[dark as d u s k]

[madhatter]

duskshadow
SAVE ME FROM THE NOTHING I'VE BECOME
GIVE ME SOMETHING TO FIGHT FOR AND
DON'T TELL ME TO RUN.

NAME... Duskshadow
AGE... 39 moons
GENDER... Male
CLAN... LionClan
POSITION... Warrior
SPECIES... African Lion

APPEARANCE...

Lean and hard-muscled, Duskshadow’s body type can be considered tank-like. He was built to be a warrior. Without a doubt, he’s larger than most and has corded tendons that result in forceful blows and skillful blows. He was not made for catching prey, and he is not as quick as he is strong, nor does he have the lithe body of a hunter. First glances can ensue terror on the battlefield. Speaking now of physical features, this tom has broad shoulders that give way to an evenly matched neck and a triangular face, all lion. His lashing tail has a charming golden tassel, and his round and feline ears sprout small tufts of golden hair. With heavy paws come well-kept, able claws, frequently used. His body is plenty proportionate and tapered not quite to perfection.

As for Duskshadows coloring, you can expect a pretty generic lion tone. His pelt is gold. Dark gold. Like when the sun sets in the night and the last rays are slipping away. It has darker brown undertones, flecked and ticked. He sports an impressive mane, as all male lions do, and it frame his angular face well. Scars nick his torso, though none have managed to taint his face just yet.

His eyes are a cool but perpetually dark brown. They borderline black, and in night they can indeed look this way. His expression occasionally warms into a proud gaze, and only then will a special cat be able to see the true intricacy of his swirling irises.

PERSONALITY...

Duskshadow is, well, a cold shadow. He truly has the meaning of a harsh personality. He doesn’t take nonsense- ever. He has a very strong belief in respecting your elders and a high regard for a governing authority. Apprentices that step out of line are known to be punished hardly- sometimes even unfairly. He’s not usually of the unfair variety, though when his temper goes, there is no saying what may become of this strong male lion. This temper of his is a scary one indeed. It’s lost or set off not as often as you may think, but quite frequently. Crossing Duskshadow during this time, especially if you reside in a different clan and value you your life, could end in cold, hard cuffs to the head, an eye-opening rant, or even, in battle, fatalities.

He has that dark, scary manner to him that says ‘don’t come near. I’m dangerous’. And he is dangerous. To some, he comes across as heartless. He has that sadistic humor that you see on villains. His upbringing leads cats to believe rumors. On the contrary though, Duskshadow is nowhere near a villain. Gruff. That’s a good word. Hard to break down his thick shell. In some eyes, his tough outer layer could be considered an amiable trait. Because of it, he is an excellent warrior and has little remorse going to battle. Claws before words and such. Okay, so maybe not so amiable. Blows to his past make him furious, as to his mother. SO NO MOM JOKES GOT IT?

Despite how much he pretends not to be this way, Duskshadow would do anything for his clan and begrudgingly would go back for a clan mate in a rut. He would never put himself over a cat in need- from HIS clan. Others… not so much. His loyalty to LionClan could be considered legendary. He would calmly put his life on the line for almost everyone of them and even more so for his leader. Rarely will he question his leader’s decisions for long...on a good day. If he figures keeping something from Blackstar would be better for the clan, then it will not be told. His bravery is obvious to anyone that actually knows him, and he will never shy from a challenge. Or a battle. His quick-snap actions that usually haven’t registered in his brain yet aren’t always the safest route. But they certainly get the job done just fine. I mean, let’s get real, Duskshadow is a huge, dark, muscular lion with a battle lust. Yeah.

If you do successfully manage to destroy the nail-hard coating, like Goldenpelt has managed to do, you will find an entirely different cat indeed. To his love, he is caring, he is gentle, he is everything he is generally not. He is protective of his mate, and of his coming kits (as to which his excitement is immeasurable). Goldenpelt is his sunshine and he would never do anything he thought would hurt her. The transformation of him with versus without his queen is astonishing. Honestly. They would think him a different feline altogether. She is the only lion, besides Blackstar, that he will take orders from. He’s sure to get even antsier when her due date comes near.

Duskshadow does not believe things he does not see, and therefore his faith in StarClan is not solidified. He’s more of a physical, cold hard facts kind of guy, not spiritual, and he would rather take the truth than the sugar-coated lies.

HISTORY...

So, to get this going, we’ll start with a short pre-story of the marveled parents of little Duskkit. It was a complicated relationship, and perhaps was based more on desire than love itself. Kora was a laid-back, carefree she-cat with a generally optimistic outlook on life. As her name implies, she was indeed not a clan cat. Nor was she a rogue- evil and blackhearted. No, she was simply a loner who kept to herself. The dapper young father who first met Kora on a border patrol went by the name of Viperstrike, and as destinies would go, he was a pure-bred clan cat, true and strong. They balanced each other out, and Viperstrike found himself intrigued in her calm demeanor. But not intrigued enough to commit. They continued on like this for a moon, secret meetings and hushed tones, before she proudly announced her pregnancy. Instead of the excited father she hoped for, she discovered a cold, hard wall. They had a falling out and Kora was inexplicably heartbroken. And angry. She was alone, heavy with kits.

Moons past, seasons changed, and Kora grew. During leaf-bare, coincidentally the coldest day of that particular season, they came. She was just lying there, convulsing, wanting more than anything for her children to live. She was tough, a survivor, and the birthing process went through successfully. Two kits, a female and a male. Twins. They both had their father’s coat and build, dark and strong-boned. Kora was almost disappointed when she took in their coloring, wishing desperately not for a reminder of her previous lover. Spider and Dusk. Viperstrike would not let her forget him. A mere two days after they came into the world, there he was, no compassion and no regret. He asked for them. Actually, he ordered them to him. But the she-cat would not allow her kits to leave her side this easy. She stood no chance to the well-rounded male lion, and when she shielded her kin, he broke her neck to get to them. Never remorseful, he edged the corpse off of them and carried the two back to camp in his jaws.

