Posts by oakstar.

･ﾟ ✦ ° why do love and hate sound just the same to me - Looking down at the tiny moss creature he had been gifted, considering Fawnkit's offer, Oakridge eventually looked up after a few silent heartbeats and nodded, golden eyes sparkling a little. "Could you show me how to make one? I want to give one to you and one to Nightblaze." Thinking of the she-cat's potential reaction to the tiny moss creature had the warrior's whiskers twitching with fond amusement. He hoped she would find some joy or amusement in the gift, because he loved to hear her little noises of joy. She would purr or chirp or giggle and it always made Oakridge's chest feel warm and floaty.

･ﾟ ✦ ° why do love and hate sound just the same to me - After he and the kits had gone through and changed out the nests earlier in the week, Oakridge had realized with a little guilt, that the camp's moss stores were all but depleted. Wanting to restock what he had emptied, the blue rosette tom padded to the center of camp and lifted his voice to call out to everyone. "DarkClan! I'm heading out to fetch more moss for camp. Would anyone like to come along and help me?" Granted, this wasn't the most exciting task a warrior or apprentice could perform, but it was necessary. It would also be beneficial for the medicine den to have extra moss lying around in case they needed it for anything. The fluffy green was also used to carry water to places and cats that couldn't easily access it, so Oakridge hoped that at least one other cat would tag along so he could double the load brought back.

･ﾟ ✦ ° why do love and hate sound just the same to me - Oakridge didn't have an apprentice of his own - though he wanted to talk to Eaglestar about that soon - but all the same the blue tom was making it a habit to check in on the apprentices' at least once a day. It was a step towards mentorship, towards becoming a little more comfortable with the younger members of the Clan. Fawnkit was an anomaly in Oakridge's life, a kit he wasn't afraid of accidentally hurting, and it was all on her. She had broken the ice first, and Oakridge hoped to be her mentor one day soon.

But now, poking in to check on the apprentices, Oakridge spotted Copperpaw's odd gait and frowned with worry. "Copperpaw? If you're hurt, you should head to the medicine den. I'm sure whatever training injury you're trying to hide needs to be looked at, and it won't get you in trouble. We've all been there." The warrior tried to keep his voice calm, reassuring. He wasn't sure entirely of the cause of Copperpaw's discomfort, but knowing how stubborn apprentices could be, he figured it was a training injury being hidden for the sake of pride. It wouldn't be the first time an apprentice had done as such.

･ﾟ ✦ ° why do love and hate sound just the same to me - He had insisted on taking the night watch, feeling restless still from the day. Eaglestar had been hesitant to grant the position and Nightblaze had looked worried, but the blue tom had reassured them both that he was feeling much better, had even gone on a border patrol and been absolutely fine! So with a grateful nod to Eaglestar and a gentle, reassuring nuzzle to Nightblaze, Oakridge had assumed the position for the night. Everything had been quiet, peaceful, until Turbulenkit had come tumbling from the nursery, squeaking and excited.

Blinking stunned golden eyes the kit's way, Oakridge pushed up from his post and trotted over. Keeping his voice low, Oakridge was careful to give the kit enough space, not wanting to intimidate the little furball or accidentally injure him. "What are you doing up? It's the middle of the night." Indeed, the sliver of silver moon hung low in the sky, barely illuminating anything among the shine of Silverpelt splattered across the midnight sky. It was beautiful, but a sight not meant for kits who should be fast asleep.

･ﾟ ✦ ° why do love and hate sound just the same to me - Ears twitching with amusement at Viper's claims, Oakridge paused by the supply of moss they kept around camp and leveled his golden eyes with the three kits. Tail curling neatly over his paws, Oakridge waited for them to settle down for a moment before speaking. "Even if you want to be the first done, make sure you do a good job. Otherwise, your Clanmates will be uncomfortable in their nests, and that's not fair to them, is it?" The blue rosette tom was mindful to keep his tone even, calm. He wasn't used to speaking to kits, the coddling, kind tone he heard queens use unfamiliar and uncomfortable on his tongue. He couldn't even begin to emulate it, so he went with as gentle and friendly as possible.

･ﾟ ✦ ° why do love and hate sound just the same to me - Turning his head to blink in surprise at Nathanos, Oakridge wondered if the tom's question was founded or if he was really just that paranoid. Voicing his thoughts in a shocked question, the blue tom glanced between the warrior and apprentice quickly. "Why would a ShadowClanner have done that? There haven't been any skirmishes since the incident with Marshsky and Summerpaw." There was no way an apprentice had gone out and gotten attacked by a ShadowClanner without at least one other member of DarkClan hearing about it before this. Besides, apprentices weren't supposed to leave unsupervised, especially as far out as the borders, so there was no way this could have been a ShadowClanner. Unless...there was something more sinister happening behind the scenes.

Oakridge didn't want to believe it, and he stared imploringly at Copperpaw, begging silently for it to just be a training injury. The last thing DarkClan needed now was a war. And this - if it was a skirmish born injury - would be more than enough cause to start one.

