The Osprey and the Adder

[pants]

The night air was crisp and cool, which was a nice contrast to the heat that had been blazing over the clans all of GreenLeaf. However, tonight was clear and StarClan could be seen between the treetops above, shining their starry light down onto the camp. A perfect night for a vigil. 

Ospreyheart took his post on the outside of the camp, wrapping his long, fluffy tail around his paws. He puffed out his well groomed chest, ready to do his first duty as a warrior. The tom was actually looking forward to the silent night. He was to be alone with his thoughts and observe his surroundings in the dark. Perhaps the crickets would play their song for him, keeping him company throughout the long night.

He gave a silent exhale, shifting his shoulders and getting comfortable for the ordeal. The tom blinked his blue eyes, his ear flicked as he heard the last of his clanmates settling down for the night, curling up in their nests and dozing off into their dreams

However, not everyone had the same idea.

Ospreyheart heard the padding of a cat behind him. The wind blowing gently in the new warrior's face, so scent couldn't be used as an identifier. Perhaps they were getting a snack before bed? The tom twitched his whisker, pushing away the thought. Why did he care? He was on his vigil and needed to focus on keeping an eye on the forest before him.

-----

noctemq

[noctemq]

Addersnap recognized the back of the newly named Ospreyheart's head. What was he doing just sitti-- Oooooooooh. Was that tonight? The tom hesitated, a devious idea coming to mind. Vigils were always so boring, what if he spiced this one up? His ears swiveled to the side, alert, as he slowly approached Ospreyheart. It was hard to be completely silent in the Ivyclan camp, especially with all of the brush around, so crunchy steps would have to do.

Addersnap continued his little saunter past the other cat so he was in view, then circled back around behind him. Ospreyheart had a sharp tongue so his was Addersnap's chance to mess with him to his heart's desire. He'd probably hear about it until sundown tomorrow, but right now, it was so worth it. A sneaky grin spread across his face as he rested his tail on the other's shoulder. "Congratulations on becoming a warrior, I thought you'd be stuck as an apprentice for forever." He offered Ospreyheart a pleasant grin, but looks were clearly deceiving. He sat down next to him, mimicking the latter's posture down to the tail curl. "There's not a cloud in sight, the cicadas have passed, and the stars are glittering. What a nice night. It's honestly a shame that I have to ruin it for you."

[pants]

Ospreyheart was enjoying the mostly silent evening, having just gotten comfortable enough for the first part of his vigil when the peace was broken by a familiar voice.

Addersnap.

The new warrior's fur bristled a bit as the older tom jeered at him, poking fun at how he thought he'd be an apprentice forever. Ospreyheart huffed and twitched his whiskers, his brows furrowing a tad. The warrior glared at Addersnap, his blue eyes beginning to show a fiery irritation. So this was how it was gonna be, huh? The blue ticked tom circled around him before sitting down beside him, matching his posture, which Osprey took as him mocking.

"What a nice night. It's honestly a shame that I have to ruin it for you."

The brown and white tom flicked his tail. He opened his mouth to retort back, ready to give Addersnap some of his own medicine, as he had done once before. But you're on vigil. No speaking!, the warrior had to remind himself before snapping his mouth shut, jaw clenched as he bit his tongue. Oh boy, this was gonna be a rough night. Ospreyheart stared daggers at Addersnap, tail now sweeping the dusty floor beneath them. Once this is over, I swear to StarClan that you're gonna regret it, mousebrain... were his thoughts as he attempted to look forward once again, trying his best to focus on the sounds of the night instead of the sounds of his lovely company...

[noctemq]

Addersnap's eyes narrowed, clearly entertained by Ospreyheart's reaction. He enjoyed seeing the other tom annoyed, maybe it was revenge for embarrassing him in front of Appleblossom so many moons ago. Maybe it was just to get some of that attention he so craved. Either way, Addersnap knew he was going to enjoy himself tonight. He was more nocturnal in nature, so staying up wouldn't be a problem at all. He had planned to be bothersome for most of the night then leave the other with some peace and quiet for a frustratingly short period of time before the sun rose.