The clan really ought to have questioned who they belonged to, but fear rang high over curiosity, and Viperstrike succeeded in integrating them into clan life. A nursing queen took them under her wing, but never had time to influence them. Their treacherous father shadowed every thing they did, putting in what was right and what was wrong. Spiderkit and Duskkit were both strong prospects, but as they grew, they developed two very, very distinct personalities. Duskkit’s sister always had the last word and she always was causing trouble. He, on the other hand, watched and calculated before making a deadly move. No matter, he went along with Spiderkit and her strong-willed nature, causing havoc whenever possible. Never did she end up in trouble, Duskkit forever protecting her and taking the unjust blame himself. When he looks back upon this, he realizes how much his twin used him as a shield. The way her amber eyes looked up at him with expectance and sly smiles.

Viperstrike was downright cruel. To the bone. He was abusive to his children when no one was watching. He would tackle them, scold them, curse at them, snap at them, nip at them. The list went on and on. Duskkit could not do things right, while Spiderkit seemed perfectly content with it all. They were taught to slaughter early, and by the time their sixth moon was at hand, they were downright deadly. Spiderkit was given Viperstrike as a mentor while Duskkit was given Ashwhisper, a level-headed and young ashy grey lioness. If it wasn’t for her, I do believe Duskpaw wouldn’t have been able to resist his father’s constant pushes towards evil.

He matured, he grew, and his mentor gave him gentle nudges towards being a loyal warrior. Oh, how he had a crush on the lovely she-cat. It was all confusing in the undeveloped mind of Duskpaw. Viperstrike was giving him constant battle lessons on the side, and he wanted to please him. To a point of obsession. Spiderpaw always seemed to know more than him and always was the stronger. Uneasiness spread like wildfire. The two were formidable foes. What was once a bonded tie ripped apart and became a constant competition to gain an up for their dad’s attention. His love for his mentor grew and she showed pure affection back. She taught him well, showed him the ropes. The twins only needed to be a mere eleven moons before they became full-fledged warriors. Duskshadow and Spiderfang were their chosen names, no doubt urged on by Viper.

Ashwhisper and him were no doubt in love, and she was the only being he could show compassion and caring to. The moons bore on, and he was forced to juggle his mate and his overbearing father and his secretive ways. In his subconscious, he knew that the pair were planning something, but he did not act on it until later. The confrontation between him and his sister was no less than legendary. It started with a wandering question and went on until fiery words were being fired back at eachother. Spiderfang had a heated temper, and it exploded. She leapt at her own flesh and blood, trying to rip his throat out. But they were evenly matched. The screeches and snarls were heard throughout the plains. It was Viperstrike who, quite literally, ripped them apart, flint-like eyes blazing with ferocity and anger.

After that, Duskshadow kept a distance from her. And finally, his father at last took action. It was a matter of a certain dead cat on a certain border. Oh, how his heart broke. Being on the patrol that investigated the mysterious murder, he saw it firsthand. Ashwhisper’s mangled body, sightless eyes, and cold scent. Not a week before he was told that his love was heavy with kits. And now; this. The fury that raged beneath him was like nothing he had ever felt. LeopardClan had murdered her. Destroyed everything he had worked so hard to keep together. LionClan was officially at war. Viperstrike had counted on his anger. He had created it. He had felt it.

The troupe of his kin were all on the battle party, the twins momentarily forgetting their hatred. Or, at least, Duskshadow forgetting it. Spiderfang had been ordered to hide her emotions until this night was over. They flew through the forest like floodwater, a wash of hissing beasts. LionClan met them half-way and Duskshadow was the first to smash into its member, tackling him to the ground and nearly ripping his throat straight out. Spiderfang and Viperstrike were missing, nowhere to be found. When they showed up behind their battling leader, he was shocked. His sister had him pinned down, but his father was preoccupied dealing with a beast of a leopard. When she spotted him, she shouted out.

“Duskshadow, You always wanted to prove yourself.” She paused, narrowing her icy eyes. “Destroy him.”

Dazed, he blinked. Kill their leader? But, why? It took him a moment to wrap his mind around the situation, and by then, Viperstrike was looming over the pinned tom. Duskshadow growled and shot forward, standing over him as well.

“I can do this. I was born to do this.”

And as he pulled back a paw, claws gleaming, a terrified expression passed over the leader’s face. He shifted position, last second, and crashed his massive pad down over Viper’s head, hissing and tackling him to the ground. A look of shock passed over his captive’s face, but disappeared, replaced with a cruel certainty that his end would not come. “I created you. And I will destroy you. Dead or alive.” His hoarse voice croaked out. For a split-second the lion hesitated. But in the end, a neck was snapped. And it was not his own. His father lay dead at his feet, Spiderfang fleeing into the dense foliage.


Where she is now is anybody’s guess.

Now, my friends, is where lovely Goldenpelt ties into this story. She was never judging, nor was she ever misleading. It started as a friendship. A perfect, easy friendship. The lioness helped him heal the wounds of Ashwhisper. And while she was at it, true love blossomed. Never had he thought it possible to care again. But again he did. She turned out to be his sun, his only sun, and he has grown even further, becoming a massive, brooding tom. With Goldenpelt now heavy with kits, he has found what he thinks to be serenity.

I sincerely hope the shadows of this past don’t catch up with him.

[crush]

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