is your blood authentic? can you prove it? [ p ]
「〷」 THE HOLY GHOST「〷」 |
Re: is your blood authentic? can you prove it? [ p ]
@wolfie
Oleander was loafing under the tree, eyes focused intensely on a centipede that was crawling up its bark. This guy better hurry, he thought. Centipedes didn't hibernate. They just hid in warm hidey holes. He'd see them crawl out occasionally, as opposed to dome of their brethren who stood still and slept until Newleaf. The tom had grown considerably since the last time he was I these parts. He'd gotten taller, though his chubbiness still remained. His face was a bit more jagged, having grown out of its kitten softness, though still more circular than most cats. The odd double lines that went down the sides of his mouth had healed into a permanent scar. There were several pieces of vegetation stuck in his chest fur that had gotten even fluffier, especially now in Leafbare. He was keeping warn, his paws under his torso. That kitlike wonder never quite leaving his gaze as he looked upon the insect on the tree. Eventually, he had to tear away as he heard something from the other side of the tree where the stream was. Oleander had survived long on his own to be suspicious of sounds. The soft feline poked his head from around the tree trunk to see a fellow cat dealing with what seemed to be cracked pads. Approaching strangers could be a dangerous affair, but most of them calmed down when they realized Oleander was only there to help. He tried not to antagonise anyone by crossing their boundaries and talking to them when they didn't want to be talked to, but most of them didn't turn down some medical advice. "If you really want to heal those up, I'd suggest chewing up some marigold. Otherwise, you might need some burdock if they get infected." he mentioned stepping out from behind the truck. He regarded the other cat. They didn't smell like a clan cat, and the cracked pads suggested someone who wandered quite a bit. |
Re: is your blood authentic? can you prove it? [ p ]
「〷」 THE HOLY GHOST「〷」 |
Re: is your blood authentic? can you prove it? [ p ]
@wolfie
Oleander's body tensed at the other's comment, despite their tones levity. He wasn't ready to bolt, though. Plenty of cats he met outside the clans would name themselves Undertaker McMurder or something like that and go around telling people they were the avatar of entropy because they were insecure and wanted to scare off potential attackers. Their questions were perhaps invasive, but Oleander assumed it was part of the whole image. Still, he knew better than to trust someone immediately. He'd learned. "Erm, none than I could think of? Unless you consider getting too many treats from passing twolegs even when you're not hungry a sin. And if you're asking about religious faith, I suppose it's not something I deny nor get heavily involved in." he said, smiling awkwardly. He didn't have any sins, though sometimes he felt he did. Like running away. Like not being able to save someone else from his sins. But sometimes you can't stay and be true to yourself. Leaving didn't make you a bad person if you still helped how you could. Or if you weren't needed. Most of the sins Oleander could think of were his older brother's. And he'd learned to stop carrying those. At least he tried. The stranger quickly denied any malice, passing it off as a joke. And yet, that's when Oleander truly grew uneasy. He recognised a fake smile when he saw it. It was always the eyes. They could never quite pull off the eyes. They were either not crinkled enough, or they were hyperfocused on one facial feature instead of the whole face. He recognised fake compliments and platitudes and flattery to get someone to do what you wanted. And that flowery speech and sickly sweet words. He'd seen it through all of his early life. And not just from the one cat you'd think of. As much as Oleander wanted to leave, or even let his frustration out and tell this cat he knew what was going on, he knew he was being lied to, he knew what you did, he- where was I? Oh, yes. Oleander decided not to. He felt he needed to help others, even if they thought they were using him. He knew how to place boundaries and would let this cat run him ragged with requests. At least that's what he told himself he would do. Besides, healing this stranger surely couldn't hurt unless their idea of gratitude was murder. And it was never too late for someone to change. Even if Oleander realized now that he wasn't responsible for changing people. "Hmm, let's see. It's either too cold for marigold or it doesn't grow around here. But I'm sure I can dig up some burdock root. It's bound to at least soothe the sores. And I'm Oleander. Feel free to provide me with your name unless you'd like to keep up the whole spooky image." he said, pulling up roots from the dirt a few fox lengths away. He walked over to the stream and began washing them up. |
Re: is your blood authentic? can you prove it? [ p ]
「〷」 THE HOLY GHOST「〷」 |
Re: is your blood authentic? can you prove it? [ p ]
