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[ 0 MOONS - 5 MOONS ] Shrikekit was born to her mother, Pigeonscreech, and father, Cloudwhisker, as an only kit. The first moon of her life was rather uneventful as she developed like any other newborn kit, but just as she was mastering walking, a queen died while welcoming her own child to the world, and Pigeonscreech took the motherless child in. Shrikekit wasn’t oblivious to how Pigeonscreech treated Leopardkit. She saw how her mother looked at the other kit with disgust, how the child never received an affectionate embrace, and how Pigeonscreech scolded them harshly for every mistake they made. Naturally, Shrikekit began to treat Leopardkit poorly as well - not in an attempt to impress her mother, but because it was the only thing she knew to do. She’d taunt them relentlessly and never go easy on them during playtime, and not once did Pigeonscreech correct her cruel behavior.

Burdock-kit became a significant part of Shrikekit’s life shortly after Leopardkit did. Burdock-kit had always been there, of course, as a denmate, but Shrikekit hadn’t really ever noticed him until Burdock-kit tackled her one day while she’d been picking on Leopardkit. They argued for a brief moment before Shrikekit stormed off, but from that moment came a rather odd relationship between the two of them. Most of the time, Shrikekit could be found with Burdock-kit, though she never really chose to be around him, because they weren’t even close to best friends or even friends. Whenever Shrikekit tried to lose him, Burdock-kit would track her down again. Whenever Shrikekit tried to bully Leopardkit, Burdock-kit stepped in between them, and whenever Shrikekit tried to relax, Burdock-kit sat beside her to talk her ear off. Shrikekit believed Burdock-kit existed just to bother her, because there was no other reason for the other kit to be around her so much.

As the moons came and went, Shrikekit actually began to listen to Burdock-kit’s rambling about how wow, your mother is so suffocating and was your family always so dysfunctional? She would hiss at him for daring to insult Pigeonscreech, but the idea had been planted in her mind and she couldn’t help wondering if Pigeonscreech was suffocating and heartless like Burdock-kit claimed. He also talked about Cloudwhisker, who Shrikekit hated for betraying her mother, and suggested that maybe Shrikekit form her own opinion of him instead of letting Pigeonscreech make her opinions for her. And Burdock-kit also brought up Leopardkit frequently, talking about how Shrikekit should be kinder to her, because kindliness was not something to be ashamed of. Slowly, Shrikekit started to see the truth, but she denied it at the same time. Deep down, she knew her parents were toxic and her adopted sibling deserved better, but she was terrified of turning her back on everything she’d ever known.

[ 6 MOONS - PRESENT ] As an apprentice, Pigeonscreech’s grasp on Shrikepaw only tightened and the weight on her shoulders increased. She was pushed to perfect every battle technique, to never fail a single hunt, and to work relentlessly instead of socializing. She also endured her mother’s harsh criticism and every time her mother offended her, she told herself that Pigeonscreech loved her so much that she just wanted her to be the best warrior she could possibly be. However, the pressure was exhausting, and the only relief Shrikepaw got was at night. Burdockpaw was always waiting for her in the apprentice den, his nest a short distance away, far enough so they wouldn’t touch, but close enough so they could interact through whispers. Sometimes, they’d talk all night instead of getting rest. Most nights, Shrikepaw pretended she couldn’t care any less about what Burdockpaw had to say, but other nights, she proved she cared in the words she said and her tone, and maybe those nights were why Burdockpaw stuck around.

Pre-Plotting: Shrikepaw relates best to two views in [RidgeClan’s Plot Ad]. Outwardly, she aligns with Mars and some part of her does want to protect her clan with tooth and claw, because it’s all she knows. However, the other half of her wants nothing more than to leave her clan behind, because RidgeClan reminds her of all the pain she experienced and caused. Shrikepaw’s conflicting allegiances confuse and hurt her, often resulting in her lashing out, but what else is new?

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