dustpaw, apprentice

Dustpaw is arguably the most laid back of his littermates. While Cloudpaw is training to be an unforgettable warrior and Swiftpaw is trying to keep their head on their shoulders, Dustpaw is absolutely fine with just riding along and seeing where life takes him. He's not exactly lazy, per say, just not a very driven cat. He certainly wants to be a warrior, and he'll put in the work, but he has no grand ambitions of deputy or leader or anything of that ilk. Dustpaw's simply okay with just being Dustpaw. He has a certain self-assurance and awareness that many apprentices lack--he knows he has a lot to learn, but he's not overwhelmed with the prospect of it, either. All apprentices get made warriors eventually, as long as they don't mess up too bad. Dustpaw doesn't see the point in getting your tail in a twist about it.

Dustpaw is a fairly well-liked cat in the Clan, mostly due to his affable nature and witty, observational humor. He shows affection through playful banter and well-meaning jibes, but is generally apologetic if his jokes go too far. While some in ReedClan find his dry sarcasm and unemotional presence a little off-putting, he's generally known as a pretty chill guy to be around. He's got a quick and analytical mind, and is straightforward and honest with his opinions. There's no facade with Dustpaw--he'll let you know exactly what he thinks of you, no beating around the bush. This makes him seem rather emotionally tactless at times, and Dustpaw just doesn't understand why other cats aren't as straight-up with each other as he is. He'll be the first to point out glaring flaws in a plan or that a cat is acting like an idiot. If you want the brutal truth, no holds barred, Dustpaw's your guy.

In sum, Dustpaw's a largely agreeable cat, friendly albeit snarky. His thin, lanky build is more suited for hunting than fighting--in truth, Dustpaw would rather not fight at all, as he believes most situations aren't worth the effort. It takes a lot to rile him up, and he doesn't hold particularly strong views on many things the Clans take seriously. Rivalries from an age-old split are pointless, the Warrior Code has its flaws and shouldn't be held as unbreakable law, StarClan can make mistakes just as any living cat can. His unconventional attitude towards these sort of things can get him in trouble with the wrong cats, but he only follows what he believes is reasonable. As he is still a young cat, he may eventually learn that there's a bit more logic to these rules than he first thought.

Like his littermates Swiftpaw and Cloudpaw, Dustpaw was born to Mousedash and Nightstrike, both attentive parents that held a great deal of love for their kits. While Cloudpaw was the most outgoing of the litter, Dustpaw often stayed in the den with Swiftpaw in an effort to help ease some of his sibling's anxiety and isolation by bringing the outside world to them. He was rather precocious as a kit, and had a quick mouth that got him in trouble a few times with older cats (why couldn't he tell the elders that their visits were getting in the way of playing moss-ball? It was true, wasn't it?). His parents had more than one embarrassing encounter due to their son's blunt nature, and tried their best to teach Dustpaw to be a little more respectful.

Their scoldings helped... somewhat. As an apprentice, Dustpaw at least understands why some cats find his straightforward personality distasteful or insubordinate, but he still won't bow to unearned authority. He has little patience for cats acting high and mighty without the credentials or experiences to back it up. Despite this, he is, and has always been, fiercely protective of his siblings, particularly Swiftpaw. He doesn't quite get why his littermate is so worried about everything always, but he does his best to help with Swiftpaw's insecurities and anxiety by helping them with tasks or accompanying them to stressful events. His level-headed nature is only challenged when he finds others bullying or dismissing Swiftpaw, during which he will defend his sibling to no ends.