Visiting is a Wonderous Thing [Dots/Phoenix/Open]

[::Phoenix::]

.Eclipsefur.

Golden yellow fur was hardly visible as a young tom yawned and stretched, the gray fur ruffling in the wind. Padding to the center of camp, Eclipsefur took a mouse off the top of the pile, and padded back to a spot where he could eat it in peace while he watched the Warriors milling around him.

The wind blew through the camp, chilling him slightly. He had short fur, and it wasn't very good for blocking against the cool air. He finished his mouse quickly and set about washing and warming himself though the wind continued to breeze through.

[Ninja Dots]

-Badgernose-

Sleek, young and defiant Badgernose made his way through the warriors den, pushing aside the brambles and lifting his chin up to the sky. The sun shining bright made his copper and golden eyes glisten like gold. He chuckled at the thought of his humble self. Eyes flicked from one thing to the next as he clearly scanned the scenery around him. From the kits playing just outside the Nursery to the apprentices practicing their new moves on each other. He loved watching them assessing each other, to prove who was better than the other. Badgernose frowned as he noticed the sun disappear for a moment, covered by the white fluffy clouds in the skies. He nodded, as if in approval when they disappeared just as quickly as they had came. With a slight shrug, he continued on with his easy pad-along the camp clearing. He noticed several warriors merely discussing their daily activities and narrowed his eyes. What was it with him anyway? Badgernose was a narrow-minded tom who wanted things done his way, the correct way, the first time. Not being liked among RiverClan was something he would have to put up with for some time longer. He was Deputy. That was saying something, so though others may despise him, they might admire his rank. Badgernose had always knew that he was fit for a king. Leadership was all he needed. He tilted his head to the side with a frown when he heard a noise he was not familiar with. A low grumbling sound. He quickly scanned around him before tucking his head under to glance at his chest. There it was again! That noise! That humbling growl! Badgernose's face flushed when he realized it was coming from him. But why? How? For being a fearsome tom, knowing hunger was a stranger. He shrugged and sat down next to a golden colored tom, one he merely talked to, Eclipsefur. He dipped his head slightly, and tried to hide yet another gurgling growl. "Will you shut up already!" He hissed, looking down at his chest. No. Badgernose was not crazy. He simply had never known hunger. Apparently his stomache didn't apply.

[::Phoenix::]

.Eclipsefur.

Watching the Deputy stride toward him, Eclipsefur rolled his eyes slightly. If there was ever a more strict and egotistical Warrior then he had never known it. "Hello, Badgernose. How's everything?" He heard him hiss at his stomach, and had to try desperately not to laugh. Really, he doesn't know what hunger is? Every cat should. It's life. Eclipsefur didn't want to upset the tom so he kept quiet and ate his mouse silently, though on the inside he was roaring with laughter.

[Ninja Dots]

-Badgernose-

The brown and golden pelted tom blinked and his eyes glanced around for a split second before he realized that it was another tom. No, not just another tom but Eclipsefur. Another tom in RiverClan. He glanced at the mouse and then the fresh-kill pile. A question had formed in the tom's mind. Dare he ask? Nah, probably not. Badgernose realized that he might be one of the most hated cats and to ask a question might change his reputation, besides Badgernose didn't know how to ask a question in the first place! He was Badgernose! Deputy of RiverClan! He didn't need to ask them. Well... that's what he thought anyway. Large, mean, and careless as he was Badgernose was probably more scared than anything else in the world to ask a stupid simple question. He shrugged and glanced away, not wanting Eclipsefur to realize he was staring stupidly at the mouse that the tom was eating. He flicked his tail and shrugged. Trying to keep up his 'reputation' if he had any, that was. The tom knew that if he simply dropped his attitude like Oakstar had suggested, no told him to, almost demandingly, a law of sorts that would earn him respect he might have more friends than enemies. "Do they know who I am!" He growled when a pair of kits came tumbling into him, merely accidental, playing with a moss ball. "Uh-... What?" He turned to glance at Eclipsefur, for the first time realizing he had asked a question. Dare anyone? Maybe this one. He bit his lip, thinking before watching the kits scurry off and turning back to the golden flecked tom. "Everything is swell, and you?" A simple question, yet one so rare to his lips. Almost like poison that swam through his veins quickly. He chocked and swiped a mouse from the pile, needing to distract himself while he waited for Eclipsefur to respond.

