#berrygaze

Aliases / Nicknames: Kit-Killer, Horrible, Pathetic, Skyclan’s Best Father

Gender: tom

Sexuality: bisexual

Family: unnamed mother, unnamed father, unnamed mate, Burcoat (daughter)

Other Relations: unnamed mentor, unnamed apprentice

Clan: Skyclan

Rank: warrior

Characteristics: kills to harm the other Clans, kills for pleasure

Number of Victims: 16

Number of Murders: 16

Murder Method: shaking, snapping spine, blunt force, hunting

Known Victims: Burkit, Bumblekit, Ashkit, Mallowkit, Frondkit, Troutkit, Stonekit, Icekit, Badgerkit, Spotkit, Goosekit, Tawnykit, Flutterkit, Shellkit, Sharpkit, Bushkit

Victim Profile: kits from other Clans

Cause of Death: blood loss, tortured to death, ears torn off, claws ripped out, teeth ripped out, killed by Pinelip and Echoburn

Cautionary Tale: ??

Story:

You would think he was strange after all he’s done, a kit grown in isolation, an apprentice that played with his prey.

But Berrygaze was quite the opposite. He was the popular one, always in charge of games and the one ahead of everyone else in lessons.

He first got the idea as a youngling, He was at his first gathering, and could tell that in spite of the good will that was shared at the news, the warriors were displeased by the announcement of new kits in another Clan.

When he inquired, he was told that it was because although kits are always a blessing, being from another Clan means gaining new enemies. Berrypaw then asked why they didn’t just get rid of the things, and his mentor responded in surprise that it would be cruel.

Time passed, and the question was chalked up to ‘little kid doesn’t understand what he’s saying.’ Berrypaw decided not to ask anyone else, knowing it would only lead to another bad reaction, but still he wondered.

Sure, kits were cute. But then they grew into cats that just might kill you, or someone you care about. Maybe the kits will one day kill your kits.

The first kits were given right to him by Thunderclan warrior, Curlfleck, who he knew to be having relations with his Clanmate. Curlfleck had misjudged timing, and had given birth by the border. Now, she passed them to Berrygaze, begging him to take them to their father so that he may raise them.

Sure, they would have grown to fight on Skyclan’s side, but Berrygaze needed a test. Something to see just how ‘horrible’ it was. 

Waiting until the she-cat was well away, he took the kits one-by-one, holding them by the scruff before shaking vigorously. 

He felt nothing.

No, he realized as he left them there and began to pad away. 

He felt great.

Screw whatever everyone else thought. He could destroy the other Clans by destroying their futures. And maybe, just maybe, in the private corners of his mind, he could enjoy it, too.

The next set were two little kits from Shadowclan. On a stormy night, rainy enough to surely hide his scent, he snuck into the camp and took the kits away. He cracked their heads on a rock and threw them down a small incline. Ran away to have an adventure in a storm and had an accident, poor little things.

Then Shadowclan and Thunderclan took too long to reproduce, so he traveled around the lake, keeping on the outsides rather than by the lake to ensure he wouldn’t be seen. 

Windclan was first. They were easy, two kits already out in the field. He befriended them, convinced them to sneak out again at least once every two nights, and would return to play with them. He wasn’t entirely sure why. Maybe he didn’t want to kill them just yet. Maybe he wanted to play it out.

Maybe he enjoyed the happiness they felt, innocently unaware of the fate that was just moments away from befalling them, enjoyed the fact that at any moment, he could switch his cuddly paws to slashing claws.

After some time, he asked them if they were any other kits in the Clan that could join their games.

Excitedly, they brought back another kit, much younger than them. So he asked them if they wanted to play another game. 

Who wants to play ‘can you get to camp in time?’ With that, he stomped down on the littlest one’s head, crushing its neck. Then he chased the screaming kits. He ran slowly, gaining up to spark terror before slowing down again, grabbing them by the tails and tossing them around before going to the other one, bouncing between them, letting their screams and his responding laughs fill the air, well aware that they were too far away to be heard by anyone.

Not too shortly after, his mate fell pregnant with his kit. He was overjoyed, or was it just another act? When she was born, he supported his mate, and named her Burkit, after one of the kits he had ‘played’ with. It wasn’t out of honour, he simply liked the name. Besides, no one was using it anymore anyway.

He doted on his daughter so much so that their Clanmates referred to him as the Clan’s best father. He could appreciate the dark irony.

He wondered if he really did love his daughter. He certainly felt more affection for the little thing than he did any other kit, and definitely did not want to hurt her, but did he feel love? Or was it just warmth? Just fondness because she was his? Was he capable of something such as love?

Even through these thoughts and having a kit of his own, he continued to haunt the other Clans.

He found that he greatly enjoyed the hunting process. It became habit to gain their trust, get them to bring their friends or littermates if there were more of them, before chasing them around wildly, playing it out while making sure they didn’t stray too far.

Their high-pitched shrieks like prey.

On his last night, he snuck out and followed the sounds of a wailing kit, only to be thrown to the ground by a full warrior. Pinelip tore into him, clawing at him until he could hardly move. 

Then Echoburn padded over, and it was she who explained that they knew what he had done, and that it was their kits he stole. In response, he laughed, and in response to that, they took his teeth. 

Then his claws.

Then his ears. 

Then they asked him if he wanted to play a game. How fast can he run?

