Personality + Physicality

Physical Description

Pigeonpaw is an odd mix of the stereotypical ideas of both a CanyonClan and a BriarClan cat. While she is reminiscent of her father, Duskwatcher, with her height, her strong legs, long, sleek tail, tall ears, and sharp, vibrant orange eyes, she resembles her papa, Russetmask, quite a bit as well. Although in ways that was certainly not expected. While the grey and cream tortoiseshell- the grey coming from her Grandmother on Duskwatcher's side- has short fur over most of her body, around her neck sits a fluffy ruff that makes up her iconic cream "mane". If she hadn't been born looking the way she does- Russetmask may have gotten away with saying their sire was a rogue... but those ears and eyes are a dead giveaway to who was actually her sire. Arcing up her left cheek is a striking scar where her half-sister, Sandpaw, had struck her with the intention to possibly blind the younger molly but missed in her fury and instead left four deep scratches from her jawline up to her eyebrow. As she gets older, Pigeonpaw grows into her tall, elegant, build- but sadly, she is still stuck in her awkward teen phase!

Scars / Injuries

• four scratches up her left cheek from her jaw to her eyebrow.

Backstory

Pigeonkit - Pigeonpaw - ???

Early Life

Pigeonkit was born a bastard to a warrior of BriarClan, Russetmask, as a product of his and CanyonClan’s leader’s illicit affair alongside her brother and sister, Dawnkit and Squirrelkit. Russetmask would have gotten away with saying that their sire was a rogue- which is perfectly acceptable as per the code with his cream tabby son and tortoiseshell daughter who was nearly a direct mirror of him… but Pigeonkit’s appearance is somewhat of a dead giveaway. Despite this, only one cat managed to figure it out in their early life, Russetmask’s mentor and surrogate mother, Ponytrot.

The siblings were attached at the hip from birth and being the only kits in the clan at the time they were surrounded by love and care from all their clanmates and the monarchs in the nursery. They were little troublemakers from the very beginning, always playing together or messing with Flaxpaw and Squallspirit and getting into some mischief. However not everything was perfect. When they were quite young, maybe two or three moons old, the murders began. Too young to have known Swiftfire when he was killed and having been sheltered from the murders of Brokenstep and Sunwing, the first time they actually encountered and had to face death was when Muleheart was killed. That was hard to grasp at first…

The trio fell once more into enjoying their childhood… until the foxes which had arrived in BriarClan a little over half a year prior, and had left two moons later, returned. All except for the one who the clan had sheltered, Spark. Instead, her mother was trying to find her… and resorted to kidnapping Squirrelkit and holding her hostage until Bearflower and Whitehart rescued her with the help of the fox-raised cat, Spider, who had a history with these particular foxes already. Pigeonkit was terrified for her sister, and she and Dawnkit nearly snuck out to look for her themselves- but thankfully she returned that night… but the damage had been done. Squirrelkit would carry that trauma with her from then on… and Russetmask’s trust in his clanmates had been shattered, leading him to make a life changing decision.

Adolescence

The nearly apprentice aged siblings were taken to meet their father… and leave BriarClan- for good (or so they thought). Duskwatcher had welcomed his children with open arms, and greeted Russetmask with similar affections. Pigeonkit’s older half-siblings were not quite as excited… not in the slightest. While Jaypaw would come around eventually, becoming friendly with them, and Heronpaw remained rather indifferent… Sandpaw and Pigeon would grow to despise each other with every bone in their bodies.

Her citizenship and allegiance to CanyonClan was solidified when the trio were made apprentices and Pigeonpaw, Dawnpaw, and Squirrelpaw were given mentors in Shalespots, Sedgeclaw, and Craneflight respectively. Shalespots and Pigeonpaw hit it off immediately and the two became quite close. She and her littermates also grew incredibly close to the group that would come to be known as “BestieClan”. They were made up of the young warriors, Rocktalon, Pinkcloud, Jaguarleap, and (sometimes) Nettleblaze, and of course, Squirrelpaw, Dawnpaw, and Pigeonpaw. The seven forged a tight bond that would stand strong even through the trials to come.