[::Phoenix::]

.Eclipsefur.

Everything is swell, and you?

He was inwardly shocked at the polite question. He was almost expecting an order to go find food or help repair something or to teach a cat something new or some other thing. But no, instead he got a question. More importantly, it was a question about Eclipsefur! He saw him snap at some kits and then realize Eclipsefur was talking to him. as he waited for him to reply, Badgernose got a mouse off the top of the pile, almost in a guilty way, like he didn't need it.

"Oh, everything's normal with me. How's being Deputy treating you? Congratulations on that, by the way," Eclipsefur replied nonchalantly.

[Ninja Dots]

-Badgernose-

The brown tom yawned while he waited for a simple reply from the other tom. He blinked for another billionth time. What did it take to make a tom the most hated cat in the Clan? Oh! Simple, befriend the mean and crude Badgernose. Flicking his tail finally became irrational and irritating, he swept it around his paws and decided to fix his attention on a butterfly that landed on his nose. Eyes narrowed to get the full view of the butterfly he tilted his head slightly. "Get off!" He swiped at his nose while growling with confusion. What more did it take to make everyone be alert of him and stay away from him. "I don't get it!" He meowed getting frustrated. "I'm rude, I'm careless and they still love me!" He mumbled quietly, oh gee, maybe it would take a moron to realize that if Badgernose started talking to himself that maybe, just maybe he was partially insane and Deputyship just wasn't for him. Course one would also be a fool to try and sabotage his 'reputation' among the Clan. Obviously Oakstar saw something in him that others did not. Surprising Badgernose by making him the youngest deputy ever in RiverClan that was. Shaking his head as if to realize that yet again he was holding a conversation with another tom in the Clan. Well... barely anyway. A mere confrontation as Badgernose might put it. He watched as a kit snuck up close to Eclipsefur and scoffed, "Never make the same mistake twice." He growled. The kit froze and scurried off. What a nuisance they were. Badgernose. A father? What a joke! He couldn't handle something so narrow-minded as a kit. What was love anyhow? Leave that to the birds.

"Oh, everything's normal with me. How's being Deputy treating you? Congratulations on that, by the way,"

Darn it! There it was again. More 'respect' or more or less non fear. He groaned and shook his head. Good at this stuff? Hardly. "Er... thank you, but the choice was quite obvious. Who else is fit to be a king in this Clan if we all go off falling in..." Badgernose trailed off remembering a meeting not long ago with a she-cat desperate herself to become deputy. Wonder how that went He shook his head. "Nevermind."

[::Phoenix::]

.Eclipsefur.

Never make the same mistake twice.

Eclipsefur was taken aback by the rudeness and cruelty the tom treated the kit with. "Oh, she's just having fun." He looked at the kit longingly, as if he wanted his own to play with, or to love on at least. Oh well. With time comes love, and with love comes happiness. Turning back to Badgernose, he saw him bat a butterfly away.

I don't get it! I'm rude, I'm careless and they still love me!

"Butterflies? It's probably because they find you attractive and want to be on you. But hey. They might just like landing on things." He was laughing once again on the inside, though he was a master at not showing it.

[Ninja Dots]

-Badgernose-

The brown and golden tom scoffed as the butterfly floated around his head and then teased him some more before deciding to fly away. His tail tip twitched as he was easily frustrated with even something so small and harmless.

"Butterflies? It's probably because they find you attractive and want to be on you. But hey. They might just like landing on things."

