Note: all cat images are free to use and come from @slugswarriorsdesigns on tumblr. They are good approximations of the cats but are not identical to how they look in regards to age, eye color, and marking placement.
BACKSTORY
With these character applications, I also want to share a little about their collective backstory, as the context will be helpful in understanding these cats and why they came to the clans. The TLDR is they used to live in a lighthouse on a little orchard where traveling cats had come and gone for generations they named Skyview. Seasons ago, the lighthouse and orchard were partially destroyed in the hurricane. The last of the fruit trees begin to die, and prey becomes scarcer. When tragedy strikes and the family loses Watching Minnows, the mother of the two young kits Coyote’s Jaw (later Coyotekit) and Bee Dances in Sunlight (later Sunkit), siblings Bird Drops Apple (later Applebird) and Spots Like Moth (later Spottedmoth) strike out for the clans they’ve heard of. Carrying the burden of grief and guilt for effectively ending their culture, they hope to find a future for the kits.
All cats will join Skyclan, considering the name an omen.
BIRD DROPS APPLE/APPLEBIRD
Age: ~2.5 years
Gender: GNC female, gives off a very neutral vibe. Might be considered agender, but uses she/her pronouns.
Clan: Skyclan, formerly none
Rank: Newcomer, warrior
APPEARANCE
Bird Drops Apple/Applebird is a sleek-furred black and white cat with copper eyes and a reddish nose. She has a long tail and legs with large ears. Mostly black, her front legs are white to the wrist. A patch of white rests around her shoulders and neck and rings the majority of her tail, leaving the last third black. Her muzzle, cheeks, and the bridge of her nose are white.
PERSONALITY AND DISPOSITION
Second oldest of the litter. A cynic trying to hold everything together. Fiercely protective of her family and gets her fur ruffled by any perceived criticism or coldness towards the kits. Most likely to have beef with a clan leader. Pragmatic and highly intuitive with a keen, observant eye. Prefers subterfuge to outright conflict but feels she can’t back down from a perceived challenge for fear of feeling like she’s vulnerable.
Possesses a strong sense of justice; cannot stand a bully or someone who makes cats feel small. Always torn between giving the fur off her back to any queen in need and saving her energy and resources to protect her family. Has a huge soft spot for queens, but can get in trouble with them for saying things to kits that are too straightforward. Speaks a little harshly to the kits she cares for out of a place of love and desperate, clawing fear—she wants to make sure the kits become strong enough to survive in a cruel world devoid of fairness.
Spottedmoth is the social lubricant for Applebird’s lack of tact, and the two are inseparable. All four cats often share a nest.
MOTIVATORS, GOALS, AND DESIRES
She feels her obligations are to Spottedmoth, the kits, and Watches Minnows’ spirit above all else, including herself and her own happiness. Her own needs and desires are an afterthought to her, lost in her anxiety as she compulsively keeps an eye on her family. Cursed by a powerful set of observation skills, she is hyperaware of any tension, sickness, or change in the cats she loves.
Above all else, Applebird wants the kits to grow up to be happy. She also wants this for Spottedmoth, but the kits come first in all things.
She misses her deceased sister Watches Minnows and her childhood best friend Red Ears desperately but tries not to show it. She does not share the visions of Watches Minnows that Spots Like Moth/Spottedmoth has and feels like a failure for it. She is skeptical of Starclan until she witnesses them firsthand.
WORST FEAR/SEEKING TO AVOID
Losing Spottedmoth too, having to raise the kits alone, and failing to protect them. She fights with the fundamental belief that she would fail if left alone, but also struggles to accept help.
SKILLS
Bird Drops Apple/Applebird is highly observant and often the first to notice when another cat is feeling unwell, when tension springs up, when a cat is expecting kits, and so on. She is a proficient hunter and fighter and a skilled tree-climber.
RELATIONSHIPS
Mentor: N/A or TBD, depending on her integration into Skyclan
Apprentice: TBD
Parents: N/A, raised by community
Siblings: Spots Like Moth/Spottedmoth, Watches Minnows (deceased)
Mate(s): N/A
Kits: N/A, but caring for Coyote’s Jaw and Bee Dances in Sunlight
SPOTS LIKE MOTH/SPOTTEDMOTH
Age: ~2.5 years
Gender: Female, uses she/her pronouns
Clan: Skyclan, formerly none
Rank: Newcomer, warrior
APPEARANCE
Spots Like Moth/Spottedmoth is an amber-eyed whitish cat with light gray tabby patches on her face that cover both ears and eyes. She has similar patches along her spine and flanks. Her tail is striped with a white tip. Like Applebird, she has a long tail and legs with large ears, but is smaller. Could be mistaken for an older apprentice due to her size and soft manner of speaking.