One night, unbeknownst to CanyonClan, Pigeonpaw’s birth clan discovered Frostheart’s corpse on their way to the gathering place and deduced that she had been the murderer… and that she had just been killed by her questionably unwilling accomplice, Lilyfire, who had run away to CanyonClan several moons before. Pigeonpaw bid goodbye to her father before he left for the gathering and went on with her night…

But Duskwatcher would not return. Lilyfire attacked and killed him at the gathering, She was taken to CreekClan to be treated for her injuries and miraculously survived being nearly disemboweled (to even her own surprise it seemed). Tempestwatcher took her place with Mountainheart by her side following the controversial leader’s murder and the entire clan grieved… but none more than Duskwatcher’s family.

The next several months passed in a strange whirlwind. Training, friendship, exploring, troublemaking, and even a tournament came to pass… but eventually it would come to an end when their papa, consumed by his grief, declared that he would be taking his children “home to BriarClan”… While this was clearly the best for Russetmask, Squirrelpaw, Dawnpaw, and Pigeonpaw were absolutely devastated. BestieClan agreed to meet up in secret over border and never lose their tight bond, Pinepaw (soon, Pinespark) and Pigeonpaw agreed that they would need a rematch spar one of these days after Pinepaw had lost to the tortoiseshell in the tournament, and Shalespots and Pigeonpaw painted a mural together to commemorate their tight bond since she would not get to watch her become a warrior.

But parting was not all bittersweet… Sandpaw and Pigeonpaw had never stopped quarreling, and though Pigeonpaw could be petty… Sandpaw didn’t just dislike her, she loathed her. Eaten up by her sudden loneliness in the absence of Duskwatcher, her only parent and mentor, she and Pigeonpaw clashed more and more often, getting into yelling matches which sometimes had to be broken up by an older warrior. But the day before they were set to leave- Pigeonpaw wasn’t paying attention and turned a corner too fast, bumping into Sandpaw who hissed an insult and when Pigeonpaw retorted with a snide taunt the fire within Sandpaw flared and broke free. They argued, yelling at each other and saying things that should never have been said- until when Pigeonpaw declared that while Sandpaw had been born first, that was the only reason he had chose to mentor her- that maybe he would’ve chosen Pigeon… and that Sandpaw was here whether he liked it or not- but he wanted Pigeonpaw to join CanyonClan. That was a cruel thing to say, she knew that as the words left her, but Sandpaw was on her last nerve and when she insulted her loyalty to her clan and friends she couldn’t hold back.

Too bad Sandpaw never held back. She lunged at Pigeonpaw and the two went tumbling to the ground, a ball of snapping jaws and furious hissing. The younger molly tried to scramble away, but Sandpaw was stronger and more experienced fighter and she managed to get her pinned on her back- and slashed down with a snarl and the twisted intent to maim Pigeonpaw- if not outright fight to the death. Thankfully, Sandpaw missed by a hair, and her claws never pierced her actually eye, just left blood streaming from her face, just in time for an enraged Pinepaw to drag Sandpaw off of her and for many older warriors to come break it up, sending Pigeonpaw to be treated and leaving practically the entire clan furious with Sandpaw.

That’s how she left them- stronger than BriarClan had seen her before, with fresh scars and a distinctly CanyonClan gait. In BriarClan, the clan voted on her father and their fate and by a landslide, they were allowed to stay and join the clan. The apprentices- nearly halfway through how long a normal apprenticeship would last- were assigned new mentors immediately although they all felt that nothing could replace their CanyonClan family. Dawnpaw, Squirrelpaw, and Pigeonpaw found themselves apprenticed to Thunderheart, Whitehart, and the deputy, Palethroat, respectively.

The next time they would see their CanyonClan friends was the next gathering a week later… there Pigeonpaw would also meet a young tom who would soon play an incredibly important part in her life: Scraps… and as of two moons of frequent run ins with each other later, the two would find themselves… in love.

Adulthood

Not quite there yet...

Relationships

STANDING

BriarClan

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As Duskwatcher and Russetmask's half clan daughter, BriarClan is divided on their opinions on their opinions of the young molly. For the first five moons of her life she thought she was a BriarClan cat through and through... but after Squirrelkit was kidnapped by a fox, Russetmask lost trust in his clan and took all three of them to the border to meet their other father... and leave BriarClan.

