Fables [Open]:

"He he! This old crow's still got it!" exclaimed Oakshade as he performed tricks with something in his possession, tone chipper and triumphant.  The old tom was currently playing with a moss ball by himself out of pure boredom. There wasn't much to do these last couple of days so he decided to revisit a kithood favorite activity. He remembered how often he played and practiced with moss balls. As he grew, his tricks evolved to be more complex and honestly impressive. He loved doing it so much that he stored the mossy playthings anywhere he could so he would be able to snatch one up at a moment's notice. He got scolded once for neglecting is battle training in favor of trying to balance and bounce a mossy ball on his nose for as long as he could without it dropping. As time passed and he matured even more, he eventually grew out of his childish mannerisms and promptly forgot about his favorite hobby. Now that he was so much older with almost nothing to do, he thought he'd give his hobby another chance. To his surprise, it seemed like he retained some of the talent he had back in the day. It made him buzz with pride and glee.

His vivid, ice blue eyes sparkled as he flicked the moss ball with his tail and landed it on his head. He carefully rolled it down his face until it sat on his nose. Then, the tom bounced it up and caught it with his teeth. Yup! Oakshade's magic was back! He placed it down and continued to occupy himself with his current activity. He needed to practice again. There was no doubt that he was rusty but at least he had a good basis of what tricks he could do.

It felt as if a almost half of the day had gone by when the elder finally tired of playing. He opted to just roll it between his paws as he looked at the clearing with unfocused eyes. He missed his warrior days. Back then, he was much more full of life and ready to adventure. He was as energetic as they came. He often caused his mentor to completely tire out before he'd even begin to feel a bit of strain. It was ridiculous honestly. StarClan knew how much he managed to age dear Birchtail every time he came back from his expedition with a brand new injury that added to his growing collection of them. The tom let out a sigh. He felt so out of his time. Everything was new now. Don't get him wrong! He loved his current clan with his whole being but every once in a while, he yearned to go back in time to when he once was young. Almost everyone from his younger moons was gone. It hurt to even think about it but he was strong. He'll manage. For now, he was content on being the clan's resident loon.

"You look just as foolish as you did when you were younger." A raspy remark came from near the elders den. Snowmud was curled up near the elders, her paws neatly tucked under her. Her expression was cold and and grumpy looking. "I'm surprised cats don't mistake as a young warrior who looks like they stayed up for the past two moons."

Perhaps other cats his age would avoid spending their free time interacting with elders, opting for more exciting, active pastimes. But for a cat as information-oriented as Crowpaw, getting to hear about the wealth of experiences that the oldest members of his clan had was invaluable. Besides, if he was diligent and friendly enough, perhaps he'd be added in to the usual routine of chatter. Perhaps they'd start mentioning him off-handedly, that sweet Crowpaw, always here to make sure we're alright, they'd unknowingly become part of his network, part of his never-ending campaign towards having the best reputation he could have. That's what he hoped might happen, at least, if he just kept showing up. In truth, he, too, would rather be doing more exciting, more active things, but his reputation came first. It always came first.

"Hello, Oakshade, Snowmud," he said, his voice both cheerful and respectful. "I hope you're both doing well?"  His pale eyes fell to the moss ball moving between Oakshade's paws, tracing it back and forth as he waited for a response.

It wasn't long before he was broken out of his thoughts by a familiar voice belonging to a certain grouchy she-cat. Ah. The other resident of the elder's den, Snowmud. He was surprised at how long the peace and quiet had lasted for. She usually soured the air much sooner but it appeared that StarClan had been in a particularly merciful mood today. Well, at least he had his fun. Now it was time to face the music. Hopefully today won't be the day his ears finally decided to fall off. He'd very much like to keep them on his head.