PERSONALITY AND DISPOSITION
Youngest of the litter. The peacemaker and great with kits and elders; almost effortlessly charming. Quietly compassionate and observant. Worries a lot about Bird Drops Apple/Applebird, who tries hard to avoid worrying her. Serves as a bit of a translator for socially awkward, black-and-white-thinker Bird Drops Apple/Applebird, who is quick to jump down the throat of any cat. Does not resent her sister because she lacks the courage to say and do the things Bird Drops Apple/Applebird does. Very much a ‘will you order for me at the restaurant?’ relationship.
She is endlessly indulgent of the kits, which feeds into Bird Drops Apple/Applebird’s strictness with them. Horrified that her sister wants to teach the kits battle moves so young as she herself is not much of a fighter. Spots Like Moth/Spottedmoth is much more likely to use an opponent’s strength and size against them by being quick and agile than go into an all out battle.
Spots Like Moth/Spottedmoth, despite her curiosity, will have more trouble adjusting to clan life than pragmatic Bird Drops Apple/Applebird will, as Spots Like Moth/Spottedmoth is not so used to a rigid life with so many rules and duties, especially those surrounding combat. She is much more inclined to assist the apprentices, elders, or medicine cat than to join a border patrol. This difficulty is offset somewhat by her desire to learn, which she can put at the front of her mind when doing something she doesn’t enjoy. When she frames unpleasant things as a learning opportunity, she finds it easier to do them.
Because her charming nature comes from a place of insecurity, she has a hard time getting close to other cats and feels wrong-pawed around them. She takes things literally and asks a lot of questions to satisfy her curiosity, which can be annoying, off-putting, and time consuming to resolve. Ironically, she tends to talk a lot when she’s nervous to shift the focus away from herself. When asked how she’s doing, she’s more likely to deflect with something a bit whimsical and long-winded than give a straight answer.
Spots Like Moth/Spottedmoth sometimes takes on an almost toxically positive approach to things for the kits’ sake, as she worries Bird Drops Apple/Applebird’s intense anxiety and pragmatism will make them unaware or even scornful of the beauty and joy in their lives. Rather than outright argue over parenting approaches, the sisters are more likely to dig their paws in about their mindset, overexplain, and suppress resentment and frustration.
MOTIVATORS, GOALS, AND DESIRES
Like Bird Drops Apple/Applebird, Spots Like Moth/Spottedmoth also feels the heavy burden of responsibility for caring for the kits, and the guilt for leaving their home. This guilt is tempered by excitement, as Spots Like Moth/Spottedmoth has always suppressed a longing to travel and learn about the wide world around her. More than Bird Drops Apple/Applebird, and more similarly to Watches Minnows, she has always been deeply fascinated by the stories of other cats and their cultures, and is driven by a deep curiosity. She feels questions she has about herself and her place in the world would be answered if she could meet other cats and see how they live.
She is eager to learn and understand the ways of the clans once they arrive, and this eagerness aids in the group’s integration, helping smooth over the bitter grief that makes Bird Drops Apple/Applebird a less pleasant cat to be around. Spots Like Moth/Spottedmoth is very keen to meet other cats and is most likely to have too many friends in other clans, which presents issues for her ability to be loyal to and protect Skyclan. She is inclined to find nonviolent compromise for intense fear of loss. She would avoid bloodshed at nearly any cost, and has a hard time seeing even hostile cats as the ‘enemy.’ She is frozen in imaginings of that cat’s life: she wouldn’t want any cat to shred one of her kin, so how could she shred some other cat? She doesn’t want any cat to grieve the loss of a littermate as she has.
In clan life, Spots Like Moth/Spottedmoth quickly becomes enthralled with the world of the medicine cat. She possesses some basic first aid knowledge but is delighted to realize there is more to be learned. She is also intrigued by their link to Starclan, and wonders if this means her visions/dreams of Watches Minnows could mean she’ll actually get to see her again someday. She desperately wishes to visit the clans’ sacred spaces to see if she can seek out Watches Minnows, and fantasizes about sneaking out of camp to go exploring there, but worries that would be a violation of the courtesy the clan cats have shown her and her family, and longs for this in silence.
WORST FEAR/SEEKS TO AVOID
Spots Like Moth/Spottedmoth has been the peacekeeper of the family since she was very young, and this has had ripple effects that touch many aspects of her psyche. She perceives conflict differently than other cats might, seeing it as a personal failure on her behalf to smooth over conflicts. Though she is not consciously aware of it, she has become the emotional caretaker of all those around her, and constantly adjusts her own behavior to avoid making waves.
She seeks the path of least resistance socially, opting to be sneaky to get her own needs met rather than requesting assistance outright. Seasons of doing this has made it reflexive, limiting her ability to be aware of the incredible sense of responsibility she has saddled herself with. She risks betraying herself to keep the peace, terrified that making other cats upset will lead to losing their love. Though she cannot put her claw on the reason behind it, she often feels apprehensive, like she is about to be caught red-pawed and exiled.