Following Duskwatcher's murder, Russetmask took them back to BriarClan... she grieved the loss of the place she considered her home... In the last few moons, she has begun to find her footing here though, her mentor Palethroat helping her along the way. Although... she knows all too well that a few of her clanmates would prefer her dead than back in her birth clan.

STANDING

CanyonClan

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There’s a strange question regarding her feelings towards CanyonClan. Despite being born in BriarClan and spending the first five months of her life there, the four or five months she spent in CanyonClan have had an incredibly deep and profound impact on her life. Having spent her entire apprenticeship there, she learned to hunt and fight and formed such tight friendships and connections with her former clanmates.

She loves everything about CanyonClan, especially her old mentor, Shalespots, and her self-proclaimed “besties”, Rocktalon, Pinkcloud, and Jaguarleap. (And her half-brother, Jaypaw, of course.) Pigeonpaw has not yet been able to refer to herself as a BriarClan cat with full confidence.

STANDING

CreekClan

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Pigeonpaw has a vague impression of CreekClan, having only just met the water-loving warriors at her first gathering and not attending the next one. They seem rather nice and relaxed at first glance and certainly make intriguing neighbors.

However, Pidge has a hard time ignoring their unfair treatment of her boyfriend who is not clanborn despite being raised for the majority of his life in the riverside clan- he was there as long for as long as she had been in CanyonClan... yet Windclaw still refused to make him an apprentice unless he revoked one of his families. The clan or Gila's family who brought him here in the first place. Of course she still likes CreekClan... but this treatment frustrates the shit out of her.

[ Littermate ]

Squirrelpaw

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Pigeonpaw is very close with both her littermates, though she does tend to work better with Squirrelpaw than Dawnpaw due to her more cooperative nature.

She worries about her sometimes, she can be anxious and overthink herself into a panic. The tortoiseshell also tries to see the good in others and… well, they all saw how that turned out with the foxes. Craneflight was an excellent mentor to Squirrelpaw, the sisters share that sadness over having to leave their mentors behind… but Squirrelpaw made her feel better about their new ones with how much she loves Whitehart- and how far she’s come in the last few moons. Though she doesn’t know for sure quite yet- she’s pretty sure Squirrelpaw has a little crush on their friend, Flaxfrost… she and Dawnpaw need to investigate that further to be certain.

[ Littermate ]

Dawnpaw

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Dawnpaw and Pigeonpaw can argue at times, their hard-headed natures getting in the way of proper cooperation, but that isn’t very often. Most of the time, she and her brother get along great and their similar senses of humor can send them both into fits of laughter at the most inopportune moments.

She worries about him, too, just in a different way than their sister. He’s brash and outspoken and- even though she wanted to as well- has openly threatened some of their clanmates following their, albeit horrible remarks regarding both their parents- a few even suggesting the clans would be better off with them dead- and she’s pretty sure he’s mentioned “making a list” of who to go after if someone hurt their papa. Even so, she trusts him with her life and would sooner die than not stand by his side through thick and thin.

[ Bestie ]

Pinkcloud

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One of the founders of Pigeonpaw’s sanctuary, BestieClan, she knows there was no chance of her thriving in CanyonClan like she did if it wasn’t for that trio taking the half-clan kits in without a second thought. Pigeonpaw enjoys every moment alongside him, they’d painted many a silly little mural together- including one that Pigeonpaw nearly got into trouble for that was a… less than flattering representation of Hallowsage (who has always freaked her out a bit). There is also a more solemn side to their bond… she fears the young warrior might feel as if she had abandoned them… when really, that couldn’t be further from the truth

[ Bestie ]

Rocktalon

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Rocky is a spitfire! She was the first cat to properly treat her as if she was part of the clan, asking to share a meal and shoot the shit with her- even taking no offense when the newly apprenticed molly had blurted out a question regarding her missing leg. Rocktalon and Pinkcloud are practically bound at the hip, and she will always treasure the memory of them sneaking out to their little hideout to paint rocks and tell stories that bear a striking resemblance to Rocktalon and their mutual friend, Nettleblaze… nice try, Rocky! Nice try

[ Bestie ]

Jaguarleap

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Jaguarleap was like her, he too had left his birth clan to find a home amongst the dusty canyons. Another member of BestieClan, the six of them were very tight… for a while. Recently, he was absent from their little meetup they had been planning for ages- and Pigeonpaw didn’t buy the story about getting sick that Rocky & Pink tried to feed them… and, well… he was off when she ran into his patrol last- and into Nettleblaze.