･ﾟ ✦ ° why do love and hate sound just the same to me - Truthfully he had no idea why Hibiscuspaw couldn't - or wouldn't - speak. He had never bothered to ask upon his return, because it seemed like something too personal to be flippantly asked after. Plus, it was none of his business. But now, the apprentice stood before him and he recognized the twitching of anxiety, the gesture familiar from time spent with his brother Sweetpea. The blue tom knew how to handle this. Softening his countenance, Oakridge's golden eyes were warm as he dipped his head happily in response to Hibiscuspaw's appearance.

"We can head out and get started, and if anyone else wants to join us, they can tag along." Standing and gesturing with a flick of his tail for her to follow, Oakridge started to head out. Thinking for a moment about the dangers that lay beyond camp, his mute companion, and the risk of being separated, Oakridge glanced over to the apprentice and offered softly, "If anything happens, and you need to get my attention, just grab a loose pebble or something to make noise, okay?" The blue tom's mind raced with the memories of being scooped up by a Twoleg in his own home, and he shuddered to think of Hibiscuspaw meeting the same fate and not being able to cry out. This was just a moss collecting trip, but he wanted to be prepared anyway.

･ﾟ ✦ ° why do love and hate sound just the same to me - Glancing at the two younger cats, feeling worry for their obvious lack of sleep, Oakridge knew that there had to be some way to keep Turbulentkit from waking up the whole Clan. After a quiet moment of pondering, watching the kit bat at Hibiscuspaw's patting, Oakridge spoke up, voice still soft in the late evening air. "Why don't you two join me on watch? Turbulentkit, we can find a moss ball and play a game with it, but we have to play as quietly as possible so we don't wake everyone, okay?"

Oakridge honestly had no idea if that would even work, but it seemed like something he would have done as a kit, so he just took a chance with the offer. Hopefully, Turbulentkit would tire out and fall asleep soon. It wasn't that Oakridge thought the kit was annoying - if anything his energy was rather adorable - but the kit needed rest.

･ﾟ ✦ ° why do love and hate sound just the same to me - Glancing up from where he had been grooming down his sleep mussed fur, Oakridge's ears perked up, the blue tom immediately shoving to his paws to draw closer to the moss stone. He was excited for this meeting, because Fawnkit would become an apprentice, and he hoped to become her mentor. It was strange...being excited about that since he was usually so nervous around kits and young apprentices. But he was getting better, working to overcoming that irrational fear and Fawnkit and her quirky way of interacting with Oakridge had helped break the ice a little.

･ﾟ ✦ ° why do love and hate sound just the same to me - Worry expanded like a balloon in Oakridge's chest and he ducked a little more into the den, golden eyes scanning Copperpaw fretfully. A ShadowClanner had really attacked their apprentice without cause or provoking? Expression twisting, the blue tom gestured to Copperpaw and spoke softly, trying to keep his tone level and calm despite the gnawing worry in his gut. "I can't...I can't believe this. Go see Dawnsky and Owlpaw, get yourself patched up before it gets infected. We...we need to tell Eaglestar about this so we can figure out why a ShadowClanner would have attacked you without reason. If it was Marshsky again..." Oakridge trailed off with a shake of his head, thinking of Summerpaw's attacker.

He didn't want this to start a war, but Eaglestar needed to know and hopefully she and Sorrelstar could talk things out, figure out what had happened. The blue tom also hoped that Copperpaw wouldn't leave on his own again, so things like this wouldn't happen more. "We're all relieved you weren't more seriously injured, but don't take this lightly, alright Copperpaw?"

･ﾟ ✦ ° why do love and hate sound just the same to me - Watching the kit scuttle around, Oakridge could only marvel at the boundless energy that exuded from Turbulentkit, tiny paws frantically shaping the moss in front of him. Glancing with amusement to Hibiscuspaw, Oakridge flicked his tail in a gesture and moved a little closer to the camp entrance, an attempt to keep a better watch while still entertaining his two Clanmates. Sitting down again, Oakridge watched Turbulentkit for a little while before speaking up softly. "What kind of game would you like to play, Turbulentkit?"

･ﾟ ✦ ° why do love and hate sound just the same to me - This seemed easy enough, and it would be hard to accidentally hurt the kit with a moss ball, so Oakridge felt okay about playing this game. Golden eyes sparkling with amusement at Turbulentkit's obvious excitement, the warrior hooked the moss ball with his claw and gently flung it towards the kit, keeping it low enough that he could potentially bat it out of the air before it landed. This was familiar, a game he and Sweetpea used to play together right before they became apprentices. It had been moons, but the old memories were sparked with this newfound kit.

