and excited, and his excitement and curiosity quickly outweighed his fear. He sprung forward before bounding around the strange cat, firing off questions a mile a minute as his blue eyes swept over and looked at everything. The strange cat was patient and waited for him to get everything out of his system. They sat down, wrapping their transparent tail over their paws. Valerianpaw mimicked the other cat, straightening up as he tried to look as high and mighty as the other cat. This elicited a chuckle from the cat, and they finally answered some of their questions. They could not get too far in before pausing, perking their ears, and claiming it was time to go. The cat disappeared, and Valerianpaw woke up. He could not recall returning to the den. His mentor had wanted him to report to her first thing in the morning, but he made a beeline for the Medicine Cat's den. If anyone would know what happened last night, it was obviously the medicine cat. The apprentice eagerly rattled off what happened, bouncing slightly on his paws. He almost forgot to breath a few times. According to the medicine cat, it was highly likely he had a delayed spiritual awakening. He had not shown any signs of it in his kithood, after all. "Oh, that's probably because of Sharpbeak!" He had meant to keep the falcon a secret, but, in the heat of the moment, it just slipped out. They sent for the Guru immediately, and he arrived the very next day. A very lengthy introduction later (mostly due to a certain someone's constant questions), the Guru told him that his ability had remained dormant until recently. It was considered to be because of the whispering, that StarClan had intended for his awakening to be delayed so that his companion animal could come into his life. The falcon probably would not feel the same way; she lost a meal because of this. The small apprentice was then given a choice: either leave now to follow the path destined by StarClan or to remain longer and put off the inevitable. Valerianpaw did not think before he answered. He wanted to go. Goodbyes were brief. His sister kept her distance, torn between wailing for him to stay and playing it cool. His mentor was glad to get rid of him. And, his mother? She did not even show up. She pushed her way into a patrol that had left before it all. It should have bothered him more than it had, but the excitement bubbling within his very being kept him from thinking too much of it. By the time the sun reached its highest point in the sky, they left. He was taken far from his clan and deep into the mountains. It was there his training would begin. First, the Guru hoped to hone in his spiritual awakening. After all, Valerianpaw was a few months late. They camped in a small cave and made constant treks to the Moonpool where it was believed his natural abilities would become heightened, and this training would continue until he was more familiar with the energy swirling around him and surging inside him. Only then did they stray farther from the Moonpool until StarClan's presence would have otherwise been cut off from most cats. He was around eleven moons of age when he met an unfamiliar tomcat whose scent was predominantly that of FireClan. The tom was around his age, and Valerianpaw found himself immediately drawn toward the energy the unknown cat possessed. The energy of nature itself seemed to pulled in the cat's direction, though the young apprentice could not comprehend what it meant in fullness. The Guru was the one to introduce the tomcat, but only one word stuck in his mind: Avatar. Excitement once more gushed around the white apprentice, and he immediately launched off rapid fire questions while drawing too close to the poor tomcat. His mentor could only laugh before stepping between them before Valerianpaw could overwhelm the other cat. "All in due time, young one," the Guru purred. Aside from very basic answers with not enough information to satisfy the apprentice's curiosity, none of his questions were answered by the time the Avatar had to leave the mountains. "Wait, if he's the Avatar, then why's he leaving? Doesn't he have, I dunno, things you gotta teach him?" "He has his own path to follow, just as you do. When the time comes, he will seek us out. Until then, let's continue your training." A couple more moons passed. In that time, the Guru began taking him on trips out of the mountains to the surrounding territories. It was strange for the tomcat, to be welcomed into the territory of another clan without fear of being chased off. The only conflict they faced, for the most part, involved young apprentices who did not know any better. But, socializing was not the purpose of these trips. Instead, it was so he could familiarize himself with everything in the territories, from the trees to the shrews. Many times was he told to stop, close his eyes, and see the world as it truly is. The more in tune with nature and the spiritual energy flowing through each and every living creature and plant, the more he was supposed to see the world. "I don't get it." "In due time, young one." Many more moons passed. His training progressed slowly as he tried to reach enlightenment while dealing with the world around him. He had a handful more encounters with the Avatar and his guardians. The curious apprentice bombarded them with questions whenever he found the chance, and he was pleased to find that the Avatar did not have too much of a problem in humoring him. However, as their encounters grew more frequent, it was becoming increasingly obvious to young Valerianpaw that the other tomcat was not all he was made out to be. He did not take his duties as seriously as he should have, and there were plenty of times when the Guru's advice on how to handle things and how to connect with his past lives for guidance and strength went over his head. Despite this, Valerianpaw was always eager for the Avatar and his guardians to visit again. It was a nice break from his own training, and he enjoyed their company. As he grew, he began to pay more attention to their encounters. He began to notice little things he had not before, from the way the Avatar and his firebending guard looked at one another to the slight strain in the voices of the guards when he asked about the clans. They would never give him enough information to satisfy his curiosity, so he took to observing in silence when their conversations hit a lull. There were multiple points where he even requested to accompany the Avatar and his guards, wanting to see how interactions with the clans played out. At first, his mentor refused, but he was gradually allowed to leave the mountains without his mentor's escort more and more. He was nearing the age of a senior warrior when his mentor passed on to StarClan, but his training did not end there, despite acquiring the title of Guru and the full name of ValerianHeart. His mentor visited him often, ironing out the remaining lessons before returning to StarClan's hunting grounds to stay until they were needed. Without his mentor's presence, he felt alone for the first time. It took him a full moon to grow accustomed to living alone, and it was made only a little easier by the reintroduction of Sharpbeak into his life. Once both his mind and heart were calm, he set out to work. Nature's energy began to shift and sway, churning with foreboding. Worried by this change, he set out down the mountain, following the energy's pull toward clan territory. In the dark of the night, a starry pelted cat appeared before him, giving only a silent motion for him to follow. So he did until the cat stopped, turned toward him, and finally spoke. "Wait." And so he did. The next day, voices came from the east before a group of cats appeared. It was the Avatar and his guards, though tensions were high. He watched in silence, unnoticed by all but two guards, as the Avatar and his firebender guard bickered. It quickly escalated into a full argument, and the energy around them grew violent. His ears lowered as the Avatar's eyes began to glow, and he took a few steps back before pinning himself against the ground. The winds picked up as chunks of rock pulled from the ground. Flames ignited and danced around the Avatar's form as he began to lift into the air. Water pulled from a nearby stream, wrapping around the sphere of the elements. The guards rushed in to stop him, to calm him, but nothing worked. No attacks, no soothing words. The Avatar had lost control, and the firebending guard paid the ultimate price. It was only after the she-cat was limp with scorched fur and rubble all around her that the Avatar finally calmed. Despite all his moons of training and all of his mentor's teachings, ValerianHeart could not find any words to smooth over. He could not offer any advice. Instead, he pulled himself off the ground and drew closer, rubbing up against the grief-stricken Avatar to try and comfort him. Blue eyes watched as the fallen guard's spirit lifted from her body and mimicked the Guru's actions on the other side. Her gaze swept across the group, lingering on the Guru with a silent plea, before she faded. "She is hunting with StarClan now. Whatever you choose to do next, I will support you, dear friend." The clans were not happy to find that their Avatar had abandoned them for the comfortable life of a kittypet. They would be outraged if they knew the truth. The other guards decided it was best to hide the truth. The fallen guard passed from old age. Not long after, another guard passed, this time of natural causes, so the matter of old age was never questioned. ValerianHeart could only watch as tensions began to rise. |
created by Lilith of Adoxography
