holloweye

Outwardly, Holloweye gives off a very stoic and almost emotionless vibe most of the time - he's often lost in his thoughts, and his distraction can be easily mistaken for disinterest. He is incredibly shy and finds it difficult to speak to others, which only adds to his appearance of a cat who wants nothing to do with his Clanmates; this is untrue, however, and when he's engaged by someone that becomes very clear. He is friendly, if awkward, and excessively kind; he will do favors for complete strangers, and his loyalty to cats he considers his friends is unshakeable. This can end poorly for him sometimes, as he tends to give second, third, fourth chances to those who don't necessarily deserve it; he has a tendency for self-sacrifice, which, combined with his other traits, makes him easy to manipulate.

Holloweye tries very hard to connect with his fellows, but his methods of doing so are strange and sometimes poorly received. He is flighty socially, often going long periods of time without talking to someone, though his affection for them never fades in the interim. He remembers small details that others might forget; he keeps a running tally of his Clanmates' interests and favorites, even those he rarely interacts with. These strange attempts at fostering friendship are inconsistent with the distance he keeps between himself and others. Holloweye certainly seems to want the companionship of his Clanmates, but is evidently unsure of how to take the first step on his own.

Holloweye takes everything to heart - including bad things, often dwelling on negative experiences with other cats for an excessive amount of time. They don't intend to hold a grudge, but they have an inability to forget, even though they usually choose to forgive anyone who has wronged them. Holly isn't particularly sensitive; It's easier to stoke their anger than hurt their feelings, of course it's still possible to manage the latter with some effort. They can tolerate a great deal of ribbing before their irritation shows. Though he is overall agreeable, he bristles the most whenever he's told what to do in a manner he doesn't appreciate; Holloweye has an unusual resentment towards authority figures, literal or perceived, and although he can be friendly towards them he holds them to high standard and doesn't forgive easily when they fail to meet the mark.

'In his own head' would be a polite way to put Holloweye's personality. He introspects almost to the point of self-hatred at times, plans things very far ahead, and is just constantly thinking. Since he spends much of his time by himself, he has odd little routines and hobbies that keep him occupied; often he comes off as a little eccentric. Despite his size, he is not an intimidating cat by any stretch— he has no fondness for battle after losing his mother to it, and his skills in combat are not particularly impressive. He is, however, an excellent hunter, and has memorized the entirety of BarkClan's usual herb training and then some. He has always been spiritual and is particularly attached to Auri, although these days he's more likely to hide it thanks to current tensions.

HISTORY .

CW: PHYSICAL/EMOTIONAL ABUSE

Holloweye was born Hollowkit to Hawkswoop and Rivershade of BarkClan, the only child of the litter. To call his kithood idyllic would not be an understatement; his parents loved each other, and they loved him fiercely, the light of their lives. If anything he was a little spoiled. Hollowkit was a cheerful face in the nursery, keen to befriend anyone around him. He grew especially close to Crimsonkit, who often served as his partner-in-crime, and to Singestrike, a close friend of his parents.

Unfortunately this environment would not survive the nursery, as his parents passed away in short order - his mother in a border skirmish, and his father to greencough, when he was five and six moons old respectively. His father witnessed his apprentice ceremony from the oracles' den and did not survive long after: long enough to express some discomfort over his son's new mentor, Splitshadow, but not long enough to make it fully known. In the absence of his parents, Hollowpaw was often left under Splitshadow's supervision.

Though nothing seemed amiss about their relationship, Hollowpaw began to withdraw noticeably from his Clanmates. This was usually chalked up to grief, as the loss of his parents clearly hit him hard. He drifted away from any friends he made early on, including Crimsonpaw and Singestrike. They did fairly well in their training, though their fighting skills were not up to Splitshadow's snuff. He never seemed satisfied with their progress, but when it came time for Hollowpaw's assessment, he made no moves to delay it.

During their Trial of Toxin, Hollowpaw found themself stalked by a wild lynx as they traversed the mountainside. Apparently they froze up when it attacked, forcing Splitshadow to intervene and drive it off; Hollowpaw came back heavily injured and partly blinded, though Splitshadow insisted they managed to regain their nerve by the end of the fight and had still retrieved the plant successfully. Due to this, Laurelstar deemed them fit for a warrior name after they healed, dubbing them Holloweye for their keen perception and tracking skills. However, still worried about their ability to defend themself, the leader offered to assist Holloweye with their battle training - as they too lost an eye after a run-in with a bobcat. Holloweye did not seem to have as much trouble in these sessions as he did under Splitshadow, though it was evident he had no love for fighting.

As a warrior, Holloweye remained estranged from their Clanmates. They didn't avoid others as they did before, but they spent as much time out of camp as possible, which made socializing difficult. There always seemed to be an odd tension about them. With all the chaos in the Clans at the time, it was easy to justify as a general anxiety; of course, it didn't help matters when they got swept up in a mass vision that revealed their zodiac to be a lie. But only Holloweye knew the true reason why camp felt so inhospitable. Even as they began to rekindle their friendship with Crimsonthroat, they kept it to themself.

When the sky shattered, Holloweye was inadvertently caught in the ensuing battle. This was nearly the end of him, for Splitshadow was also present - and quite tired of living with this tension between them, always afraid Holloweye would finally tell the truth. It seemed a good enough opportunity to be rid of his former apprentice. However, his efforts to kill them were thwarted by Crimsonthroat's intervention. Holloweye admitted the truth afterward: that they indeed froze in front of the bobcat, but it was Splitshadow who blinded them, goading them into a fight to 'prove' they could still earn a passing grade.

This made tensions much worse. Holloweye found himself more and more paranoid, not only for his own sake but Crimsonthroat's. Already feeling the pressure of the last cycle, and living in perpetual apprehension of what Splitshadow would do next, it was eventually enough to make even a cat like Holloweye crack.

It wasn’t a planned thing. Maybe if it was, the fallout would’ve been different - but it was opportunism in the end, finding Splitshadow hunting alone and taking him by surprise. Splitshadow was found in the Willow Fen the next morning by a BarkClan patrol, in a body of water close to the border with Stars Fall. Holloweye never intended to frame anyone, but Tidestar directed blame at MarrowClan, further exacerbating political tensions. He was freed of his tormentor, but saddled himself with guilt instead.

When he met Auri, however, everything changed. He avoided any talk or thought of the Battle of the Stars, and therefore knew little about the daemons; he happened upon them by chance during one of his many wanderings, and their kindness left a profound impact on him. Elsewhere, other cats seemed to also find the daemons appealing. A new Clan was forming.

He wasn't quite ready for that. As much strife as he experienced in BarkClan, he still has loved ones there; unwilling to part with them, he's decided instead to keep his worship of Auri secret. It’s unclear how long he can maintain the lie as ZenithClan’s presence continues to ruffle feathers.