"Now, I know what you're saying," he started, before changing the inflection of his voice. "Oh Addersnap, how did you know I was going to be soooooooOOOooOOoo lonely? It's so hard to make friends when my face looks like this, I'm so thankful for you blessing me with your presence," his voice was grossly high-pitched and shrill. He turned to Ospreyheart with a softness in his eyes, one that would be given out of pity to a kit that had just hurt themselves by playing too hard. "Well don't you worry. I'll keep you company for a while. And you're welcome." The lean tom was satisfied with both himself and the situation. There was no way this could turn around and not be in his favor! With the one exception being if a badger attacked, or something like that.

[pants]

Ospreyheart took in a deep breath, holding it as he closed his eyes, trying to keep his cool. It was going to be a long night, and the new warrior was determined not to make a fool of himself during his vigil because this tom couldn't keep his sassy attitude in check. He let out his exhale as quietly as possible, trying to clear his head to figure out how to make the best of his current situation.

A vigil only requires I be quiet, right? I don't recall anything saying I have to stay here, so long the camp is guarded... The brown color point tom glanced to his friend from the corner of his eye, a small smile starting to form with just a bit of a sly touch. The warrior raised an eyebrow to Addersnap, as if to invite the tom to go on with his chatter. However, his tail still flicked here and there, his annoyance only fueling whatever master plan the new warrior had begun to devise. Just pretend you're interested.... Maybe that'll get him to go? Just gotta let him get it all out... And if not...? Well, let's hope Addersnap's need for attention was satisfied with eye contact and reassuring nods. There was definitely no need for a commotion in the camp that night...

[noctemq]

Addersnap’s ears perked up. Ospreyheart was being surprisingly... compliant? His usual snarky expression was starting to fade into something more normal-looking, completely less arrogant. Not a lot of cats encouraged his talking, so this was a surprise. He wasn’t sure if Ospreyheart was being genuine or not, but did it matter in the end? He shifted in his position to get more comfortable. His gaze turned to the expanse of Mothclan territory ahead, quiet with the night. There were a lot of topics he could just rattle on about; general gossip, cross-clan drama, and literally anything else. Addersnap wasn’t a loudmouth, though he was definitely known for talking about what was none of his business.

“Did you hear about what happened to the other clans? I wonder if we were just lucky, or if there’s some great disaster coming here as well. I better not get fleas, though.” The thought made him lick his paw and swipe if over his face. ”If I do, there’s some bushes I heard that you can roll in. I also heard that grooming yourself afterwards will make you sick, though.” Addersnap felt conflicted by that fact. His vanity wouldn’t allow him to harbor something as nasty as fleas and maybe he was ready to take the risk to roll in dangerous bushes if he needed to.

[pants]

Ospreyheart's gaze followed his fellow warrior out to the landscape ahead of them, examining the layout of trees and bushes. He listened as the tom brought up the subject of the tragedies of the other clans, and his tail stopped its flicking. Instead, he gave a twitch of his ear, signaling he was listening. It was astounding how two of the four clans were out for the count just like that, all while taking refuge in MistClan. How difficult it must be for the host clan. One camp to three large groups of cats? While caring for the sick and injured while mourning the dead? Great StarClan, they had their paws full. Thankfully, IvyClan was safe for the time being.

Osprey then looked to Addersnap as he mentioned a anti-flea bush that caused illness to those who groomed themselves after the fact. The colorpoint tom raised an eyebrow. Couldn't one just wait a few days? Or go roll in the shallow water of the creek to rinse off? The new warrior raised an eyebrow. Was Adder really going to put his appearance over his own well being? But...Then again.... Ospreyheart looked down to his own pelt, which was neatly groomed - no fur out of place and keeping a soft, yet elegant look. Do I really have room to speak...?

Shaking his head, the tom resumed his vigil, sitting upright, and trying to focus on everything except Addersnap. The tom's brow furrowed, but every now and then, it could be seen that he was sneaking a peek at his clanmate from the corner of his eye.

[noctemq]

Addersnap glanced back at Ospreyheart before resuming his monologue, his expression neutral. "Maybe I just won't go the next gathering. They're not incredibly fun to attend, anyways. I'm not to keen on socializing with the others, and that way, I can also avoid the fleas." The last few gatherings have felt unusually tense which left him wanting to skip the usually important meeting. Addersnap didn't care to involve himself in clan politics, especially since he didn't think of the subject to be important. Sure, it was important overall, but it just didn't apply to Addersnap's life so much as it did to others. He'd rather spend his days hunting and lounging than stressing out about what was going on. The leaders also didn't always tell the truth and instead would just talk about how strong their clan is and blah, blah, blah. He'd leave all of that boring stuff to the leader, deputies, and those stuck up warriors that mated themselves to the warrior's code. It was somewhat ironic that Addersnap was thinking about this during the night of Ospreyheart's vigil.

