[occultation]

hi hello

I've been stalking this finder for several days, as well as Larkstar's posts, and I'm frankly very excited to submit something haha

So! Here is my offering:

Leo is a 20-moon-old guy currently living as a loner. He was orphaned at a young age; after this, he was taken in to an "orphanage" of sorts run by a pair of cats. He was raised alongside several other orphaned kittens, but was the only one who chose to remain after he reached adulthood.

He assisted who he saw as his adopted dads with raising any new kits they took in. As his dads aged, he took on some of the more physically demanding tasks. Leo fully intended to inherit the orphanage down the line, and was perfectly content to dedicate his life to it. Raising kits and being a support system for them brought him nothing short of happiness and fulfillment.

Eventually, however, tragedy struck. A horrific fire, started by a careless Twoleg, burned the abandoned nest where the orphanage was. Leo managed to rescue a pair of kits, but everyone else perished. Devastated, he gave the kits away to a kittypet friend of his, not capable of caring for them in such a traumatized and saddened state.

Leo began wandering as a loner, devoid of purpose now that his only passion in life had quite literally gone up in flames. He had little idea how to process losing so much at once. He grew reserved and withdrawn, apathetic towards social interaction after losing so much so quickly. As time passed and the initial wounds of his losses began to heal, he began to desire some sort of purpose in life again.

It's this desire for something more that brings him close to RiverClan territory. He quite literally crashes into Larkstar, falling on top of her while trying to teach himself how to climb trees. After learning more about the Clans, of which he is only familiar with rumors, from her, he becomes intrigued. To him, this is the life's meaning he has been craving for a few moons now.

Leo almost immediately develops an interest in joining RiverClan, but his trauma makes him hesitate. He does not want to lose everything he cares for again, and finds it hard to trust that it's possible for him to have a happy life in RiverClan. Still, the intrigue is there. Plus, he finds himself somewhat captivated by Larkstar, sensing that there is something stirring within her, some sort of internal trouble that flares his own desire to help others.

They have several more encounters going forward. As a patient, kind tom, Leo lends his ear to Larkstar's problems. He offers her a relatively impartial perspective; he has no real stake in the Clans at this point. No family or friends to influence him, no understanding of the leaders who came before her. He presents an opportunity for her to just be authentic, to air out her worries and frustrations.

He is close-lipped about his own background; I could see this possibly causing some problems for them. Because of this, the reason for his hesitance to join RiverClan is a mystery to Lark.

Eventually, Leo would come to the realization that he's developed feelings for Lark. This causes him a great deal of internal strife, as he doesn't want to lose another cat he cares for and he knows how dangerous Clan life can be. After some internal fighting, he decides to take a chance and confess his feelings. Where this goes from here obviously depends on how Lark reacts, but perhaps this could lead into Lark's initial hesitation because of her romantic history.

I'd like Leo to be the long-term partner. After him and Lark accept their feelings for each other and make peace with them, he'd wind up deciding to join RiverClan. Over time, he'd definitely open up to Lark about his past, once she's earned his trust and he feels comfortable.

I think the dichotomy of "reluctant leader vs. cat who desperately wants to make a difference/have a purpose" is super interesting, and I think there's a lot of potential for some emotional strife here. It could also cause some spicy drama if cats find out that Lark has been meeting with an outsider, but of course if you want to avoid this we can always do our best to find a way around it.

After reading Lark's posts, it seems like she really needs a cat she can lean on who is just neutral. No expectations for her or ideas of what she should be, just someone who genuinely wants to try to help her and is interested in who she is, without the rank attached. Perhaps Leo's encouragement and support can help Lark find her own strength and courage. After joining RC, he'd be a steadfast, loyal, and dedicated mate and warrior, wanting to make his second chance at finding purpose in life work.

I haven't firmly settled on an appearance yet, but I'm leaning towards a gray classic tabby with blue eyes. Not sure how much appearance might affect your decision, but thought I'd throw it out there! I think his age is okay, but if I'm recalling Lark's age wrong I can always adjust since he hasn't debuted yet.

Thank you for your consideration!

( @FrostyGalaxy )