"Look who finally decided to let her presence known. I was actually starting to miss you. My my, you appear to be as chipper as usual, sweet Snowmud. Never change. We're always in need of a killjoy. Too much fun can turn a cat's head to mush, or so I've heard. Besides, you seem to fit that position exceedingly well. Don't think there's anyone grouchy enough to follow in your pawsteps." Oakshade paused to flatten a bit of his chest fur before continuing, "Also, I'll take that first comment as a compliment. I'd much rather prefer to be viewed as foolishly young than an old sack of dry bones. Oh! And if you keep that expression up, it'll stick on your face permanently. Although, you may be a little too late to heed my warning. Hmm yes...quite unfortunate..." he finished, tone light and words dripping with blatant sarcasm. The tom shot the she-cat a smirk. It was always fun to ruffle his denmate's fur. It's what he looked forward to whenever she decided he was worth speaking to.

Before either could say anything else, a new voice entered their ears. The owner, an apprentice, soon followed after. Oakshade's expression took up warmth as he listened to the young tom speak. It always touched his heart when his young clanmates paid them a visit. It was a rarity for them to stop by on their own devices but it did happen nonetheless. It was a breath of fresh air for him.

"Ah! Greetings...Crowpaw was it? Welcome to our humble abode youngster. I can't speak for that old grump over there but I'm doing rather well. Very kind of you to ask. I hope you're doing just as well as I am. StarClan knows what sort of troubles seek out cats your age." the elder replied, voice chipper and kind. He gently pushed the moss ball he was fiddling with to the side before speaking up again, "If you don't mind me asking, what brings you to our little slice of paradise? We don't get many visitors often, mostly those who do stop by were given the chore to look after us old crows. The occasional kit wanders over for a tale or two but that's about it." The retired warrior had a fake pout by the end of it. It was quickly replaced by a playful grin. Then a wheezing laugh racked his shoulders. He honestly didn't mind the lack of visitors. He was once like that himself and Oakshade was no hypocrite. Besides, Crowpaw being here lifted up his spirits and made up for everything.

Snowmud's white and brown spotted fur pricked up in annoyance at Oakshade's remark. She had never been fond of her fellow elder.


Snowmud pricked up her ears and glanced to see a young tom. Crowpaw was his name? Yeah probably. "I'm doing fine." The old she-cat hissed. "And Oakshade here is right for once. What brings you here? Don't you young kits prefer to play in the marshs or gossip about one of our clanmate's lovelife?"

“I’m glad to hear you’re both fine,” Crowpaw smiled.  

Interesting-- so one of the pair was much friendly, much lighter, while the other was much more...serious, maybe even rude. Crowpaw knew that meant it would require a bit more work for him to appease both at once. He’d have to walk the line between serious and respectful and warm and kind. But he could do it-- or at least he believed he could.

“Well, first and foremost and I just wanted to check in, say hello, and make sure neither of you needed or wanted anything,” The young tom replied smoothly. “It’s everyone’s job to take care of each other, right?” The irony of his words was that Crowpaw rarely ever truly cared about anyone who was not Crowpaw. He was just self-aware enough that this was not lost on him; but he didn’t exactly care. He was a liar; it’s what he did.

“And yes, I enjoy playing in the marshes or gossiping with my peers as much as the next 'young kit', I really do,” he continued on, “But I have to admit sometimes it gets a little tiresome. Sometimes I’d rather talk to someone who actually knows what they’re talking about. Someone with real experience, with real stories,” he paused, still smiling that tight, unchanging smile, “Someone who I can actually look up to and respect, you know?”

OOC: Sorry for the delay! I had a bunch of things come up irl and just got to my posting. ^^;

IC: Oakshade resisted the urge to stick out his tongue at Snowmud like a kit. Right for once? The nerve... He knew he deserved it but still. He couldn't help his childish nature, like Snow couldn't help her rude demeanor. The old tom shot his denmate a look when her tone took on a bit of a harsh sound. He's aware that it's futile to try and stop her from hissing but he still tried. He offered the apprentice an apologetic look. He couldn't begin to speak as the young tom beat him to it.

"Mmm right you are young'un. It's quite important to have each other's backs. Without the aid of our clanmates, where would we be? Also, it's very kind of you to come and check up on us. We greatly appreciate gestures like these, even if Snowmud doesn't show it. It's good to know that there's still respect for us oldies." he meowed with a grateful tone in his voice. Despite this, his face flickered with a few undecipherable emotions before settling on warmth. He gave his shoulders a few licks as he listened to the apprentice continue.

