``troublekit [lynxstar | open]

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Robinkit grinned mysteriously. No one would ever know until it was too late and then there would be absolutely no proof that it ever happened. The little orange tabby kit would get off scott free. Well... assuming they didn't blame him for this crime, or better yet, prank. The word "Prank" was much better suited for the action then the word "Crime." Besides, it wasn't like he was disobeying the warrior code or anything by doing this. He was just having a little fun. No one was getting hurt. Maybe embarrassed or upset, but not hurt per say. Peaking out of the nursery, Robinkit watched for any sign of movement from any of the other clan cats around the camp. The sun was beginning to set and most of the other cats were chatting and cleaning themselves. Not many of the apprentices were back yet, and his mother was over with some other warriors eating a vole and sharing tongues. Thrushkit and Jaykit were over by the apprentice den interviewing a few that were back from training/patroling/hunting and whatever else apprentices did. Robinkit purred softly at his cunning wit as he casually padded out of the nursery and skirted around the edge of the camp, keeping to the shadows so that he didn't get himself. caught. So far so good, at least his mother or siblings didn't see him. As he reached his goal he could feel a boil of triumph in his guts as he looked up at the small den where Lynxstar slept. In his mouth was a live lizard that had slunk its way into the camp where it was unfortunately found by little Robinkit. Watching to make sure no one had noticed him Robinkit slipped into his leader's den and headed over to his ginormous bedding. Once there he dropped the lizard into the grass and the creature hid inside it to keep from being eaten by Robinkit. Now, all he had to do was get out and wait for it to happen. [warning! Robinkit is still inside the den.]

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Exhaustion was heavy in his paws. Each step felt slow, ponderous. He had spent a majority of the night awake, dealing with a crotchety old loner who had wandered intolerably far into their territory. It hadn’t been enough to simple chase the old tom away. He’d kept coming back, leaving evidence of stolen prey in his wake. And he’d risen early in the morning to oversee patrols and such. Now, returning to camp at last, he had no desire but to succumb to sweet sleep. He approached the high stone. He could see his lichen curtain. Just beyond it, he knew his nest would await him. The stone under his paws was rough, yet worn smooth by countless paws. Lynxstar moved one of his massive paws, brushing against the rock. Tens, hundreds of leaders had stood in this space – coming before him. They had stood before their clans, before every clan, a symbol of strength and endurance. But today, he didn’t feel like a symbol of strength – only a crumbling image of what had once been.

He pushed his way through the curtain, halting abruptly. Had he been more awake, more aware, he would have quickly caught the scent of a wandering kitten. Kittens had a unique scent of warmth, downy soft fur, mother’s love, all of those things that spoke of youth. As it was, Lynxstar had been oblivious. The little kitten in question – a tom named Robinkit – had his back to Lynxstar, his short stubby tail twitching in anticipation. Lynxstar, though utterly exhausted, bit back words of sharp reprimand.

Instead, he arched a single brow. He cleared his throat pointedly, standing so that he blocked the entrance to the den, and any light that would have filtered through. He was a uniquely massive tom, especially for the lean wiry body most Windclanners had. He was bulky, filled the small den. He was an imposing figure to be sure. And he intended to discover precisely what a lone kitten was doing so far from his mother, not to mention wandering through his den. A sinking feeling boiled in his stomach. He made it his business to know his clan, to know every minute’s goings on. And he knew enough about Robinkit to know that where the little tom went, trouble and clean-up were sure to follow. It seemed he wouldn’t be getting his well-deserved rest anytime soon.

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At the sound of a cleared throat Robinkit spun around. This time he had gotten caught. Mouse dung! he thought, although not altogether very upset about the whole situation. It just made his joke much more fun. The jokee now knows that the joker has played a trick on him. He is expecting something to happen, but not all the evidence is laid out before him. He had expected the intruder to be his mother or one of his siblings, but when the light had blocked out of the room he automatically decided it wasn't any of those cats. The only cat who could possibly do that was the leader himself for he was the biggest cat in Windclan. Squinting in the darkness, and allowing his eyes to adjust to the lighting, Robinkit looked up at Lynxstar. His entire body was shaking with excitement at coming face to paw with him. [Seeing as Robinkit hardly even reached his knees.] The leader was huge! Thrushkit and Jaykit would go nuts! Not to mention upset that he had tried to "prank" Lynxstar. "Hi Lynxstar!" he said overexcitedly as his eyes finally adjusted to the lack of light. Suddenly there was so many questions flocking his head he couldn't think straight while he held them back. So he flung them out onto the den floor in an attempt to clear his mind. "How are you? What are you doing? Where have you been? When do I become an apprentice and who's going to be my mentor? Can you be my mentor? Why does mother have to worry about me so much? Can you teach me how to hunt? Why aren't you in the elder's den? Oh wait... Your WindClan leader, DUH Robinkit! You look tired did you go on a all night hunting trip? Cause you look like a dog chased you all the way to RiverClan and back again." He paused to take a quick breath before attempting to start again with more questions. But before he could he heard a rustle from Lynxstar's bedding as the lizard poked his head out then slithered back in to hide from the even BIGGER monster. Robinkit took one glance and then grinned up at Lynxstar. Obviously shameless of his little prank.

