spring fever | tag: Blush (Oakspirit)

[Lo]

DUSKFIRE

The tortoiseshell she-cat padded through Riverclan's territory. She was so pleased that new-leaf was finally on the horizon. Ugh, how she loathed leaf-bare. It was the worst, most cruel season, in her opinion, and some days she secretly envied kittypets. Of course, her rational mind would never let her leave her clan, but when it was a cold leaf-bare night and she had to go on patrol through the snow and the ice, she envied those fat mouse-brains who lived in the twoleg nests.

But she'd never trade up her current life for all the mice and fish in the world. No, she loved being a warrior, it was what she had been born into, it was the way she was raised, it had been the life she had chosen. And she wouldn't have it any other way. She had her family, and she was sure she would have her own apprentice sooner or later. She even had a few friends. Well, kind of. She was a moody, opinionated she-cat, so most cats avoided her because of her sharp tongue. So perhaps she was jumping to conclusions by considering cats who tolerated her tongue as friends.

Either way, it was nothing to leave the clan over, and Duskfire was in a better-then-usual mood because of spring's arrival. She was going to Sunningrocks with her best friend and littermate, Oakspirit. Sunningrocks was one of her favourite places in all of Riverclan's territory. And she loved it.

Notes: cue brother-sister cuteness.

[Blush]

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OAKSPIRIT* life, love, this moment in the sun kiwii at btn & ote! The tabby tom watched his sister closely as they padded toward the Sunningrocks. Rumors had been abounding in camp lately about her and a certain elder who seemed to be hitting it off. His tongue was literally itching to say something to her about it, and though it was killing him not to blurt it right out, he knew it would better to wait for the perfect moment. Her reaction was going to be perfect! He tried to distract himself as they walked, sniffing the air for the scent of prey, opening his ears to listen to the rustling leaves of the trees, but it was no use. Just when he thought he would go ahead and make his sly remark, the Sunningrocks appeared. Finally, a distraction he could trust! The tom's eyes gleamed with excitement as he bounded toward the rocks. Race ya to the top! he called toward his sister, although he had already gotten a head start. His heart was light and his head was empty as he tried to quickly leap up the smooth stones. It was his favorite type of weather at his favorite place with his favorite person. Nothing could be more perfect--even if he did manage to lose this race.

[Lo]

DUSKFIRE

Duskfire was nearly surprised when her brother Oakspirit sprinted past her, calling out a challenge to her as he did so. The she-cat followed suit, but Oakspirit had a huge lead on her, and as she made a very desperate attempt to catch up to the brown tabby tom, she couldn't help calling out to him. “No fair! You got a head-start!” She shouted as she focused all her energy on her legs, but her brother had a size advantage, and although the she-cat was sleek, her body was now used to hard treks through the snow, not the freedom of sprinting on a warm spring day.

Oh, how she'd missed the warmth and the freedom.

She was starting to gain on him, but she wasn't about to close that gap anytime soon. Did she look like a Windeclanner? No, she was a Riverclanner, and her talents were in swimming and not sprinting. Although, she had to admit that it was good fun while she was at it, even if she probably wasn't going to win. But she was spending time with her best friend - perhaps that was the fun in it all?

She really enjoyed spending time with her brother. As her only surviving littermate, he knew the same pains that she did. Together, they'd fought illness, lost siblings, lost friend, fought battles. If anyone knew her scars - mental and physical - better than herself, if was Oakspirit. He'd had to listen to her complain about her wounds, after all. He was quite possibly the only cat who seemed to want to put up with her, but that was okay. Okay, that was a bit of a lie. One of the elder toms, Nightbreeze, moved to the elders' den because of an injury, seemed to enjoy her companionship. But Oakspirit was her best friend. He knew her best. He would always come first.

Panting, the sleek tortoiseshell's paws came to a halt and she flopped down on the nearest flat surface - a nice warm slab of stone. “Sunningrocks, I've missed you.” She said aloud, stretching her body out on the rock, which just happened to be one of her favourite resting spots.

[Blush]

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OAKSPIRIT* life, love, this moment in the sun kiwii at btn & ote! I win! Oakspirit meowed playfully as his paws hit the top of the rocks. He kneaded his paws against the hard stone for a few seconds before plopping his plump belly on the ground. Sunningrocks, I've missed you. It's so much better here in newleaf, isn't it? he replied, stretching out so that more of his body could feel the sun. The tom's whiskers twitched in amusement as she stretched happily. It brought a purr to his throat to see his sibling so carefree. Duskfire took things so much more seriously than he did, and he knew this war had been rough on her. It had been rough on them both, but Duskfire wasn't as social as he was. She didn't find strength in her clanmates the way he did, and this forest was a difficult place to live right now if you were a serious, solitary cat. He was glad that he could bring some fun back into Duskfire's life... Although he imagined Nightbreeze was also helping her do that. Oakspirit's tail twitched in appreciation of his own joke, and he wished that Duskfire could read his thoughts. But then again, she might claw him if she could. So, he began lazily, What have you been up to lately? There was a heavy hint in his voice, and his ears twitched playfully as posed his question. Would Duskfire take the bait or just ignore it? Anticipation flooded his veins.

