Petalshade is a small and unassuming she-cat. She was once frail but dedication to the tunnels has helped to strengthen her so she doesn’t look as fragile as she had as a kit. Now she’s leaner, a sleek form with strong shoulders and forelegs.

Her calico markings are speckled along her back and flanks, her white coat more prominent. Her fur is long and very fluffy, clearly taking after her mother Daisycloud. Her eyes are a pretty blue.

Her condition leads to the sun easily burning her skin among other things; it is not unusual for the she-cat to have red rashes or scabbed burns on her ears, muzzle, and around her eyes although these symptoms can appear on any part of her that’s had too much sun exposure. She has some scarring from past outbreaks although her fluffy coat does well in hiding most of them.

The she-cat is rarely seen during the day but the odd appearance shows her to be a stealthy being who easily slips from shadow to shadow. She carries herself in a very gentle manor, her movements fluid and presence carefully crated to be kind and unassuming. When approached for conversation, one gets the distinct feeling the she-cat has no clue how to handle being social beyond being sweet.

→ Petalshade will be played as a she-cat afflicted with worsening type II photosentization. Exposure to sunlight causes: redness, agitation, swelling, sunburn, rash, hives, and burns under extended exposure. Left to fester, infection has potential to develop and left untreated death is a possibility. Due to this, Petalshade has become primarily nocturnal and when forced to be present during the day will only do so in heavily shaded areas. Coinciding with her condition, the she-cat is very photophobic as well – daylight tends to hurt her eyes and extended exposure causes eyestrain and headache.

Her Playlist here for listening.

It’s a story that was told to Petalkit over and over, her favorite one to fall asleep to. Her mother, Daisycloud, had been a princess waiting for true love. For her soulmate. And Petalkit would ask, every time, “what’s a soulmate?” And without fail her mother would lean down to whisper to her, ”they’re your heart, dear. They make it beat like no one else can and when you see them you see your whole world. They will love you, always, no matter what.” And from her place snuggled against her mother’s stomach, Petalkit would watch her father look at her mother with utter adoration.

Petalkit was raised on these fairytale stories, picturing love and adventure from a young age. It wasn’t until she was older that she learned the cruel edge to them, the suffering hidden beneath all the flowery words of love and soulmates. Her mother had waited a very long time to settle down, determined to meet her own magical expectations of romance. And while she did finally find her prince charming, Icewind, it was in her later years and this led to…complications, with her pregnancy. Daisycloud struggled with the birth, weakened by mild fever and strain, but in the end birthed three beautiful kits. They were all rather small, frail as if a strong gust would sweep them away.

She had them for only a few days before losing Maplekit. Only a handful more until Pansykit joined her. Her parents were terrified that Petalkit was next but StarClan heard their prayers and allowed them their single daughter. Being the sole focus of their attentions, Petalkit found herself spoiled and doted upon constantly. While in the nursery all seemed well, the small kit rarely strayed from her mother’s nest and though the sunlight from the entrance sometimes hurt her eyes she never mentioned it. She was going to be a strong warrior one day; a little sunlight wouldn’t hurt her!

It all came tumbling down once she stepped outside.

She was a growing kit, almost an apprentice, and her mother’s constant fussing, while appreciated, was a little suffocating. And so Petalkit wandered from the nursery. It was a glorious sunny day and Petalkit quickly noted that things were not how they should be. Her eyes really hurt, the blinding rays assaulting her vision and starting a horrible drumming of a headache. She powered through but an hour or so later her ears and nose began to hurt as well, at first a mild agitation but quickly becoming a burning pain that sent her whimpering and scrambling back to her mother’s side.

No one knew what to call it. The medicine cat treated her burns with soothing ointment and Petalkit was left to heal. Sitting in her nest, her mother curled around her, Petalkit realized that her fairytale dreams of being a great warrior were going to take a rather drastic turn.