[ ??? ]

Nettleblaze

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Despite her attempts to dissuade the tortoiseshell from trying to befriend her- Pigeonpaw and Nettleblaze have created the scaffolding on which friendship is built on- much to both of their surprise. Pidge knows Jag, Pink, and Rocky all love Nettleblaze and she wants to get to know her better here soon.

[ Boyfriend ]

Scraps

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Pigeonpaw and Scraps met at Pidge’s first gathering, the same week she returned to BriarClan. As they talked, they found they were both the kids of controversial figures struggling to find what their place and purpose is in this life- if they even belong here- and even better, he shared Pigeonpaw’s (somewhat naive) revolutionary ideas! They spent the rest of the gathering bantering back and forth, and getting to know each other. Scraps and Pidge were reticent to part and it took Dawnpaw dragging her away for the two to finally say goodbye.

That wasn’t the last of it- the rest of the night, Pigeonpaw practically talked her littermates’ ears off about Scraps (in between intently listening to their own stories of course) and she would come to learn that Scraps did the same. Not ones to beat around the bush… it didn’t take but another brief run in at the border for them to come to the realization that their interest in each other had a romantic note. She thought the (aptly-named) scrappy tom, in all his confidence despite his stunted height, rather admirable.

The two had been seeing each other at the border whenever they could manage since then. BestieClan (her littermates included) are the only people she’s told about him.

[ Half-sister ]

Sandpaw

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The devil incarnate for all Pigeonpaw cares. All the nastiest traits of her father times a thousand. When she and her siblings first arrived, Pigeonpaw had tried, truly, she did, to befriend all three of her half-siblings but Sandpaw made it quite clear that they were bound to only ever be enemies. In constant competition at first- but that rivalry only festered into something quite… well, nasty. It all boiled over when Sandpaw attacked Pigeonpaw, very nearly blinding her in one eye, and left her with a searing reminder of just how much hatred was in Sandpaw’s heart- or at least what’s left of it… She’ll get her back for it one of these days.

[ CanyonClan Mentor ]

Shalespots

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Without Shalespots, Pigeonpaw is sure she never would’ve been as happy in CanyonClan as she was. The warrior, originally an outsider just like her apprentice, had taken to being a mentor like a bird to flight. Shalespots became somewhat of an “older sister” figure in Pigeonpaw’s life. One of her most cherished memories is with Shalespots- she was exploring the canyons for the first time alongside her mentor, the bright sun beating down as she told her the stories of her encounters with coyotes and eagles- and how she’d survived not one attack but two! They’d scaled the rocky ledges and returned home as the sun set, utterly beat- but happy.

[ BriarClan Mentor ]

Palethroat

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She hasn’t spent too long with Palethroat as her mentor, but she couldn’t be happier with Smokerose’s decision. Palethroat is noble and kind- quite stoic and distant, but not in the same way Nettleblaze was when they first met. Being the deputy’s apprentice has a weight of its own that Pigeonpaw had not been anticipating- even more so considering her father is the man that tore out said deputy’s throat and killed her mother. Certainly some lingering tension there- but nothing Pigeonpaw can’t handle. They’ll persevere, she knows they will.

Training has been fantastic so far- but it is a little odd how Palethroat vehemently avoids training anywhere near creeks or rivers… isn’t a mentor supposed to teach their apprentice how to swim?

Miscellaneous

Trivia

• Founding member of "BestieClan", the group of friends including Pinkcloud, Rocktalon, Jaguarleap, Squirrelpaw, Dawnpaw, Pigeonpaw, and (sorta) Nettleblaze.
• Thinks Palethroat deserves a girlfriend.
• Was taught to suplex an opponent by Specklestone.
• Beat Pinespark (Pinepaw at the time) and Jaguarleap in a sparring competition.
• Has never been taught to swim.
• Likes to sing- especiallly in the caynons where the echoes made it feel like she wasn't singing alone.