"If you decide to go, tell me if you hear anything juicy. Though I'll scratch if you bring fleas back," he hummed with a small smile. The only reason Addersnap would every go a Gathering was to overhear the she-cats talking and sometimes join them. He liked to watch romances and drama from the sideline, as if he was tuning into his pre-recorded soap operas with a big bowl of popcorn. Anything Addersnap didn't hear the night of would sooner or later trickle into the conversations around him, so he wasn't terribly worried that he would miss out on something important.

[pants]

Ospreyheart subtly rolled his eyes as Addersnap complained about not wanting to catch fleas. He could understand not wanting to chat. The tensions between all the clans have been rising, as leaders were stepping down, natural disasters were happening, and it seemed as if StarClan was out to get them all. The relationships between the clans strained, and if it weren't for the peace required of the gathering, they might be at each others' throats.

But the fleas? The fleas would make their way into IvyClan regardless. There was probably little chance of avoiding it. So long IvyClan cats went to the gathering, the fleas would find their way back. That's just how fleas worked. It just meant that there would be more needed grooming, sending the apprentices to check the elders more frequently and the like. Did Adder really not think of that? He opened his jaw to speak, but snapped it shut, bound to the silence. Hmph... Mousebrain... he thought, shuffling his paws a bit.

Ospreyheart continued to listen. Addersnap requested that the colorpoint tom relay any exquisite drama that might be passed along at the gathering. The warrior huffed, rolled his eyes, and gave a smirk, as if his expression were to say 'Of course...' Addersnap was known as the king of drama within the clan, wanting updates on anything and everything that happened regarding heartbreak, betrayal, and any other interpersonal connection. But someone had to keep track of it all, right? At least whenever Ospreyheart wanted to know something, he could rely on the blue ticked tabby to be in the know. If they weren't arguing or teasing the fur off each other, that is. Regardless, the new warrior nodded, acknowledging and accepting his companion's request.

An itch suddenly arose behind the colorpoint tom's ear, and Ospreyheart lowered himself a bit, using his hind paw to give a few scratches at the area before placing the foot on the ground and shaking out his neck fur, the elegant fluff light and bouncy, giving the tom an eloquent shape. Ospreyheart double checked his coat, making sure no stray tufts of fur poked out. His blue eyes shifted up and down his pelt, squinting almost. He found one, and leaned down to align the tuft with the rest of his magnificent pelt. After a few strokes, he sat up and looked at his work. Satisfied, he resumed his position before looking up to the moon.

And in that moment, the shadowy figure of a large bird zoomed past the orb in the sky. An owl, probably....Better keep an eye out., the tom thought to himself.

[noctemq]

"A little bug that latches on and sucks the blood out of its host... now where have I heard of that beforeee..." Addersnap drawled on, slowly turning his head to face Ospreyheart with a roguish side-smile. He almost laughed at his own joke for a second. Talking about those nasty little creatures for so long made him shiver, so he decided to switch the topic. The nice thing about conversing with someone who couldn't reply or go away was he could just go on whatever tangent his heart desired, and there wasn't much the other tom could do about it... well, except violence and such.

"Anyways, word is that there's a few forbidden relationships coming to the surface. I'm annoyed that I have no idea who they are. I should know!" Addersnap scoffed with a shake of his head. He was much more bark than bite and would never go breaking rules like that, but oh boy did he want to know when others did. Especially something as interesting as a romance? Now that was news worth finding out about. The young warrior lived vivaciously through other cat's lives; not as an escape, but more of bonus side content to his own. Surprisingly, Addersnap hadn't caused much trouble for Ivyclan and also didn't plan on it. All the cats that seemed to dislike him kept their distance for the most part. When the moonlight dissapeared for a split second, he looked up as well. It was getting late, and his eyelids were starting to feel heavy. Addernsnap had a lot more to talk about, though.