His maw morphed to an amused grin. He tilted his head in subtle contemplation. Huh. Crowpaw seemed to be trying to sweet-talk them. He's lived long enough to be familiarized with all forms flattery. They say flattery will get you nowhere but honestly, he didn't mind being flattered here and there. He wasn't going to deny the youngster's requests. He appreciated the effort he was going through to try and get them to spill a few tales or snippets of advice. Other young cats often ignored this type of knowledge and it felt good knowing that some enjoyed learning from the older members of the clan.

"I get where you're coming from. In fact, I've walked the same trail a couple times in my life. Is there anything you fancy to know about Crowpaw? Between Snowmud and I, we've got knowledge to spare although, she may need a bit more convincing than I." His voice held amusement as he spoke about the she-cat elder. She was known to horde her advice and would only give them out to those who'd bring her the best looking prey. He didn't blame her. She was quite intelligent to be offering her service for a delicious price. He didn't have it in him to do something similar. He just watched from afar, shoulders jumping as he silently laughed at her antics and the way others scrambled to appease her tough demands.

Snowmud simply rolled her eyes at Oakshade and turned her head away from him and the apprentice. Her ears were still perked though, wanting to listen to what Crowpaw and Oakshade were going to speak of. Maybe she'd butt in? Probably not.

A small, fluffy figure peered outside of the nursery before slipping out, pale green eyes wide with curiosity and amazement. Finally, they settled on the group of elders and apprentice not too far away, and without a word Murkykit moved to sit in Crowpaw's shadow, peering around him to look at the much older tom that was in front of them. The other kits had mentioned stories they had heard from either the elders or their parents, so perhaps now it was her turn? Her excitement was evident even as she remained quiet.

Crowpaw's eyes lit up. "Oh, I don't know-- I'm happy to hear anything, or any story you want to tell me, really,"

He thought for a moment, then continued. "I guess...what's your favorite story to tell? Your favorite memory to talk about?" Whether or not Oakshade's story provided him with any interesting information, a favorite story, whatever it was, still told you a lot about the cat telling it, and that would be interesting in of itself.

Suddenly, the young tom felt a presence near his side, and he tilted his head, noticing a kit had joined them and was peering out from behind him at the elders.

"Hi there," he said gently, "Do you want to hear the story, too?"

OOC: Forgive this late reply! It's been a tough week and I was feeling physically drained. :(

IC: The chipper tom's mouth curved upward to form a smile. Crowpaw's intrigue  "Mm? My favorite memory or story? Well, I believe I got just the tale to tell yo- oh? Well, who's that sweetheart behind you, Crowpaw?" the elder questioned once he spotted the little bundle the apprentice had begun talking to. His smile widened at the sight of the she-kit's animated yet noiseless nature. Kits were always great to have in the audience when retelling a narrative. They tend to be the most invested and excitable out of all the age groups. Apprentices came in second but most lost the innocent curiosity the youngest members of the clan had.

"Hello there, little one. Care to join our small group for a story? Come, come. Don't be shy now. Storytime's always open to anyone. As they say, the more the merrier and I'm inclined to agree." he meowed with a chipper tone, all the while repositioning himself to a more comfortable position. Couldn't have his creaky, old bones ruin the mood.

Once he was cozy enough, he began to address his listeners, "Alright. Let me tell you one of the many, many tales I know. I first heard this one from a kind loner who was passing through the marshes one day during my youth. I had been practicing the battle skills I had learned the day prior when I suddenly spotted a stranger. I almost attacked her but she managed to calm me down with the promise that she'd leave quickly, right after she told me an interesting story of course. I don't know what happened to her after she left but I never forgot her nor her tale. I'm passing this onto you so that you may learn and grow from it."
The brown and white tabby cleared his throat before beginning to recount the fable that'd been told to him, "Many, many moons ago, there was a large group of cats living together by a beautiful river, each with their own spots of land to hunt and live in. They were rather poor and often relied on each other to share prey between themselves if they began to lack things to hunt. Amongst them lived a well off tom. His share of the land was much bigger than all the others and it was rich in prey. He had a loving mate and many kits to succeed him.

