*The how we got to this point. Some creative liberty has been taken + some details may be out of order or not fully right. Much of this content is scheduled to appear in future VAs*
Fishfreckle has always been more of a thinker than a fighter. It is something that has defined him. Perhaps it had something to do with his smaller stature, or perhaps because he was always trying to find a solution to his problems.
What problems you ask?
RiverClan.
The young tom was born into RiverClan during a period of relative peace. The earliest he is able to remember is Pikestar, who is the one who apprenticed him. He's aware there was another leader before Pikestar came into power, but that meant nothing to him because he was far too young to even be affected by any part of their leadership.
Fishfreckle had always been a bit of a pessimist, but he was also a firm believer in RiverClan supremacy. He grew up hearing stories of Lionstar and other wonderful cats that helped turn RiverClan into a powerhouse. You'd think this good, right? Wrong. When he was apprenticed, Fishfreckle was met with the stark realization of just how far RiverClan had fallen. His mentor was a joke (their first training instance had been about jokes), Pikestar was largely inactive in clan activities, and the clan was overrun with outsiders that had weird names (Seriously, what is a Cheeseburger???).
He hated it. He hated all of it. He hated to see just what RiverClan had fallen and become. It didn't help that every meeting was met with chaos, the medicine cats fell into disarray and the only sane one in the entire clan appeared to be Gingerfrost. Fishfreckle knew from a young age that things were going to have to change, and well... He was going to be that change, one way or another.
Or so he thought.
One day he slipped into the river, hit his head, and nearly drowned. When he had finally come to, he was far far far away from home. He lamented his circumstances. How could he make the clan better if he was so far away? There was simply no way for him to do anything if he wasn't at home. With that in mind, he began making his way home.
Every day was a struggle. He hadn't yet learned how to hunt so he had to learn, he didn't know how to take care of himself, he didn't know what territories to avoid, he struggled to find somewhere to sleep every night, but he still persevered. Why? Because he had to get home. He had to see his clan back to its former glory. He kept this held within his heart and called forced himself to continue every time he felt like giving up. Dying out in the wilderness was selfish. He would die without making his mark, without doing something to make the clan better. That was the loser's way to go out. He was destined for better, he could just feel it. He didn't care about becoming deputy, or becoming the leader -- he simply desired to have his voice heard, to have the voice of the clan heard. RiverClan would be better, and he refused to not see that true.
The flood that displaced his clan unfortunately kept him away from his home for some time. The high waters had made it impossible to approach the former territory and he was unable to swim. So he bided his time. He began plotting, brainstorming ways in which he could help RiverClan.
When he finally did make it back to the clan, he was met with a mess. Beansprout had just been killed, and Gingerfrost had taken on the leadership of the clan. It gave him whiplash. In the time he had been gone, Pikestar had gone and disappeared (died presumably), Beansprout had somehow managed to wrestle control from Gingerfrost, killed the leader of WindClan, and then got himself killed as well. It was terrible what had happened to the clan, appalling even. He had no idea what to do. He helped rebuild when it came to creating their new camp, but that left him unsatisfied, he still hungered to do more. He still hungered to see RiverClan as he heard it in the stories.
With Larkwing being chosen as deputy, well... Fishfreckle wasn't too happy. She was barely older than he was, what did she know about being in a position of power? And then! To top it all off, there was a new medicine cat (Falconsomethingorother) that just happened to be her brother! Nepotism! Not to mention, why had they gone through so many different medicine cats as well? Was the position cursed? Gosh. It was disappointing seeing how far the clan had fallen.