Her greatest fear is being perceived as a failure by Watches Minnows and Bird Drops Apple/Applebird, both of whom she puts on a pedestal. She is terrified of being chased away by the cats she cares about, and copes with this by constructing elaborate daydreams about travel and the cats she’d meet. Ever her own worst critic, a part of her feels it is simply inevitable that some cat will see she is only pretending at being so agreeable, and that the world will come crashing down around her when this happens.
SKILLS
Spots Like Moth/Spottedmoth has basic first aid skills and interest in herbs. She is a quick learner always seeking to fulfill her curiosity for the ‘whys’ in life. She is skilled at smoothing ruffled fur and de-escalating conflict. She is a fast runner, a proficient hunter, and an excellent tree climber. She especially excels at dropping out of trees quickly.
RELATIONSHIPS
Mentor: N/A or TBD, depending on her integration into Skyclan
Apprentice: TBD
Parents: N/A, raised by community
Siblings: Bird Drops Apple/Applebird, Watches Minnows (deceased)
Mate(s): N/A
Kits: N/A, but caring for Coyote’s Jaw and Bee Dances in Sunlight
COYOTE’S JAW/COYOTEKIT
Age: ~4 moons
Gender: Their culture’s version of transmasc nonbinary. Uses he/him pronouns. If you asked him, he’d probably say his gender is “bugs.”
Clan: Skyclan, formerly none
Rank: Kit
APPEARANCE
Coyote’s Jaw/Coyotekit is a cinnamon-red classic tabby with white toes, muzzle, and tail-tip. He is lanky even at his young age, promising unusually long legs. His eyes are yellow-green, shifting color slightly in different lighting.
PERSONALITY AND DISPOSITION
To cope with the tremendous amount of loss and change he has experienced in his short life, Coyote’s Jaw entertains a world of fantasy. He is very much the stereotypical “but why do I have to?” kit, preferring to lose himself to flights of fancy than engage with anything boring and down-to-earth. This is a point of friction between him and Bird Drops Apple/Applebird, but something he and Spots Like Moth/Spottedmoth bond over.
Coyote’s Jaw/Coyotekit is often lost in thought, and spends many hours observing insects, birds, and other forms of life, though insects are far and away his favorite. He creates elaborate taxonomies in his head, and cannot stand to see cats crush bugs underpaw.
Rather disinterested in socializing, Coyote’s Jaw/Coyotekit prefers the company of his family, especially his sister Bee Dances in Sunlight/Sunkit. Despite behaving aloofly, Coyote’s Jaw/Coyotekit experiences social anxiety and behaves avoidantly to accommodate these feelings of intense discomfort.
MOTIVATORS, GOALS, AND DESIRES
After the turbulence of his first few moons of life, Coyote’s Jaw/Coyotekit is drawn towards the familiar. He relishes structured days that include both time spent with his family and time spent alone. With somewhat few memories of Watches Minnows, he is deeply attached to Bird Drops Apple/Applebird and Spots Like Moth/Spottedmoth.
Coyote’s Jaw/Coyotekit spends a lot of his time observant and curious about the natural world. He is eager to seek out new creatures, understand natural processes, and spend time either alone or with those who will indulge him chattering on about the newest bug he found.
He is especially close to Spots Like Moth/Spottedmoth, who encourages his curiosity and prompts him to tell her about his interests, just as Watches Minnows did. Though they love each other, his relationship with Bird Drops Apple/Applebird is a bit strained at times due to her impatience with anything she deems frivolous.
As he ages, Coyote’s Jaw/Coyotekit will experience some distance from Bee Dances in Sunlight/Sunkit. Because she is easily beloved and often praised, a sense of competitiveness and resentment begins to form in him, exaggerating his preference for solitude.
WORST FEAR/SEEKS TO AVOID
Consciously, Coyote’s Jaw/Coyotekit desires a quiet, largely solitary life broken only by interactions with his kin. Used to having his needs met despite bumps in the road to get there, Coyote’s Jaw/Coyotekit is largely shielded from the difficulties his adult caretakers face. Due to his youth, he is not yet able to fully conceptualize the loss of his parents and his ancestral home.
Subconsciously, he is already beginning to form an avoidant attachment style, unaware that he is terrified of losing more cats close to him. Additionally, like Bee Dances in Sunlight/Sunkit, Coyote’s Jaw/Coyotekit struggles with change to their routines, prolonged distance from the adult cats, and a sense of stability. Fundamentally, Coyote’s Jaw/Coyotekit fears losing more of the pillars holding up his world—his kin, their culture, his ability to engage in his hobbies.