[Lo]

DUSKFIRE

“You can say that again.” The she-cat said with a nod, rolling onto her back to show her dappled black-and-ginger belly to the warming newleaf sun. She loved the sun. Newleaf and Greenleaf were the best seasons. Her favourite. And Sunningrocks was one of her favourite places. And as Oakspirit had said - it was so much nicer here in newleaf than it was in leafbare. And leaf-fall was pretty too, but so noisy. No good for hunting. But they weren't on a hunting patrol. No, today they were enjoying the sun at Sunningrocks together like the good ol' days.

Duskfire twitched her ears when her brother asked what she'd been up to. What did he mean? They saw one another nearly every day, and she couldn't recall anything important having happened in her life that she hadn't told him about. It wasn't exactly an exciting season for her. She'd not really done anything exciting. So she shrugged and her answer was tart. “What? You think I leave things out when we share tongues? That I save up bits of gossip for a sunny day or something?”

Still laying on her back, she tipped her head back and fixed her green-amber gaze on her littermate, staring at him upside down as she waited for his answer.

[Blush]

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OAKSPIRIT* life, love, this moment in the sun kiwii at btn & ote! Oakspirit loved sunbathing. He stretched out on his haunches, letting his back soak up some sun, before rolling ecstatically over onto his belly. He wanted every inch of him to absorb the heat while it was still here. Leafbare always seem to return so quickly. What? You think I leave things out when we share tongues? That I save up bits of gossip for a sunny day or something? He couldn't keep a straight face as Duskfire snapped at him. His eyes crinkled in amusement, and his tail waved in appreciation for his sister's response. She was so fun to tease. "I dunno, maybe," he mewed casually, rolling over on to his side and emitting a contented purr. Between his love of the sun and the joy of knowing the intimate details of Duskfire's personal life, he couldn't seem to sit still. He glanced at his sister out of the corner of his eye and added slyly, "From what the other warriors are saying around camp, it sounds like I may be an uncle soon." He was thoroughly amused with himself as he spoke. He knew Duskfire wasn't expecting kits, but from way the she-cats gossiped, he suspected they thought otherwise. Her relationship with Nightbreeze was a constant source of speculation... And Oakspirit had to admit that even to him, it looked as if the two were more than friends. He wondered, though, if Duskfire realized that yet.

[Lo]

DUSKFIRE

Oakspirit looked like he was enjoying himself, and so was Duskfire, even if she was being a bit short with her brother. She did love him but she was a sassy she-cat who had no ambition to hold her tongue. She sometimes said things that stung, but after twenty-odd moons with her, Oakspirit was used to that and it rolled off of his pelt like water off a Riverclanner’s back. Duskfire rolled her hazel eyes when her brother answered her. Oakspirit loved his life, and he hardly took anything seriously. And he was about the only cat in the world like it that Duskfire would ever be able to tolerate.

Her whiskers twitched in amusement as her brother mentioned the clan gossip. She had no intention of becoming a queen any time soon, and she didn’t even have a mate. The idea that she was going to be kitting soon was absolutely preposterous and she couldn’t help but laugh at that. “And just who might the father of these so-called kits be?” She asked in a rare display of good humour. She had a reputation for being tart, but sometimes Oakspirit could draw out a more tolerable side of her that many cats had never seen.

“Hawkfeather?” She asked with a snort. Aside from her brother, the clan deputy was probably about the only other cat that she willingly tolerated. She’d thought that Nightbreeze might have been one she could have tolerated, but the cranky old tom was too fixated on his own misery that she’d given him a piece of her mind and stormed off in a huff. She still couldn’t stand to be in his presence. He owed her an apology. But the cranky old tom was far from her mind as she enjoyed the afternoon with her brother. She was in a good mood and thoughts of the infuriating old tom would only make the fur on her shoulders stand on end.

[Blush]

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OAKSPIRIT* life, love, this moment in the sun kiwii at btn & ote! There. He finally found the spot on his belly where he could be comfortable. Perhaps he'd stay in this position for more than a few seconds... And just who might the father of these so-called kits be? Hawkfeather? Oakspirit cocked his head. How interesting that his sister jumped to Hawkfeather's name. He knew that their deputy was one of the few cats that Duskfire could consider her friend, but was there something more going on there? He didn't think Duskfire would keep something so big a secret, but he'd have to keep his eyes open. "I wasn't thinking about Hawkfeather. Have you been holding out on me?" he teased. But even now that he thought about it, he still saw Duskfire with someone as cranky as she was. He liked Hawkfeather, but he didn't think the tom could give Duskfire a challenge the way Nightbreeze could. "Actually," he drawled, relishing the smartness of the response he had just thought up, "I was thinking about someone... not older, but more..." He hesitated as if he had to think about the right word. "Elderly." he finished smugly. The tom's eyes crinkled. He had yet to find a cat that amused him as much as he amused himself. And Duskfire was the best cat of all to tease. She could work herself up into such a tizzy. The fear of losing a chunk of fur wasn't enough to overpower the joy he got from watching her spit fire the way only she could.