Things were okay for a while, the clan was rebuilding, but then Gingerfrost decided to go and die. It threw the clan into chaos and Fishfreckle hated it. Larkwing's ability to lead was called into question, and there were accusations of it being an inside job between her and Falconbutt (the only two cats present). Fishfreckle (then Fishpaw) decided to use this as a prime opportunity to put some plans into action. He would advise Larkwing on leading and solving some problems, and that would help give the inexperienced leader a boost to making the clan better! Or so he thought. Larkwing went and made a 32-moon-old apprentice a warrior and then made her deputy the next meeting. A dumbass decision. Honestly, the best decision she had made to that point was making him a warrior. Some things happened, blah blah blah, new medicine cat apprentice, blah blah, cats walking all over the leader and deputy, etc etc. Won't bore you with all of the details, but Fishfreckle tried desperately to keep things together. It... did not work.
Falconbutt died, Tansypaw lost her mind and up and left, Larkwing disappeared and then suddenly the clan was left in chaos. Everyone was vying for medicine cat (ew, why?) and Fadingbutt and Dusklion were doing their damnedest to compete for deputy. Risingstorm and Cherryswirl too (the only two cats he respected), but then they went missing. Fadingbutt became deputy and then Birdsnow... well, he didn't know what to call that.
See, the thing was, Fishfreckle actually enjoyed Birdsnow's style of leadership. He gave pointers here and there, but cats didn't walk all over her as they did her predecessor and she actually got things done for a while. But then she didn't. Fadingsun ended up taking over for the disappointment after she stepped down and then... more nepotism! Lovely stuff, right? Wrong.
More chaos. All the chaos. From being driven from their home to getting another old-ass apprentice warrior as their new medicine cat, and then... yeah. RiverClan was not in a good spot. The tom, ever the thinker decided to focus his efforts on Dusklion, finding her much easier to talk to but well... That was a work in progress.
**This dream is a work of fiction for the sake of the application, however, if selected, I'd love to find a way to incorporate it or something similar into the lore.**
Fishfreckle was never much of a dreamer. Honestly, whenever he slept, he was met with darkness until he eventually woke up. This had always been the case. So what in the hell was he doing having a dream right now? And why in the name of his missing mother was there a StarClan cat in front of him? Well, he thought it was a StarClan cat anyway.
Face to face with the starry outline of a cat, he was pissed. Who the hell did they think they were to just barge into his mind uninvited like this? Honestly, he had doubts about the star cat's existence for some time now, but was this really the way to show him their existence? Honestly, it was a waste of time. He could be sleeping peacefully, but noooo they just had to hit him with "Surprise!" and disturb him. Honestly, they could take their tail and--
"What do you want." He said flatly, eyes narrowed and filled with anger. It was a question, but in reality, it was a statement demanding a response. Very on course for his usual behavior.
"Fishfreckle, you are destined for greatne--"
"Let me cut you off right there. I don't care about this 'destiny' nonsense, nor whatever the hell it is you want me to do. What I want to know is what came over you to think you had any right to come into my dreams, huh? Honestly, the audacity is astonishing. I genuinely can't fathom how you mustered up the gall to even consider---" As he was beginning to get started, he suddenly found himself unable to speak. What kind of-- No. They didn't. This damned cat did not just make him be silent in his own dream! Why when he gave them a piece of his min-- He couldn't move either. Stars be damned, once he was free from this he was going to skin the cat alive and line his nest with their star-filled pelt. They deserved it, after all, not only interrupting his sleep but imposing their own rules upon HIS dream.
They. Would. Pay.
"As I was saying, before you so rudely interrupted me-- gosh, I don't know why they selected you for this... Anyway, Fishfreckle your devotion to the clan has not gone unnoticed. You wish to see things better, see them improve, and though your methods are... questionable at best, we see you. We acknowledge you. As I was saying, you are destined for greatness, and we have found the role perfect for you."
Gosh, this star-cat was so annoying. Skip the formalities, skip the nonsense, and just get the hell out! Or just say what it was they wanted! Why the hell did they have to talk so much anyways? Just say what you want and get over it already!
"We have decided that you will become the next medicine cat and work alongside Berrypaw."
His heart dropped. He felt sick. He was to become the next medicine cat? The cats that filled the position dropped like flies, and they expected him to take on the role? No. Not at all, he would not do it. Why would he? Sitting in that herb-filled den, dealing with healing a bunch of mindless idiots? No.