Badgernose, being a tom who chose to hear only certain words when he wanted to didn't pay attention to the second part of what Eclipsefur was saying. "Well... I wouldn't be surprised if they did think so!" He grinned with a chuckle to himself. "Who doesn't want a piece of this?" Badgernose, as to prove his point leaped to his paws and swirved around. "I'm like nothing they've seen before!" He boasted. However much he wished this was true. Badgernose knew there could never be a she-cat who would ever fall for him and of course to ever soften up, those dreaded kits. Well he wouldn't have to deal with them. He grinned and shrugged. "Their pesky and annoying, why put up with them?" Oh StarClan save him! Wait... did he even believe in them? Ah well. There it was again! Badgernose holding a conversation. He simply couldn't deal with this! He wasn't an expert at this. Like a she-cat confessing her love. He was anxious-almost.

[::Phoenix::]

.Eclipsefur.

Who doesn't want a piece of this?

Oh, i can think of plenty. He didn't say this aloud, but he knew it was true. Very true. "Well I can sure tell you the butterfly does." It must think you have a soul. Poor thing.

They're pesky and annoying, why put up with them?

"Oh, I guess simply because they're fun to play at when you're a kit, and beautiful to look at when you're a Warrior. Almost like a leaf. They're fun to play with until you grow up. Do you remember being a kit? And yes I already know you don't want to be one ever again."

[Ninja Dots]

-Badgernose-

The golden and brown tom narrowed his eyes only slightly. Those days... Did Badgernose remember being a kit? Well of course he did! Did that mean he enjoyed it? Definitely not. His kithood wasn't such a bright one. His siblings had died early on and he grew only colder from there on. He hated kits. But not because they were as 'annoying' as he claimed them to be. Maybe jealousy would play into the role of why Badgernose simply despised them. Sure they could be a nuisance but kits could also be the hope of the Clan. He missed his siblings, hated them for leaving. Loved them for the time. See? Love was indeed for the birds. A foolish and complicated thing it was! He groaned and shook his head, deciding to stay away from that thought.

"Well I can sure tell you the butterfly does."

"Butterflies are for kits!" He narrowed his eyes. "And kits are to..." he glanced around to make sure none were around him. "Stay in the Nursery." Badgernose finished. Would this tom ever change? Probably not. Did it mean it was impossible? Not impossible...but almost. There were times when Badgernose felt that it was unjustice and to leave him alive was cruelty. But being Deputy must have been his destination and he wasn't going to complain about that! Badgernose loved being deputy. Why if he was angry enough he could simply just give a command and tell the warriors to go do that. Fetch water? As easy as said and done. He never did feel satisfied though, there was always something more that he wanted out of life.

"Oh, I guess simply because they're fun to play at when you're a kit, and beautiful to look at when you're a Warrior. Almost like a leaf. They're fun to play with until you grow up. Do you remember being a kit? And yes I already know you don't want to be one ever again."

"Well let me tell you this!" Badgernose started with a growl, "I wasn't a kit even if they called me Badgerkit! I was always a warrior from the moment I could see!" Badgernose hated to think that at one point he was weak and alone in the world. Not when he could have such power at his paws now. It simply didn't fit his nature. A warrior a fragile kit? Nope, not Badgernose. Why he believed it was Apprentice, Warrior, Elder, Kit. A highly illogical explanation. But one he thought suited him.

[::Phoenix::]

.Eclipsefur.

I wasn't a kit even if they called me Badgerkit! I was always a warrior from the moment I could see!

"We all were, and are, Badgernose. A kit is a Warrior, simply smaller. They have the ferocity and thought process as Warriors. It's just hidden under the fun they have." And StarClan knows you could never have been a kit. What was I thinking?

Butterflies are for kits, and kits are to stay in the Nursery.

"Well of course. They can't be out and about." Because we don't want them dead, not because they're annoying.