･ﾟ ✦ ° why do love and hate sound just the same to me - Feeling like his head was spinning with everything being thrown around, Oakridge leveled his golden gaze with Copperpaw and studied the apprentice quietly, trying to ground his senses again. He was hurt, but it had been healing, and Owlpaw claimed that Copperpaw hadn't been to see them about this. Glancing at Nathanos when the brute asked for the truth, Oakridge turned back to the apprentice and elaborated, voice as calm as he could make it, not wanting to drive the younger tom into a corner. "Copperpaw, we need to know the truth so we can protect you and the Clan if need be. But if you're lying to us, and this starts a war, that's a big deal. We can't justify our actions against ShadowClan if you're lying to us. Telling us the truth means we can actually help you."

He hated to see any of his Clanmates hurt, but these circumstances were so strange, Oakridge had to force aside his worry for the apprentices wounds and help his Clanmates get to the bottom of this.

･ﾟ ✦ ° why do love and hate sound just the same to me - Watching Turbulentkit roll around and tear into the little moss ball, Oakridge couldn't help the fondness that swelled in his chest. He had seen kits playing around outside the nursery before, but never really hung around, afraid of scaring them or something. So watching Turbulentkit actually scamper around in front of him was different, new, and he was surprised to find himself enjoying this short time with the little kit. He was adorable.

Blinking out of his thoughts at the little furball's question, Oakridge hesitated, that old fear spiking up in his chest, cutting through the growing warmth quickly. What if he hurt the kit? Or taught him wrong? But...then again, Oakridge would be a mentor soon. And Driftingstar had taught him well, so he just needed to do what his mentor had shown him.

Taking a deep breath, telling himself it would be okay - plus Hibiscuspaw was here too - Oakridge nodded. "Sure, I can show you."

･ﾟ ✦ ° why do love and hate sound just the same to me - Glancing gratefully at Hibiscuspaw when she caught his attention to reassure him, Oakridge felt a little better about turning back to the bouncy, eager little kit and helping him out. Turbulentpaw dropped into a clumsy hunter's crouch and Oakridge felt a ping of nostalgia in his chest, remember Driftingstar's gentle but firm corrections to then Oakpaw's clumsy stature. He missed his mentor fiercely.

"Lower your haunches more, and keep your tail straight out behind you. It'll be easier to move forward that way and your tail won't drag over the ground and make noise." Oakridge's voice was low, soft - tone encouraging. The little kit's stance wasn't all that bad, and Oakridge guessed he had probably been practicing and observing with all that eager energy he seemed to possess.

･ﾟ ✦ ° why do love and hate sound just the same to me - Listening to Copperpaw's response, Oakridge felt some of the tension ease in his chest, but doubt still lingered like a fog in the back of his mind. He wanted to believe Copperpaw whole-heartedly, but there was a strange sensation hanging over this whole situation. But for now, he would believe the apprentice. Glancing to Owlpaw, Oakridge wondered what the apprentice would do with this information, but for now, decisions had to be made regarding the borders.

"A quick conversation with ShadowClan should clear up whether it was a loner or not, so I still believe we should let Eaglestar know so that she can peacefully get into contact with Sorrelstar. Since you said you fought back, and ShadowClan hasn't sought retribution for that, it likely was a loner. I'll let Eaglestar know what's happened here and leave Copperpaw to you, Owlpaw."

Leveling Copperpaw with a curious, golden gaze - allowing a moment of hesitance - Oakridge said quietly, "Next time, don't hide something like this. If you had been more seriously injured, it could have ended far differently," before slipping away to find Eaglestar.

･ﾟ ✦ ° why do love and hate sound just the same to me - Ears twitching with fond amusement at the sight of Hibiscuspaw happily carrying her new stones along, Oakridge pulled up to a stop at a large stone essentially coated with thick, plush looking moss. Pressing a careful paw to it, feeling how dense it was, the blue tom nodded with satisfaction before turning curiously to the apprentice. "Have you ever peeled moss off a rock like this before? I know some apprentices have and some haven't, and unfortunately I'm not sure where you're at in your training." The tom tried to keep his question as a simple yes or no answer, that way Hibiscuspaw could communicate effectively. He had a brief thought about perhaps figuring out a way for her to say more without actually...well saying anything but that was a train of thought for another time.

// sOB I LOVE HER SHE'S ADORABLE

･ﾟ ✦ ° why do love and hate sound just the same to me - Though it took some adjusting and time, Turbulentkit eventually got into a crouch resembling one an apprentice might utilize. It was clearly not an action ingrained into Turbulentkit's muscles, but the foundations were now there. The tom made sure to nod his approval so Turbulentkit knew he was doing a good job. "That's a good start! It will get easier the more you practice. Now, try moving forward."

//sorry short post

･ﾟ ✦ ° why do love and hate sound just the same to me - It was amusing to watch Turbulentkit clumsily stalk forward, the warrior exchanging glances with Hibiscuspaw before turning back to the little kit. He nodded his encouragement, but kept his distance. When Turbulentkit announced he was going to pounce for the moss ball, Oakridge reached out and gently bat it a little closer so Turbulentkit actually had a shot of reaching it from his position. "Push off with your haunches, not your front paws," the blue tom remembered to remind the kit before he pounced.