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It wasn’t that Lynxstar had a distaste for kittens. Quite the opposite really. He admired their innocence, their youthful joy. There was a life to them, a life that was lost with age but was undeniably precious. Yet simultaneously, the high pitched mewling and laughter always induced a quiet melancholy in the old grandfatherly leader of Windclan. Every kitten was a shadow of Tanglepaw, an echo of laughter, of dreams and hopes long past. One would have thought, after nearly thirty moons, that the old leader would have overcome his grief. But he had not. It had changed, perhaps lessened to a dull ache in his chest, but it was a constant companion. It was a reminder of the dangers of the life he lived, how quickly and easily the moors could take the gifts they had once freely given.

Lynxstar snapped himself from his thoughts. The little bundle of energy before him, after spurting an eager greeting, had launched into a babble of questions. He couldn’t help but smile, though his very being sagged with exhaustion. He seated himself, quickly flicking his tail over Robinkit’s face before the meddlesome little tom could launch into another series of questions. He arched another brow knowingly, looking down at Robinkit. “I think a better question would be, what are you doing in my den?” The question wasn’t accusing, nor was it angry. But it was pointed. Lynxstar wasn’t the type to let Robinkit slip away due to his age. The life of a warrior was structured, it required discipline. As if to emphasize that the little tom wouldn’t be escaping anytime soon – Lynxstar shifted to block the entrance, though sunlight filtered around him in a sort of ethereal halo.

His gaze floated past Robinkit, towards his nest, as a rustle echoed through the den. A rather large lizard poked up its head, wide eyes taking in the scenery before scurrying away once more. Lynxstar’s gaze flicked back to Robinkit pointedly. “I don’t recall acquiring or requesting a sleeping companion.” He paused, giving Robinkit a chance to confess to the crime they both knew he had committed. He lifted a paw casually, swiping his tongue over it. In all truth, even his forepaw was larger than Robinkit’s head. But, as had been emphasized, he was an unusually broad tom. As he did so, he couldn’t help but let his mind wander to what punishment might befit a lizard-placing kitten.

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at the mention of the lizard in the bedding beside him robinkit glanced at the grass and then smiled up at lynxstar as if he had done nothing wrong and that the act he had committed was completely innocent. he knew what he had done and he knew he had been caught. lynxstar would probably tell him to clean out the nursery or help the elders for a moon, but robinkit didn't mind. he would happily follow through with it without issues. he loved to help out the clan and would happily take a punishment that he was given. "well, you know, i found him wondering around the camp by himself and i figured that since you sleep in a den all by yourself, you could use a friend." he shrugged innocently and then looked into the bedding to find it again. "I guess I could take it to mother and see how she likes him as a friend. Your probably not the lizard type anyway." He looked up at lynxstar and winked. by the way that lynxstar was intentionally blocking the entrance, robinkit was guessing that he was debating over a way to punish the little orange tom. bring on your worst lynxstar! couldn't be anymore horrible then what the queens come up with when they get pranked on. he just happened to want to go big and bold today with lynxstar. lets see what the leader comes up with. hopefully its something new. sniffing around the bedding carefully robinkit quickly found the lizard again and lashed out a playful paw at it to push it out of the moss. it automatically reacted to the hostile move and zipped out of the bedding and deeper into the den where it could try to hide within the shadows of the lightless room. "come back here little guy, i wanna introduce you to jaykit!" he said playfully.

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Lynxstar stifled an exasperated sigh. He held out a massive paw, scooping Robinkit away from his nest. He’d been young, once upon a time. He’d been a father, a son, a mentor and many more. He understood the energy, the lack of attention, the desire for nothing more than joy and satisfaction. “Robinkit.” His voice was gentle, but firm. His slightly amused expression had melted away. He was tired, and in no mood to squander time. He scooted the kitten towards a far wall. While he wasn’t sharp or coarse with the little tom, he was firm. It was clear he was not at all in the mood for further nonsense.

“Your story isn’t fooling anyone, little one. You knew the ramifications of wandering from your mother, of entering my den uninvited – with a lizard no less.” He moved away from the entrance. He wasn’t concerned about Robinkit escaping. He prodded the little tom kitten carefully, so his little nose pointed towards the wall. With a controlled nonchalance, he moved towards his own desk – now devoid of unwanted lizards. He settled down, curling up comfortably with his tail over his paws. He kept his head high, his eyes carefully on this mischievous kitten in question.