However, he often worried about his youngest son, who was full of mischief and often caused trouble. He was always full of energy and strayed away from home, roaming the lands beyond their own, climbing the trees and hills and jumping into the river whenever he pleased.

One day, tragedy struck when the young tom accidentally stepped heavily upon the tail of a snake during one of his many adventures. In a fit of anger, the snake hissed and bit his paw. The kit limped away in a hurry, crying to his parents out of pain. His family was helpless in saving him, for the poison killed him within moments of his arrival. However, he managed to tell his father of where the snake lived before he took his last breath.

The father, enraged and grieving, hunted down the snake, who happened to live in a small hole by a tree. Again and again, the tom swiped and snapped his teeth at the snake, who somehow managed to escape the blows until one paw pinned it down and it's tail was bitten off with ferocity. Bleeding and in pain, it slithered away with great difficulty into one of the holes between the roots of the tree.

"First they stomp on my tail. Then they dared to bite it off?" muttered the creature with a pained hiss. It vowed to get revenge against the cat.

Soon after, the snake began to strip the cat from all his abundant prey, eating some and poisoning others. The tom suffered a huge loss once it was over.

"I had already lost my son, now I have to see my prey so scarce. It is best to make peace with the snake before it does any more harm to me or the rest of my family." the cat thought, not too long after.

With this in mind, the tom went to the snake's home with some of what little food he had left and offered it the gifts saying,
"You know, we should leave this all behind. There was no hostility between before. So why don't we forget and forgive each other and be friends?"

"It is for the best if we don't." replied the snake. "Take your gifts away. You cannot forgive me for the death of your son, nor can I forget the loss of my tail.""
Oakshade finished off the story with a small sigh, soon smiling softly at the two figures in front of him. Injuries may be forgiven, but not forgotten. A phrase that applies so often in life. It's one that resonates within his very core, even today. He wasn't sure how either of the younger cats thought about the tale but hopefully it would be decently positive.

The elder rolled his head on his shoulders before speaking once again, "What do you both think of it? Did you take away from the story? Anything that interested you? It was one of the darker stories I know but hopefully it wasn't too dark for either of you."

OOC 2: Any of ya'll know what fable this is referring to? 0^0

Roughkit pricked his ears and ran toward Oakshade.  "Are you telling stories?" he asked excitedly, sitting beside the elder.  "Can I stay and listen?  I'll be very quiet!" he offered, though he was never quiet for anything.  He curled his tail over his paws and fluffed his fur a bit to keep him warm.  He hoped that somehow, listening to stories would help him become a warrior faster somehow.

[ OOC: Hopefully it's okay if I just yeet into here ]

The elder she-cat's fur pricked when she heard two kits come along. Great. Now soon enough the entire clan is going to here. Snowmud turned her head to see the two kits as Oakshade told a story of snake and cat. She huffed before laying her head down on her paws.

Looking up at the apprentice, Murkykit simply nodded once, settling down next to him as the elder acknowledged her presence and invited her to stay and listen. She sat in silence, watching the elder as he told his tale, focused totally on his story that she hardly even noticed the other kit that had joined them. As the story came to a close, she blinked and looked around, seeing the newcomer before focusing back on the elder. Finally she opened her mouth to speak, her new soft even as it held the high kit mewl still. "We can't take back what's been done? Like... If I take mother's prey to eat, I can't give it back? And while it can be forgiven, it can't be forgotten? But... Mother says that we should move on..."

Crowpaw tilted his head, thinking about what the moral of Oakshade's story might have been. "Is it...is it about how getting even never ends well? It just ends with more damage and ruined friendships?"

He didn't actually believe that was true. Getting even could absolutely end well. As long as you were smart.

If it were me in that story, the dark-pelted apprentice thought, I wouldn't've hunted down the snake. No, first I'd pretend to forgive him, then I'd kill him when he wasn't expecting me too. That way, he wouldn't get away.