It was a topic of debate; what to do with the kit who couldn’t stand in the sun. Normal apprenticeship was out of the question. In a rare show, Petalkit was apprenticed under her father Icewind. Her schedule was nocturnal and it was decided that family would be best to keep an eye on her health while ensuring she received all the training required of a normal apprentice. And thus, Petalkit became Petalpaw and although her training occurred under odd conditions, she was quick to pick up her lessons and was a sponge for knowledge.

Her father trained her fairly. He was never too soft with her, much to the worry of her mother, and showed her that while she had certain limits, they were no excuse to allow herself and her potential to lie dormant. Petalpaw did well in her training, met her father’s expectation and often surpassed them, but it all felt rather…lonely. Occasionally their clanmates would join them, when they were awake that is, but more often than not it was just Petalpaw and her dad. They would hunt alone and spent a majority of their time one-on-one. And she was fine with that, honest, but she couldn’t deny how her eyes would linger on the other apprentices come morning – pairing up for training and group patrols.

She desperately wished to join them.

Sensing her growing sadness, her father sought out Littlestar. If Petalpaw struggled to form a bond with the daylighters of the Clan, perhaps she would thrive with others who also worked in darkness: the tunnelers. Icewind himself was a tunneler and it was agreed that as her mentor he would begin to train her in the art of tunneling, even if it was a little early. Petalpaw took to it like a fish to water. Here was a community where she belonged, a world without sunlight in which she shined like a star. It didn’t matter if it was daylight, she could stay underground and still contribute to the safety and wellbeing of her Clan. She had never felt so fulfilled.

It worried her mother, of course. Poor Daisycloud would linger around the various tunnel entrances her mate and daughter frequented, overjoyed that Petalpaw finally felt she belonged but plagued by nightmares that the tunnels would take her away to join her siblings. It was during a heavy rain that her fears manifested into tragic reality. A weakened tunnel they had been working to support collapsed, sparing Petalpaw but trapping her father under a mountain of earth. It wasn’t until the rains stopped days later that the Clan was able to recover his body.

The grief drove a wedge firmly between mother and daughter. Daisycloud mourned the loss of her true mate, her heart and soul, and clutched Petalpaw with a desperation borne from the loss of her love and all of their kits save one. She refused to allow Petalpaw back to the tunnels and their fights were bitter painful wounds. Petalpaw longed to return to where she felt she belonged, where her father’s spirit resided and guided her, and the suffocating desperation of her mother was drowning her. It all came to a head when Petalpaw received her warrior name.

Petalpaw became Petalshade, known for her stealth and supportive nature. It was a tad early, but considering her dedication and the circumstances it was decided that the best way to honor Icewind’s passing was to allow his daughter to fill the empty spot his paws once resided. Daisycloud couldn’t stand the thought, could already imagine Petalshade’s tragic fate in the tunnels, and her heart broke. She couldn’t look at her daughter, only saw future grief when she did, and they quickly grew apart. Daisycloud struggled to function beyond her grief and became a permaqueen, her soul soothed in being able to help other mothers with their kits. Petalshade became a recluse, she slipped away to the tunnels and rarely did she leave. She worked hard to learn all she could of the tunnels, felt her father’s spirit by her side as she worked tirelessly to aid her Clan from the shadows.

It could be lonely at times. While the tunnelers were a tightknit community they were certainly the minority in PrairieClan. Petalshade loved them all but sometimes she would sit under the stars and remember her mother’s soft words tickling her ears. Stories of romance, of soulmates, of your special heart-mate that would always love you and never leave you to loneliness. It was on such a night, heart heavy as she stared at Silverpelt, that Petalshade met Orion.

He was a loner who wandered a little too far into PrairieClan territory, unable to recall the way back. Petalshade knew there were others in the Clan who would be less sympathetic to his circumstances and quickly jumped to his aid. It wasn’t supposed to be a long walk, a hop and a skip to the border to send him on his way, but their paws were slow and it took them most of the night to accomplish the trip. Petalshade most definitely fancied the tom, admired his easy confidence and casual humor. She thought he fancied her too, maybe, and it brought a warmth to her cheeks.