"I'm going to be frank Fishfreckle... You're not all that fit to be a warrior. You're tiny, you're below average at hunting, and you can't fight worth a damn. You want to help your clan? This is how. You're unfit for the position of deputy or leader, and though your attitude needs a lot of work, your desire to improve your clan is admirable -- putting them before yourself. So. You will work alongside Berrypaw. You will not cause any issues for her, and you will use that devotion, that love for RiverClan to help return them to their former glory, just as you always have wanted. You will be the support that keeps the clan strong, and nurses those who are weak back to full strength. Use your damn brain Fishfreckle. This is bigger than you. Fulfill your role and do your part -- Make RiverClan great again."
And with that the dream ended and the small tom jolted up from his nest. "Dammit!" He growled under his breath -- along with a lot of other obscene curses that are simply too vile to be repeated. He was stuck. He hated being told what to do. "Fine. I'll fulfill your damned request, but I'm going to make it everyone else's problem and complain about it the whole time."
There you have it, Fishfreckle accepted his newfound role, much to his chagrin and would go on to make it everyone else's problem as he promised. He was going to whip this clan into shape somehow, and that meant that he was going to make these dumbasses learn that they were not to go off and do stupid stuff and expect to waste his damn herbs. RiverClan was going to get back on the right track, and he refused to allow anything less.
Fishfreckle is... well, a guy. To be quite honest, I haven't rped him a lot -- something I regret. Honestly and truthfully, Fishfreckle is who I enjoy rping the most. His blunt personality and scathing remarks towards anyone who he deems "stupid" or a "waste of time/effort/space" is such a joy to write.
You all may have interacted with him some, or at the very least seen some of his posts, and well... He's been largely consistent. He's had a bit of character development (lol) and is starting to "mellow out" so to speak. He's starting to come to terms that maybe he shouldn't just say the first thing on his mind and that sometimes, it may be better to keep certain things to himself. He still has a hard time connecting with others, however, he is slowly gaining a sense of personal accountability when it comes to the emotions of others.
Fishfreckle is 24 moons old. For two years he has graced the clan with his presence, and he makes sure that they're aware that they should be glad that he allows them to even be associated with him. He wishes for the best for the clan. Fishfreckle wants to see RiverClan thrive again, and the idea of being unable to do anything or seeing things constantly falling apart frustrates him. As mentioned in the story, a medicine cat is something that he sees as a nuisance. Why wouldn't he? His clanmates have a particular fondness for doing stupid things and getting hurt in horrific ways. It pisses him off. Should he get the role, he would make absolute sure that such careless actions cease to occur. After all, why should he treat cats that have no care for their well-being? He is a firm believer that stupidity should hurt, and if you go pick a fight with another clan, you should suffer for potentially bringing disaster to everyone else. Such cats are a liability. "The actions of the few dictate the consequences for the many" if enough cats see that he is absolutely not in the mood to be played with, he believes that it will be a huge step forward for the clan getting their act together and eventually becoming the powerhouse they once were.
All of that of course, is not to say that they will not receive treatment -- he just simply won't do it willingly. Should Fadingstar or Dusklion order him to do such, he will do it, otherwise he will simply either direct them to Berrypaw, or he will allow them to remain untreated as punishment for putting their clan at risk. Petty? Perhaps a little bit, but at the end of the day, RiverClan's best interest is what comes first to him, and not public opinion of his actions.
Fishfreckle has no interest in silly politics or power struggles and will be entirely devoted to learning as much as he can alongside Berrypaw. He is able to acknowledge his complete lack of experience and will be looking to absorb as much from Berrypaw as he can, as well as share any knowledge that he himself learns. He may be an asshole, but he knows when to reign it in -- usually sometimes.
All of that is to say, despite his... interesting methods and POV, Fishfreckle really just wants the best for the clan -- and if it is his role to be the medicine cat, you best believe that he is going to put his all into it.