@wolfie
Oh great, so this cat was probably a cult converter. Oleander still felt like he needed to heal him, but he didn't intend to stick around afterwards. "I've seen stuff that could be explained by religions, but I'm not seeking one to pledge myself to." he replied, trying to sound casual but betraying a hint of stony interior. He knew about leaders and their nine lives. He'd heard of cats with supernatural skills. But he no longer felt like he needed to worship anything. Old gods from beyond our world may come to him, and he'd help them out all the same like any other person who met him. "It's a flower bush with pink, odd-shaped petals. Most flowers have variations, but oleander seems to be one of a kind, at least in this area. It stuck out in my mind, and I chose it. Don't touch actual oleander, though. It's poisonous, I learned that the hard way." he added. The flower was beautiful, and both its beauty and its poison perhaps didn't suit him, but he carried the name nonetheless. Thankfully, he no longer carried the poison rash on his paws. He didn't fully believe that the stranger's name was Nick, no, but he wasn't about to point it out. After all, you could say Oleander wasn't his name either, if you considered the true name the one given to you by your parents. The fluffy tom just nodded. "Oh, right, I forgot to explain! Marigold is this yellow flower, it's poultice can prevent infection. But there's none here, so I went with burdock root. It's more for healing rat bites, but it can help with burns or any kind of sores, including paw pads. It's not poison, I'll prove it." The tabbico bent down and bit of a small chunk of the root chewing it up and spreading it on his own paw. "It can make your tongue feel a bit numb but it'll also cool off the sores and numb the pain." |
Re: is your blood authentic? can you prove it? [ p ]
「〷」 THE HOLY GHOST「〷」 |
Re: is your blood authentic? can you prove it? [ p ]
@wolfie
Oleander resisted the urge to roll his eyes. You didn't say anything, but you meant it. They always did. "I don't know what you'd call it. I guess I don't deny their existence, I just don't shape my life around them. If they ask for my help, I'd help them as I do with everyone." he concluded. The spirits of the dead, at least, were ones he had thrown most knowledge about. They weren't infallible, wise deities. They were overstuffed, bored cats sick of StarClan that loved to meddle, whether they'd admit it or not. But he didn't hate their meddling. He just thought they were a nuisance. Even if he sympathised. Who wouldn't want to meddle if they were stuck in a land that never changed, where nothing grew and there was nothing to do. "A bit of both. I had a buddy back in the day. Hanging around him gave me some knowledge since healing was his job. Not to mention, I've met others who taught Mr things as well. And sometimes, I'd just be tempted to test things on myself. As established, that didn't always go well, hence the oleander rash. Good thing i didn't eat it, I later got told it can cause bloody diarrhoea, and i do not want to find out what that feels like." he said casually. He'd hoped Nick would apply his own poultice, seeing as he wasn't too fond of getting so close to the other's claws. But it seemed like he'd have to. The fluffy tom diligently mashed up the root and applied it, eyes focused on the whole body of the other, lest he decided to strike. |
Re: is your blood authentic? can you prove it? [ p ]
「〷」 THE HOLY GHOST「〷」 |
Re: is your blood authentic? can you prove it? [ p ]
@wolfie
Oleander tried not to grimace as Nick began with the religious propaganda. He stared to the side like a character in the Office, making the "yeah okay grandma, Jesus is great" face. A paranoid little part of his mind pointed out how it was better that the tom had a belief since it made him predictable so long as you knew what it was. But listening to others due to ulterior motives was a gateway to manipulation and he wasn't going to become what he hated. "Within reason. I'm not going to help someone hurt people, or risk mine and others' lives for something trivial like their favorite food." The calico tom refused to acknowledge the other tom trying to get into his head. He also wasn't going to let him hold ideologies over his head. Maybe he was intelligent after all. Or Nick was just stupid. No, no, don't think like that, it's mean. But he had to admit, saying weird crap like that and then immediately trying to convince him to help someone who was either evil, a trap or nonexistent. He had to try, of course. "I'm not an expert when it comes to illness, I tend to specialize more in injury. But I could see what I can do...I might also bring someone along, if that's okay. He'd know a lot more about illness than I do." he responded thoughtfully, omitting the fact that bringing him along was also for personal protection. This cat could have a cult backing him, but even 2 cats were better than one. |
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