They met at the border every few nights, a gentle friendship that bloomed quickly. Petalshade had never felt so close to another cat before, especially since her father’s passing. She had shutdown, closed herself off even to the other tunnelers, a withdrawn shadow that haunted the furthest tunnels from camp. But with Orion she finally felt seen again, their words came so easily and conversations were never dull. He encouraged her to live again. Reminded her that Icewind would never have wanted her to become a ghost of herself.

It felt like waking up after a long sleep. A deep breath in vacant lungs. Her heart was reawakened and maybe she confused its fluttering for the magical love her mom had spoken of so much. They were close, shared everything together under the stars, and Petalshade felt so assured when she’d breathlessly asked, "join me, join us?"

He declined, not yet ready or willing to join Clan life. It hurt. A lot. But Petalshade was used to disappointment and she bit back her tears with a gentle smile. "Maybe one day."

They remained close friends despite the emotional bruise that throbbed a beat in her heart. She would never leave Orion over something so trivial, not after the tom had done so much for her. Had reminded her that despite all of the heavy events in her short life she was still just a girl with a long and bright future ahead of her. That she didn’t need to be somber and remain a background character in her own life, that she could be as childish and free as she wanted – she could be the princess from the magical stories if she wanted to be.

Fate, ever known for its propensity to be cruel, welcomed her back into the heart of her Clan right before war. In her self-given solitude, Petalshade had admittedly become clueless about present going-ons. She began to make more frequent appearances in camp, made an effort to say hello to any clanmates she saw, and only had a vague idea of the tensions brewing between RidgeClan and MistClan. When battle came, Petalshade helped lead their Clan’s warriors through the tunnels. She left senior tunnelers like Smallbreeze to handle their forces and choose to stay inside the tunnels and aid any cats who needed it. At the end of it all, she helped the injured make way back to camp and berated herself for her ignorance.

Present day finds Petalshade trying to reconnect with her Clanmates. She allowed herself to become a ghost that rarely appeared amongst her Clan and she wants to rectify her mistake. She helps wherever she can, makes an effort to stay above ground on days that allow her. She keeps her ears perked for information because she refuses to be ignorant about the safety of her Clan and those around them. She dreams of being able to help all three Clans but knows that’s much easier said than done. She also tries to keep track of the brewing movement to disband the tunnelers and end their traditions. She’s still a quiet she-cat but should the discussion become more serious, she is more than ready to defend their traditions and her way of life.

Pre-Plotting: Petalshade aligns with the peony belief from the PrairieClan plot views. She believes that when all of the Clans are thriving then life is at its most peaceful for everyone. As an influential force with an increase in sway currently, it should be up to PrairieClan to extend a helping paw to both RidgeClan and MistClan. Petalshade is also a firm believer of the importance of the tunnels. They are an honorable tradition and to collapse the tunnels would be a grievous offence against the hard work and care of their ancestors. 

Family: Petalshade holds family very close to her heart. She swears she can feel the warmth of her father’s spirit in the tunnels and honors his memory with her dedication to their work. Her mother is also a very important cat in her life despite their current estrangement. Petalshade desperately hopes to reconnect with Daisycloud, she just needs to find the right time. 
Friends: For a long time Petalshade was a recluse. She felt isolated from the other cats in the Clan because of her health condition putting her at odds with most of the Clan’s schedules. She retreated to the furthest tunnels and spent a little over a moon in self-imposed seclusion. After meeting Orion, Petalshade wants to embrace her Clan more and make friends. She’ll make for kind and caring company.
Romance: Petalshade is, and always will be, on the lookout for her soulmate. She wants the love her parents had; a fairytale romance fit for a princess. Anything less than that would be unacceptable! She hasn’t had much romantic experience so she’s bound to struggle a bit, perhaps setting her expectations too high.
Rivals: Petalshade would do her best not to have rivals. She actively avoids confrontation and often does her best to soothe both sides of an argument. The only cats she might consider rivals are those who are adamantly against tunneling and pose a threat to her way of life.  

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