I'm going to be quite honest, outside of that Firestorm application that I didn't finish, I haven't done one of these in like... ever. I genuinely can't remember if I did any HR applications when I first joined almost a decade ago, and if I did well... let's just say they probably weren't great LOL. (Okay, if you count Jordan for the Atari that would be the third, but shh)
I'm sure my activity may be a bit of a concern with how I sometimes start rps and don't finish them (I swear they will get done!), how I'm a member of the staff team, how I haven't rped Fish a lot, etc etc. Despite that, I do want to say that I would be completely devoted to the role. I've actually been feeling very inspired as of late, and am working on sticking to a proper schedule for responses -- if selected, I will definitely be prioritizing healing rps and Fish stuff. I should have no issue meeting and sticking to the quota, nor have any issues with keeping track of everything. I will probably want to speed run learning all the buttons LOL, and if I need help, I will definitely make use of my resources to learn how to do things. I have some experience with a good bit of the buttons so there should be no issues with that, but I did want to be sure to include that I have a willingness to learn. Also, I like that spreadsheet idea and may or may not steal it -- thank you in advance.
I am quite active on Discord! Since part of my job is moderating the WCO server, I am quite literally on it all the time while awake. Okay, that's a lie because I do take breaks here and there, but I should have no problems reading and responding to any messages whether that be about IC stuff or OOC concerns. Also, when I'm not doing responses, I at the very least look at the site multiple times throughout the day so there is that as well!
Mmm, what else... Oh! I would plan to remain active in the role for as long as possible! This would be my first HR if selected, and I definitely plan to make the absolute most of it! I have so many plans for if Fishfreckle becomes an HR depending on the role (which is crazy because I feel like he's the least likely to be selected for such a role LOL) and I believe it would be soooo much fun. Fishfreckle is an absolute blast to write, and him being med cat? Oooooh boy, it'd be hilariously entertaining for myself, and hopefully for everyone else as well.
That being said, if selected, I have BIG plans. RiverClan better watch out because Fishfreckle is about to be everyone's problem.
Closing notes:
Thank you all so much for your consideration. Honestly, I stayed up very late working on this because I got so excited and the spirit of inspiration just thrust itself into my brain LOL. That being said I uhh... I hope I did this right
Again, thank you for your consideration. This was a lot of fun to do! The RiverClan HR team is one of my favorites both IC and OOC it would be an absolute pleasure and honor to work alongside you all.
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Little Disclaimer: I live in EST (UTC-5) and my sleep schedule is completely messed up, so posts may be erratic My Characters
ROWANMANE The Sire Tom // RiverClan Warrior // 41M
He is noble like a king. I will not sugar-coat him personality to be the most overly-caring tom, but he’ll do whatever’s necessary for his clan. He’s meticulous at whatever job he’s given and strives to simply get it finished. He’s always been raised to be a hard-worker and he’s embrace that no matter his rank among his clanmates. He would take the role of Medicine Cat with dignity and respect, dedicating to the job he was trusted with.
He is inpatient like a king. He has his harsh, short-tempered moments. He’s not too fussy or whiny, but he hates being underestimated and looked down on. Any cat that may do this to him will meet his colder side. He has been sort of meditating to calm himself down, as he used to be a rather calm and sure cat, that was until The Forest Roars. Now, he’s unsure whom he can trust, however he’s doing his best to try and see the good in cats and give everyone the benefit of the doubt.
He is protective like a king. He won’t let himself or those close to him get hurt. He’ll do his best to protect his clanmates from injury and disease, pushing himself to his limits to make sure every cat is healthy and taken care of.
He is serious like a king. He had a rough outer-layer, not letting cats get too close too quickly. He won’t be immediately rude unless he’s wronged, but he won’t be overly-welcoming either. He will take his job straight-forward with honor.
He doesn’t have any herbal knowledge but I am able to purchase the Purrk if he is chosen for the rank.
