[TheNyanCatMinecart]

(WARNING: Every post I make with Twistedpaw may include internalized ableism and mentions of abuse. Viewer discretion is advised.)


~ TWISTEDPAW OF WINDCLAN - AFAB SHE/HER ~

Small, skinny black she-cat with a light gray belly and tail-tip, a crooked jaw, a mangled tail, and one blind eye.

Every eye was on her.

They gleamed with malice, judgment, hate. A desire to rip her apart.

"Look at that apprentice," one chuckled, its face twisted into a sneer. "Look at her, thinking she can do anything to defend him."

"Could someone that twisted ever become a warrior?" another scoffed.

"Defending a traitor!" a familiar voice spat. Willowsky's black face, splotched delicately with light gray, loomed in her vision. "Just what I'd expect from a monster. A murderer."

The voices rose into an eerie, wailing chorus.

"Weak! Traitor! Monster! Murderer! Ugly! Hideous!"

"Twistedpaw."

The black-furred apprentice's eyes shot open as a gasp slipped from her throat. She was greeted by the familiar sight of the apprentices' den, half blocked out because she only had one working eye to view it out of. Her heart slammed against her ribcage, leaving her gasping for breath as she swung her head wildly to take in her surroundings. Had someone said her name? It was too dim to see clearly, but enough blinking cleared her vision enough for her to make out the greenery of the walls and the lumpy shape of the apprentices sleeping on their mossy nests.

It was just a dream, she told herself, squeezing her eyes shut before opening them again. Just a dream. But it rang with the bitter sting of reality.

Why had she done something so hare-brained? Twistedpaw was just an ugly, disabled apprentice. She had no right to address the entire Clan, no right to fight against an exile she now knew was just. Cowtuft was my friend... Her eyes stung with tears that threatened to fall - another bitter bite. Her round black paws trembled. But I understand why Twilightstar exiled him. And I shouldn't have yelled. Or lashed out. She cringed at the memory of attacking Wolffang and the harsh words of Twilightstar. She'd never imagined the gentle lilac-gray leader getting so angry.

But Twistedpaw had deserved it. Like she'd deserved Willowsky's hate.

The tears fell this time, hot and wet, carving trails across her round cheeks. No one would notice. Twistedpaw always kept to the farthest, darkest corner of the nursery. She'd caused Willowsky to go mad. She'd caused her father to leave. And now, after finally gaining some confidence to talk to her Clanmates, she'd bashed it by acting irrationally at an exile.

I had to try and defend Cowtuft. But it was worthless. So worthless.

Was she destined to destroy everything she touched because she'd been born so broken and... and wrong? Twistedpaw wondered if she really understood anything at all.

She was about to curl up and go back to sleep when she noticed a massive, hard-muscled silhouette standing in the entrance to the apprentices' den. A familiar scent cut through the musty, stuffy air. A jolt ran through Twistedpaw. Batglare! He'd been the one who'd called her.

Without thinking, the small, skinny apprentice sprang from her nest and bolted toward her mentor. She'd gotten better at controlling her movements with her mangled tail, though she had some near misses, barely avoiding a trailing tail or muzzle. She burst into the open air, trying not to cringe at the frigid blast that slammed into her face like a badger's paw. Already, she could feel her crooked jaw and mangled tail stiffening up. Great...

"S-s-sorry, B-Batglare!" she stammered in her signature distorted voice, sniffling and wobbling dangerously as she hastily tried to balance on three paws and wipe away her tears. Did he notice them? She hoped not. "Wh-what are w-we d-doing t-today?" Had he said it? Or had he just called them? A fresh wave of fear and embarrassment shot through Twistedpaw. Oh, StarClan, how incompetent I am! She'd made a fool of herself in front of the entire Clan, and she was sure Batglare was still heavily disappointed in her. She kept her gaze averted, down at her paws.

Wait, why was there something orange? Twistedpaw looked up and squeaked in surprise when she saw Whisperingpaw, Batglare's other apprentice. She'd planned on talking to her before... Well, before she'd made a fool of herself at Cowtuft's exile. A fresh wave of panic shot through her. If they didn't hate me before, they certainly hate me now. She was nothing more than a deformed disappointment. Twistedpaw shimmied back, mumbling a quick, nearly incoherent "H-h-hi" before looking at her paws. Oh StarClan, she was trembling badly. Everything felt ruined. Everything. Though she wanted more than anything to become a warrior, had she messed up everything? Like I'm prone to doing...

@Moonraven @ChaosBringer.