SKILLS
Coyote’s Jaw/Coyotekit is already an accomplished stalker and can hold impressively still for his age, skills he has developed in his hobby of watching and catching bugs. He is learning to climb trees and has unusually dexterous paws and claws, which he put to good use preserving the bugs he’s caught, and preventing harm from coming to those he releases.
RELATIONSHIPS
Mentor: TBD
Apprentice: N/A
Parents: Watches Minnows and Many Fallen Oranges
Siblings: Bee Dances in Sunlight/Sunkit
Mate(s): N/A
Kits: N/A
BEE DANCES IN SUNLIGHT/SUNKIT
Age: ~4 moons
Gender: Female, uses she/her pronouns
Clan: Skyclan, formerly none
Rank: Kit
APPEARANCE
Bee Dances in Sunlight/Sunkit is a cream-colored classic tabby with moderate to high white spotting. Her front toes are white, as are her back legs to the joint. Her belly, muzzle, and tail tip are white, and white rings her neck, chest, and shoulders. As she ages, her long fur will make her resemble Watches Minnows. Her eyes are yellow-green, shifting color slightly in different lighting.
PERSONALITY AND DISPOSITION
Helpful, obedient, and quiet, Bee Dances in Sunlight/Sunkit appears to be an easygoing kit. She is quick to help with chores and tries not to make a fuss about her needs. Like Spots Like Moth/Spottedmoth, she mistakes a lack of conflict for peace and will avoid butting heads with other cats. A bit gullible and naive, it’s easy to pull the wool over her eyes.
As she ages, Bee Dances in Sunlight/Sunkit will pick up on more of Bird Drops Apple/Applebird’s qualities and become a fierce advocate for cats down on their luck. She will lose her kit-like sweetness and develop a sharper tongue, progressing further than Spots Like Moth/Spottedmoth in moving past the paralysis of reducing herself to please others. Eventually, she will be a level-headed cat well-suited for roles with a lot of responsibility.
Loyal and compassionate, she will take to clan life much more readily than her brother, and will come to treasure the warrior code and the camaraderie of her clanmates. From a young age, she especially values the company and wisdom of elders, whose stories stir a warm feeling of nostalgia for Watches Minnows in her.
MOTIVATORS, GOALS, AND DESIRES
With Spots Like Moth/Spottedmoth as her role model, Bee Dances in Sunlight/Sunkit aspires to be as charming and well-liked. In her eyes, there are essentially two ways of being: stern and serious like Bird Drops Apple/Applebird, or sweet and yielding like Spots Like Moth/Spottedmoth. She aspires to be the latter, as she remembers her mother having a similar disposition.
Bee Dances in Sunlight/Beekit also idolizes her late mother based on the memories she has of her. She often asks the adult cats for stories about Watches Minnows, and hangs on their every words. For her, acting similarly to Watches Minnows is a way of keeping her alive and, by extension, keeping their culture alive. If it had been possible to stay at Skyview, Bee Dances in Sunlight/Sunkit likely would have followed in Watches Minnows’ pawsteps and would have become the next steward of their cultural history.
WORST FEAR/SEEKS TO AVOID
Like Coyote’s Jaw/Coyotekit, Bee Dances in Sunlight/Sunkit fears being away from the adult kin. Her fear is more acute compared to her brother’s, as her attachment style is more anxious compared to his avoidant style. She is Spots Like Moth/Spottedmoth’s tiny shadow, scampering after her everywhere. Spots Like Moth/Spottedmoth has come to occupy the ‘that’s my mom’ space in Bee Dances in Sunlight/Sunkit’s mind and heart, and the two cats cherish a close bond. Accordingly, Bee Dances in Sunlight/Sunkit’s deepest fear is somehow disappointing the other cat and losing her. Over time, this makes it incredibly challenging for Bee Dances in Sunlight/Sunkit to speak her mind or set boundaries with family members and other cats, as she fears doing so will make her lose status in Spots Like Moth/Spottedmoth’s eyes.
SKILLS
Bee Dances in Sunlight/Sunkit possesses a keen sense of smell and is sensitive to weather patterns, often able to predict the arrival of severe weather.
Later in life, Bee Dances in Sunlight/Sunkit will become a competent and wise cat who gives good advice and maintains a solid boundary between kindness and self-preservation. She will become a deeply loyal cat capable of making quick and sound decisions for the good of the clan. Her intuition will become valued and trusted, as she will inherit both Bird Drops Apple/Applebird’s keen observation skills, Watches Minnows’ storytelling ability, and Spots Like Moth/Spottedmoth’s basic knowledge of herbs and first aid.
RELATIONSHIPS
Mentor: TBD
Apprentice: N/A
Parents: Watches Minnows and Many Fallen Oranges
Siblings: Coyote’s Jaw/Coyotekit
Mate(s): N/A
Kits: N/A