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Post by Foxstrike on Jun 9, 2016 1:10:34 GMT -6
[[ Birchpaw - Your posts don't have to be as long as mine, XD ]]Foxstrike was a father. He'd heard the news, and while most would be happy, he couldn't help but feel concerned. He hadn't expected fatherhood to come so quickly- and, honestly, he almost hoped it would never come at all. He was wary of the concept. As he had no father during his kithood to guide him, he didn't think he'd be able to do a good job. He hardly had any experience with his relatives, as most of them had disappeared, and the idea of nurturing a family of his own when he didn't know the first thing about parenthood left him apprehensive.
And there was also another concern of his that had come to light sooner than he would have liked. His blindness hadn't been inherited from anyone else from his heritage, but even so, Foxstrike had worried it might pass on to his kits, if he ever had any. He didn't believe it to be a curse, and he had long since adjusted, but everyone else, other than Hornetstripe, had seemed to think it was. He was happy to be without sight- he was able to see what others couldn't -but not everyone was so accepting of it, and Foxstrike had met others with his condition that hated it. They all longed to have sight, and Foxstrike would never want to pass on what so many others perceived as nothing but a burden.
The thought that he would indirectly bring suffering to his offspring was a fear that had festered in Foxstrike for longer than he cared to admit, but despite it, he knew that he wouldn't be able to simply avoid his kits because of it. Finding one of his kits was easy- Hornetstripe's scent still hung on them, however faintly. Foxstrike tried to muster up his warmer self, the one that she had been the only one to bring out before, and he approached one of his kits, stopping far enough so that he wouldn't crowd, but close enough so they would hear him.
"Hello," Foxstrike started, awkwardly, clearing his throat. "We...haven't met." He was awful around kits. "I'm...Foxstrike. Your father." He cursed himself inwardly- the kit would probably know who he was. "Are you Birchkit?" |
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Post by Birchpaw on Jun 9, 2016 18:34:31 GMT -6
Birchkit had wandered out of the nursery, not knowing where she was going. It was her first time out of the nursery. She was a bit scared that larger cats might squash her with their large paws. But then her ears pricked up to the sound of a voice of an older cat. "Hello." The brown and white tabby greeted. "Yes I'm Birchkit." She replied. "So your my father." Birchkit meowed to the tom
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Post by Foxstrike on Jun 10, 2016 0:24:52 GMT -6
Foxstrike hadn't had any prediction of how this encounter would go, but he was fairly certain he hadn't expected it to go this way. The fact that he hadn't predicted something, though, was odd for him. Perhaps he was becoming distracted- or maybe it was just that he was trying not to plan on every outcome and strategize his conversation around his kit like he did everyone else. He wasn't supposed to do that around family, he wasn't supposed to word everything carefully and hide his thoughts until it was appropriate to show them, he was supposed to be honest and lay everything out now. They weren't supposed to have to earn his trust; he was supposed to earn their's.
"...yes," Foxstrike nodded slightly, as though further confirmation of the statement had been needed. He took a moment to assess Birchkit. From her voice, he could tell she was a she-cat. She was approaching the size of a young apprentice rapidly, and Foxstrike felt a pang of guilt for not having met her sooner. She was somewhat tense, or perhaps alert- it could be hard for him to tell the difference between the two at times. In any case, she seemed to be trying to be aware of her surroundings, which was good. He couldn't help but be a little proud of that.
"I'm sorry I didn't find you sooner," he meowed, after a little while. He wondered if he should try and provide a reason. Eventually he decided she deserved one, and a truthful one. "Honestly...I was nervous. I didn't plan on being a father so soon. I didn't know if I was cut out for it." He tried to laugh, but it came out more of a nervous chuckle. "I still don't think I am. I am glad to meet you, though."
"How...have you been? Have you made any friends?" His curiosity got the better of him. "How are your siblings? And...your mother?"
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Post by Birchpaw on Jun 10, 2016 6:55:49 GMT -6
Birchkit ears pricked up to hear her father's response. "It's ok." The brown and white tabby replied calmly. She was wondering why her father had never visited. Birchkit had always assumed that he was busy with warrior duties. "My mother disappeared just after we were born. I don't know why but I miss her." The brown and white tabby spoke. "Forestkit is fine but Hollowkit is not really around. I also met this kit." Birchkit muttered the last part. "He was acting a bit too friendly and was a bit annoying." Birchkit hated the encounter with the other kit. She was a bit afraid that the kit would have asked her about her cloudy yellow eyes. Hopefully the kit had not.
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Post by Foxstrike on Jun 12, 2016 18:40:07 GMT -6
"She'll turn up," Foxstrike murmured reassuringly when Birchkit spoke of her mother. He listened intently to the rest of her answers, trying to get as much from them as he could, even if there wasn't much to find other than what had been stated. He chuckled a bit when she mentioned a kit that seemed 'too friendly.' He never trusted that easily- it seemed rather fitting that at least one of his kits would be the same way.
"Sometimes cats are just openly kind-hearted like that," Foxstrike mentioned, somewhat distractedly. It was only an observation of his. "I never really understood, either, but it's not always because they have an ulterior motive. They're just nice, for the sake of being nice. I don't really understand it, myself." He shrugged. "I doubt he meant anything by it. I hope you weren't rude to him, even if you thought he was irritating."
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Post by Birchpaw on Jun 16, 2016 15:01:05 GMT -6
The brown and white tabby listened to her father's words carefully. "Oh. I might have snapped at him a little bit." Birchkit felt a bit ashamed. Was her father going to scold her for being a bit rude when the other kit did not leave her alone.
Sorry for the lazy post and late reply
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Post by Foxstrike on Jun 16, 2016 20:18:32 GMT -6
[[ No problem at all! ]]"Just a little bit, eh?" Foxstrike repeated, with an almost teasing tone. He raised a fictional eyebrow, sensing that perhaps when Birchkit had said a 'little bit' she had meant 'a lot.' The barrier between them was getting a little less stiff, and he was trying to ease into more casual conversation, similar to the attitude he'd given his siblings, when he was younger.
"I won't scold you, don't worry-" he started. "-but I will suggest that you try to apologize if you see him again, even if you don't think you need to. Best not to start a fight where you don't need to." That's what you were supposed to do, right? Give your kits advice, share your experience with them? He wouldn't know- for most of his life his parents hadn't exactly been there, but that's what he'd heard other fathers doing. "Some cats will come back to bite you if you're rude to them, even if they completely and utterly deserved it. Try to be respectable, if you can, but if they're really asking for it- and don't tell Hornetstripe I said this -tell them off. I'll look the other way and pretend not to notice." |
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