Rowan’Mane stood over the smaller warrior, his amber gaze locked onto the wound across their side. The deep scratch was still oozing blood, but not enough to be life-threatening. He'd seen worse in battle, but it was clear the cat before him needed treatment quickly. His usual no-nonsense demeanor masked the slight worry tugging at him as he inspected the wound, his tail flicking in concentration.
“Hold still,” he ordered quietly, his voice calm but authoritative. Rowan’Mane turned his attention to the herbs beside him, grabbing a clump of cobwebs. His paws worked methodically, applying the webbing over the gash with precise movements. The patient flinched slightly, but Rowan'Mane's focus remained unwavering.
"This should stop the bleeding for now. You’ll need to rest,” he muttered, reaching for a small bundle of marigold leaves. He chewed them quickly, creating a poultice before applying it to the wound. His mind was focused entirely on the task—no room for small talk or reassurance, just efficiency. “Infection's the last thing you need.”
Once the treatment was done, he straightened, glancing down at his patient. "It’ll hurt for a bit, but you'll be fine. Make sure you see me or Berrypaw for follow-up." With that, Rowan'Mane gave a curt nod and moved away, his role complete, already preparing for the next duty that awaited him.
Rowan’Mane observed the cat before him, their paw awkwardly twisted beneath them. “You’ve pushed yourself too hard,” he said, tone firm as he crouched beside them. The swelling around their paw was evident, the flesh already bruising beneath their fur. He nudged a small pile of herbs toward them.
“Comfrey and poppy seeds,” he explained, quickly grabbing a bundle of comfrey roots and chewing them into a pulp. “This will ease the swelling.” Without another word, he applied the poultice to the paw, careful but brisk in his movements. His eyes flicked to the patient as they winced, but he remained focused.
“You’ll need to stay off that paw for a few days,” he added gruffly, pushing the poppy seeds closer. “Eat these to dull the pain. No arguing.” He straightened up, his gaze locking with theirs for a brief moment before he turned away, already considering the next task. “Rest. We need you back on your paws, but not until you’re healed.”
How? Oh holy hell how? How were cats expected to memorize all this herb jazz and training and such? He assumed this would be easier than suffering through his jaw, but now his bran was hurt and crammed. It was so much information. Valuable information nonetheless, but brain-hunting.
He gave a nervous glance to his trainer then too BerryPaw. Holy hell did the apprentice know so much more than him! He did t know how he’d do it but…persevere. That’s his only goal.
-I am able to be online and get responses out daily. I’m pretty active here I’d say, checking in various times a day. On week-days I’m commonly online 4pm-11pm, and weekends vary, though I’m online later at night on weekends. -I do not have discord, though I may be able to get it. If I do make an account I won’t be too active in it so PM’s and such is better for me.
-I’m okay with really any topics! For more serious stuff such as detailed kitting and gory descriptions etc. I’d just ask for someone to put a Trigger Warning beforehand! ^^
i say this on behalf of the entire riverclan high rank team; thank you. thank you all so much for your lovely applications. your time, dedication, and commitment to them has been wonderful to witness. we cannot wait to go through all of these, read them thoroughly, and select the next medicine cat for riverclan.
one thing i do want to note is the unfortunate reality of the situation; that only one application can be chosen. please know that from glancing over these, we already know it's going to be quite a tough decision! all of these applications are exquisite and one of a kind. even if you are not chosen, that does not mean your application or character isn't brilliant and beautiful in their own way. you all make wco the special place it is, and i'm excited to see where you go next with these characters!
Spiraltail, once a proud warrior of WindClan, now finds himself within the ranks of RiverClan, grappling with his turbulent past and the challenges of his new home. As he navigates his life by the water’s edge, he is determined to prove himself and find redemption among unfamiliar faces. Every ripple in the river reflects his quest for a new purpose and a place to truly belong.
Re: RiverClan Medicine Cat Applications