He lifted a paw, grooming himself carefully. His muscles still screamed, his eyelids were heavy. Though he was somewhat more comfortable in his own nest now. He kept his eyes on his paw, though he was perfectly aware of Robinkit. “You are going to sit perfectly still, facing that wall. Every time you move, I’m going to add time onto your punishment. You may only speak if you are polite and respectful – or else more time.” He finished grooming one paw and moved to the next one. This, he knew for certain, would be entertaining. And hopefully, it just might teach the wily little tom a lesson he was well in need of.

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When Lynxstar padded over to him and nudged him towards the back wall of the den Robinkit was a bit confused. He did know that he was going to get his punishment, but he wasn't sure what was coming. With his head being positioned at the wall he quickly turned around as lynxstar began to pad away towards his bedding. he was going to send some kind of silly retort when lynxstar began to speak again. “you are going to sit perfectly still, facing that wall. every time you move, i’m going to add time onto your punishment. you may only speak if you are polite and respectful – or else more time.” with wide eyes and a dropped mouth robinkit turned slowly back around and watched the wall with big eyes. this is new... he thought to himself. just thinking about the whole ordeal seemed antagonizing. having the impulse to move robinkit couldn't stop his body from twitching. feeling very uncomfortable and suddenly overwhelmed from merely standing no the wall for 20 seconds, robinkit was becoming slightly irritated. within a minute of sitting in the same position robinkit couldn't handle the stress of it. he allowed himself to fall to the ground, very dramatically might i add, and let out a desperate grown. "this is so boring!" he whined, then remembered what lynxstar said about standing still and talking with respect or he would get time added to his punishment. with that in mind robinkit stood back up, sat his butt down, and muttered a small apology to the watching leader.

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Perhaps it was cruel, perhaps it was a moment of exhausted revenge, but Lynxstar found he was quite enjoying himself. Within moments of his little punishment beginning, he could see Robinkit’s limbs twitch with the uncontrollable desire for movement. He shifted, resting his head on his forepaws. He kept a careful eye on the youngster, though his screaming muscles were finally getting the rest they deserved. Amusement curled at the edges of his lips. Slowly one eye fell closed, though the other was open and alert. And even if it hadn’t been, his ears were perked paying absolute attention to his young charge.

A moment later there was a scuffing sound as Robinkit slid dramatically to the floor with a groan and echoing whine. Lynxstar immediately tutted his tongue, popping open an eye at Robinkit. “It’s unpleasant, isn’t it?” He accepted the youngster’s grudging apology with a half-nod of his head. His jaws gaped in a massive yawn as he shifted yet again. “Perhaps nearly as unpleasant as a lizard in one’s nest.” He said the words pointedly. He wouldn’t torture the young tom, but he would get the lesson across one way or another. And he was quite determined that by the end of their little session – Robinkit would have learned precisely how one addressed their leader. He mused aloud, “I may just shorten your punishment for good behavior.” After all, the streets had to go both ways. Punishment and reward, without one there couldn’t be the other. And personally, Lynxstar had always favored doling out rewards to the kittens he saw nearly as his own.

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robinkit had never felt so disappointed in himself in his entire 5 moons of life. he felt genuinely guilty about causing his leader suffering. thats not what he had intentioned. all he wanted to do was have a little bit of fun and maybe make him laugh a bit. lynxstar always seemed to be so sad to him. why are you feeling angry with yourself robinkit? you tried to be helpful and you were punished for it. what is this? besides. this isn't like you. you don't feel guilty and you don't say sorry. you've never done that before. but the disappointed feeling didn't go away. it felt completely terrible, like it was eating away at his heart and was going to leave him for dead. so much so that the little kit felt stuck. he was thinking so much about it that he completely forgot about not being able to move and was suddenly able to just watch the ground with his heart and mind racing. what do i do? what have i done? i've never felt like this before. how do i respond. i don't like this... i don't like this... “I may just shorten your punishment for good behavior.” what? it was everything robinkit had not to glance back at lynxstar in shock. he would let him go. now the kit was confused. he wasn't sure what he should be feeling. he never got this kind of talk from his mother or the other queens in the nursery. but then... they never made him look against the wall either. he hoped that they wouldn't start. he didn't like it too much. it made him feel terrible. he really should apologize for what he had done. but why was it so hard to do? he had never truly apologized for anything and that was probably why he drove his mother insane most of the time. what was he supposed to say? he was able to apologize for not listening to what he had to say about not moving or talking impolitely. what was so different about now? "i'm sorry for putting the lizard in your nest lynxstar. it wasn't meant to make you upset."