Additonal Information: 

--He died on the night of his daughter’s silent vigil.

--Maybe his daughter found out and told Echoburn and Pinelip....?

Why Avery had made his nest here, he would never know, but the little tom was one of the gentler suspects he knew of, so he had decided on questioning him first, to avoid a fight this early in the morning.

Finally, after what seemed like losing half of his pelt, he found Avery, who looked up and made a shushing gesture.

“Don’t tell me to shut up!” He mewed, indignant.

Without so much of a hiss of warning, he was slammed into the ground, teeth fastening lightly onto his scruff. It didn’t break skin, but just the size of the teeth promised an equally huge cat on the other end of them.

Avery sighed and wrapped his tail around himself.

“I warned you not to wake him up. He’s grumpy in the morning.”

Alder scented the air, surprised to find that his ‘attacker’ was Bristleblaze.

“Put him down, Bristle.” Avery said. “I don’t want to clean more blood off the den floor.”

Alder felt the weight lift off him, and Bristleblaze plopped down and went back to sleep.

Avery gestured for Alder to follow him outside.

“So, why are you here?” He asked.

Alder opened his mouth, intending to ask about the missing kit, but what came out was, “you and him??”

Avery chuckled sheepishly and nodded. “Yeah. But I don’t think that’s why you’re here, since you almost shit yourself when he picked you up.”

Alder hissed half-heartedly. “I did not, and do not tell anyone that happened.” He took a deep breath. “One of Lupinefrost’s kits is missing.”

Avery’s ears flattened, and a full grown growl rose from his chest.

“Which one?”

“Goosekit.”

Avery spat angrily, claws flexing out. “So why’d you come here? Instead of looking for her?”

Alder shifted his weight. “Uh.. Beechkit said Goosekit was taken by an orange and white cat.”

Avery’s tail lashed angrily. “So you thought it was me? When Berrygaze exists? I’m absolutely stunned by your confidence in me.”

Alder backed away, unsure of why he felt so awkward.

“Sorry, I’ll check there next.”

Avery nodded. “You better. I thought our illustrious leader would be smart enough to check out a known kit murderer first when a kit goes missing.”

Alder’s tail twitched as he walked away, heading to the old hollow stump where the Unwanted Toms usually stayed.

Notes:

- part two!

Berrygaze was hunting. This was not only unusual since there wasn’t any non-cat prey in the forest, but also because Berrygaze- being both toothless and clawless- never even tried to hunt a leaf.

Both toms turned to watch, chuckling when they saw his target.

“Oh he’s going in the death ring for sure this time.” Lampreypelt purred, resting his head on Webstripe’s side.

Berrygaze was hunting the smallest kit any of them had ever seen.

Eyes barely open, the little one was walking unsteadily, nubby tail twitching in frustration whenever they stumbled over their own oversized paws. Webstripe couldn’t help feeling sorry for the little thing. The clumsy waddles reminded him of Stumppaw, and the silver tabby coat resembled his own. If he had kits with Lilywater.. he nipped that thought in the bud. If he cried around his friends, they’d never let him live it down. He focused on the brutal pink scar on Lampreypelt’s knee instead. Lampreypelt chuckled at Berrygaze’s awkward hunting crouch.

“Shhhh.. you’ll scare it away.” Berrygaze hissed, creeping forward

Webstripe scanned the clearing for the kit’s parent, then froze when he saw a much more relevant threat.

Bristleblaze sat atop a nearby stump, eyes locked on Berrygaze. How they hadn’t seen him was a mystery, since he was as big as a fox, but the pressing issue was that he was clearly furious.

“Uh.. Berry?” Webstripe hissed.

“Shut up! You’ll scare it away!” Berrygaze grumbled, still locked in on his prey.

Lampreypelt looked up, eyes widening as he processed the situation in record time. “Berrygaze, stop.” He warned. Bristleblaze had shifted into a hunting crouch of his own, lips curled over his teeth.

Berrygaze crept closer, almost able to taste the kit’s blood in his toothless mouth. Just a quick shake and it would be done. He was so close!

Too close for comfort.

Bristleblaze sprung, bowling Berrygaze over and wrenching his throat wide open with his teeth, sending clumps of viscera flying alongside a wild spray of arterial blood. He only stood when Berrygaze stopped twitching, turning to glare at the two toms. He walked towards them, and Webstripe idly wondered which one of them was next on the shit list. Bristleblaze glared down at them and spoke in a low voice.

“If either of you comes near a kit again, I will make what I did to him look like sharing tongues.” He hissed. “Count yourselves lucky that I’m feeling generous today.

Lampreypelt whimpered and nodded, staring at the corpse of his friend. Bristleblaze turned away and gently groomed the kit, then scooped it up and carried it towards the daycare, leaving Lampreypelt and Webstripe to mourn their friend.

======================

GET

HIS

what if the Dark Forest can too?

what if someone saw Berrygaze terrorizing kits, and decided to put a stop to it?

And the kits went on to believe a Starclan warrior had come to the rescue,

Gorsebriar: *stops fussing over Streamfleck* you did what now?

Berrygaze: I kil-

Gorsebriar: *takes him down at mach speed*

Berrygaze: I killed kits bc I felt like it. Fuck them kids. :)

Webstripe: HOLY SHIT NEW BESTIE?????????????