your paws sink into the gross sludge taking over the ground; how could such beauty result in a treacherous thing taking over the earth? rainfall, one of your favorite things. foggy mornings, muffled birdsong. thick droplets of water fall around you as you gather your thoughts fresh from sleep. the grey clouds bring you peace, a break from the desolate blue sky- though it causes the ground to become a gross mix of water and earth, mud. the harsh liquid sticks to your fur; it drags you down- something you want to avoid at any cost.
you lay in a field of many flowers, soft rays of sun soaking into your pelt. the dawn sky was an array of different colors as the sun rose behind the pale, hazy clouds. one of earth's most brilliant creations, sweet and fragrant- flowers. each and every one is unique, from the shape of the petals to the scent it gives off. they come in more colors than you could imagine, or would ever think to exist. each one so different, yet every one so perfect. blooming annually, they get a fresh start every year; sometimes you wish you could get a fresh start.
────────
。・:*:・゚☆
your fresh start.[ USER angel furby ] [ NAME mudflower ] [ GENDER male ]
[ RANK warrior ] [ CLAN orchidclan ] [ AGE fifty-three moons ] ─── history.
before coming to orchidclan, mudflower and his sister, apricot, were left to a rogue group by their mother. it was a small group living in the city that took part in cruel practices. he was known as simply mud then. they were led by one cat, known as beetle, who controlled their every move. he viewed himself as superior. he ate first; he bathed first; he slept first; his life was simply worth more than the others'. if a cat broke the rules, they were killed or exiled with no exceptions. beetle would generally never consider taking in weak cats such as two abandoned kits, but he saw potential in mudflower; he wanted to see who the kitten would grow up to be.
within this group, mudflower was a harsh and cruel cat. he was one of those who enforced the rules upon others and protected beetle. he was not afraid to use tooth and claw to punish other cats. he served beetle with loyalty.
apricot was small and kind. she was looked down upon, taking an interest in healing and teaching, rather than hunting and fighting. the only reason she was allowed to stay was because of mudflower. if he wasn't so respected by beetle, or feared by the others, she would've been exiled many moons ago.
eventually, along with a few others, apricot decided she had enough. in the middle of the night, she stood atop the leader's fence and yowled for every cat to gather. she announced that she wasn't going to take it anymore; that her and her group of cats would rise up against beetle and do things right. a laughing matter to the others. no one spoke up, no one listened or agreed. their leader lept up beside her and struck her down, deciding she had finally broken the last straw.
as her punishment, mudflower was ordered to kill her. and he did.
he couldn't live with himself after; all he could think about was her lie, that he ended. they were so young, and she had so much more to do with her life. she always dreamed of getting out of the rogue group, running away. she wanted nothing more but to help others.
moons after the incident, mudflower decided he would do just that in her honor. he ran away from the group to live as a loner. he wanted to help every cat he came across. he could never take back the horrible crime he committed of taking away apricot's life, but what he could do was live for her.
─── personality.
mudflower has learned to become a gentle and kindhearted cat despite his harsh past and cruel ways. though he tries his best to be easygoing, he is somewhat quick to anger as a result of his previous cruel ways of life. he doesn't handle his anger well, and can often lash out if he is upset. most of orchidclan is unaware of his background aside from cherrystar, sweetwhisker, and canarywish; mudflower doesn't want it to define him or change the way others see him.
despite this, he isn't the most popular cat in the clan. because of his temper, it can be a bit difficult to like him.
he is an advocate for those in orchidclan who come from different backgrounds. he wants to give every cat a chance, despite bast wrongdoings. he knows that if the cats he first met on his journey treated him as nothing but his mistakes he might not be alive today.
mudflower is a bit closed off, and he isn't the most social cat. he prefers to spend his time alone or with those he's close to. he struggles to tear those walls from his past down; he wants to seem strong to others and being genuine with cats he doesn't know well can be difficult.
he has a huge soft spot for kits and apprentices, often finding himself spending time in the nursery telling them stories or helping out with apprentice training. he dreams of someday having a large family with cherrystar, and already has names chosen for all his future kits!
─── mudflower & cherrystar.
mudflower and cherrystar sat side by side, fur brushing against each other as they watched the sunset. "it's beautiful," mudflower broke the silence, turning away from the setting sun's view to look towards his mate. birds flew overhead, their dark silhouettes standing out against the rosy sky and fluffy clouds.
"yes, it is." cherrystar replied, her voice soft so as not to disturb their surroundings. "like you," she added, touching her tail tip to his nose, "looking grumpy as ever." she laughed, watching his face scrunch up. "you know i'm teasing, honey. i love your grumpy face." cherrystar reassured him.
"i know you do." the sky bathed their fur in shades of blue and purple, the sun disappearing beyond the forest. "i'm glad this is our home, that we made it our home together." the large tom-cat said. "i don't know what i'd do without orchidclan, or you." he wrapped his tail around cherrystar, who was... basically the same size as his tail.
"i feel the same way, dear. orchidclan is truly doing amazing. we're lucky to be able to call it home." she smiled, leaning against her mate. another group of birds flew by, "do you think that those birds live in groups like us?" mudflower asked, causing cherrystar to let out an amused purr.
"who knows? they could," she imagined herself and mudflower as sparrows, organizing patrols among a group of birds. "maybe they send out hunting patrols to catch worms." their conversation died out as the sun sunk behind the distant slopes and trees, the lavender sky going dark.
should have known better · he wishes he grew up with a real family, not just apricot.
elephant · he had a false ego, being put in a place of power so young. he just wanted to be liked by everyone- but was feared instead.
cigarette daydreams · his sister is disgusted by his actions and cruel ways, she doesn't want to stay with him.
lavender blood · he wants to change, but he doesn't know how to.
trouble · he is happy in orchidclan, but isn't happy with himself. he feels he must prove himself, or his past will ruin his happiness.
─── mud & apricot
wind howled outside the broken down twoleg building they stood in, buffeting the walls and streaming through the broken windows. mud's claws dug into the wood him and his sister stood on, anger bubbling inside him. "apricot, you need to learn strength," he hissed, "i know you don't like it here. we all know, you make it very obvious. but this is your home, and you need to understand that."
despite the obvious size difference, apricot stood tall. her unwavering glare was locked on her brother, her ears flattened against her head. "i can't... be like these cats, mud- like you! when did you become like this?" her shrill meows rose above the violent wind; she knew her brother wouldn't hurt her, it didn't matter how far she went. he put up this front, as if he was fierce and strong. but he was weak.
mud felt horror as he saw the genuine disgust in her eyes; did she really feel that way about him? he shook it off, ignoring her remark. "you have to be. this is our home," he growled. lowering his voice, "you won't make it out there alone, neither of us will. you're safe here. i know you aren't like these cats, but i need you to fit in, please." the argument quickly turned to him pleading.
"i'm not going to pretend i'm the same as these pathetic cats!" she spat, fire burning in her eyes. "what is wrong with you? you're not the mud i used to know. has beetle really changed you that much?"
mud closed his eyes, knowing exactly where she was going with this. "listen, i know you have... some sort of weird crush on him, but are you really so in love with him you're going to act like it's okay to murder innocent cats?" he flinched at those words. was he?
"apricot, i- please," he racked his mind for what to say, how to convince her. "they weren't innocent! they stole from us, stole food that could've fed us." he argued, changing the subject. he was in love with beetle, he let himself be manipulated by him.
apricot's fiery gaze fell, turning to disappointment. "i can't believe you," she mumbled, letting her eyes linger on him for a few moments before walking away to exit the twoleg building.
how did it get this bad...?