[Ninja Dots]

-Badgernose-

The golden and brown tom growled in some annoyance. Keeping up a conversation was hard work. Keeping his control under was even harder. What in the world was he thinking? He shrugged again. "You have something to say for everything, I take it." It wasn't a question, simply a mere statement. A fact. The brown tom hated others when they messed with him like this. It wasn't a smart idea either but Badgernose figured maybe, just maybe he could handle it.

"We all were, and are, Badgernose. A kit is a Warrior, simply smaller. They have the ferocity and thought process as Warriors. It's just hidden under the fun they have."

Smaller, huh? Well Badgernose could protest just about anything and everything. Did it mean he'd get anywhere with it? Probably not. "You say they are smart, but I have you know they know nothing of danger." Badgernose didn't, rather Badgerkit didn't know it either. He, Badgerkit was once a happy kit. Played with his siblings just like any others. He wondered if any of the others remembered his two siblings and parents all dying in that terrible green-cough that struck them. Probably not. Did he care? Maybe, maybe not. It wouldn't change the way he thought about kits. Forever to be jealous of them. A nausues feeling took hold of him as he realized that in the deepest part of his mind he was yearning for the good, easy days of a kit. But being Deputy was hard work and he needed to keep up his work. He yawned. "Kits are useless until they see what its really all about, you ask me, their training really should start sooner. They have too much spare time."

[::Phoenix::]

.Eclipsefur.

You say they are smart, but I have you know they know nothing of danger.

"So that makes them courageous for finding out, not stupid." Eclipsefur liked to think himself a good arguer, but he would probably put that to the test with this cat.

Kits are useless until they see what its really all about, you ask me, their training really should start sooner. They have too much spare time.

"Yes, they're useless for the first six moons. But haven't you ever heard of what Brokenstar did to them? He made them train to early, and they all died. They wait for a reason. If we trained them any earlier, they'd be too small and too young to train with any sort of seriousness."

[Ninja Dots]

-Badgernose-

The brown tom and his deep chocolate eyes narrowed slightly. This posture was far too normal for him. Always carrying the look of pure hatred within him. He uncurled his tail and studied Eclipsefur with a never changing glare. He wasn't used to this! Why for StarClan's sake did the tom not fear him? Mouse-brained? Possibly, probably not but all the while possible. He groaned and flicked his tail again in agitation. "You really are mouse-brained aren't you?" He countered. The tom didn't really know what Badgernose could do did he? Though Badgernose wasn't going to risk his rank in the Clan all because some out-of-his-mind tom decided to bother him. No that wasn't worth it. Soon he'd be leader then something should be done. Kick him out? Nah, Badgerstar might need him but for now Badgernose just thought that Eclipsefur was trying to bug him. And of course it was working.

"So that makes them courageous for finding out, not stupid."

Courageous? No, couldn't be that. Kits were mouse-brains. Couldn't care less about anything. Give them a stick and their ready to go. So why did it make them courageous if they merely got into more trouble than they could handle? Apprentices got in trouble for leaving camp by themselves. But alas, give or take a kit gets lost they were rewarded. Well... what could poor old Badgernose say about that? Surely he always had a comeback for everything. He laughed, though not a real hearty one and glared straight ahead. "Oh sure, but if an apprentice leaves its off to the elders!" He grinned with satisfaction. Maybe carrying on a conversation wouldn't be all that bad. So long as Eclipsefur didn't anger him. Now that would cause problems.

"Yes, they're useless for the first six moons. But haven't you ever heard of what Brokenstar did to them? He made them train to early, and they all died. They wait for a reason. If we trained them any earlier, they'd be too small and too young to train with any sort of seriousness."

"If you ask me, the only one around here who had any brains in the last century was Brokenstar." Badgernose meowed. "Why, then if they are so eager make them wait?" The idea was ridiculous. If they so desperately wanted to learn, well then learn shall they! Badgernose didn't mind teaching them a few harsh lessons. No he wouldn't kill a kit. Not without reason, but give them some scars to be proud of.