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As old as Lynxstar was, he had never forgotten what it felt like to be a father – or to have a son. The paternal instinct, the desire to protect and rear, it never really faded. It had mutated, given him a painful ache in his chest. It had become something more grandfatherly, but it had never left. And his deceased son, Tanglepaw, had been quite the handful as a kitten. Sure he had adored his father, as his father had adored him. But adoration hadn’t prevented him from a few bad decisions, unsuccessful attempts at mischief. The memories made a slight smile float onto the older tom’s lips. It was a bittersweet thing, those memories. They brought as much pain as they did joy. He rested his chin comfortably on his paws, watching Robinkit wriggle uncomfortably. The little tom would break, he knew he would. Lynxstar just had to be patient for a few moments longer.

And patience did, indeed, pay off. The large shaggy tom raised his head, his eyes glittering with a combination of wisdom and amusement. He dipped his head towards little contrite Robinkit, a slight chuckle rumbling in his throat. “That’s a good start, little one. How about you turn around, no sense staring at that dank wall any longer. But don’t you go anywhere.” This routine was familiar to him, the little rewards, the little steps. He had no intention of releasing Robinkit quite so easily of course. A simply apology did not absolve him. He arched a brow at the little tom, his tail flicking back and forth. “Tell me, what have you learned?” And truly, he wasn’t upset. He was tired, yes. But he could never truly express displeasure with such youthful hopeful innocence. He knew the little tom meant no harm. But rules, and later the laws of the code, needed to be learned early. This lesson wasn’t so much about a lizard in a nest, per say, but rather discipline. He knew as soon as he released Robinkit, the little tom would race off and likely involve himself in yet further trouble. All Lynxstar could hope was that he would remember consequence, consequence and perhaps a trickle of an idea of discipline.

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what have i learned?! what kind of punishment IS this? suddenly uncomfortable Robinkit bounced over to where Lynxstar had lay down in his nest. he didn't answer the old tom right away and perhaps thought about the answer a little too shallow for the first couple seconds, but then the question started to sink in and at first he didn't have an answer at all. he sat in front of lynxstar blankly and then said. "I don't know" like most kits would because they haven't played this particular game yet. but the more he thought about it, the more robinkit could understand the question. within the experience that that just happened. what made it through to robinkit's head and what didn't he understand. that was the just of it right? what did he understand and what further action would have to be taken to ensure that he did understand what had just happened? "um... i learned that... playing jokes on lynxstar gets me into trouble?" he kind of coughed at his joke, but knew that it wouldn't get him closer to getting out of the situation so he quickly changed tactics. "i also learned that playing jokes isn't always fun for the cat the joke is being played on. you came in the den completely exhausted and i payed no attention, i only wanted to laugh while you had to deal with the lizard. thats not fun at all for you." now that he said what he had been truly thinking out loud he lowered his head to the ground. "that wasn't nice of me. that was very mean. i'm truly sorry lynxstar. i just wanted to see if i could make you smile. i guess that wasn't the best way. i'll find a nicer one next time. one that isn't to make me laugh and you look silly."

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With Lynxstar’s head resting on his paws, he was about at eye level with little Robinkit. Of course that may have been a slight exaggeration, but it was somewhat accurate. With the extra dimension added by his thick fur and ear-tufts, he easily dwarfed the tom-kitten, even lying on his belly. Of course, sometimes size wasn’t purely height, it could be bulk too. And Lynxstar had serious bulk. But as the little tom kitten took a seat, staring at Lynxstar, the old tom couldn’t help but chuckle. The sound was a rumble deep in the back of his throat. He watched Robinkit carefully. He could see the process – the revelation in the little tom’s eyes. And that was what made it all worthwhile, what gave him such great joy – a moment of understanding.

He snorted and gave a true laugh at Robinkit’s answer. He gave a rueful grin to the kitten, “Accurate, yes, but not the answer I was hoping for.” He grew quiet as Robinkit continued to speak. Robinkit was clearly processing his own thoughts as he worded them, realization slowly dawning. Lynxstar lifted his head, watching the tom with a gentle kindness as he slowly nodded. His gaze softened. A single phrase echoed in his mind, softening even his grief-filled heart. I wanted to see if I could make you smile. The sentiment broke his heart. Was he truly so despondent, so full of sorrow and exhaustion as to warrant concern from a kitten?

He flicked Robinkit affectionately with his tail, silencing the young tom’s stream of apology and shame. He smiled, a genuine pleased smile. “That’s enough, my child. You have seen my point. But I do not wish you to lose that desire, to see others smile. Simply go about it another way.” He jerked his head towards the entrance of his den. Other kittens could be hear rolling about and laughing. “Now scamper on with you, there are games to be played.” He gave the tom a little nudge, calling out a last departing blessing – “And Robinkit – you have made me smile.” Which was a gift more precious than anything he could think of.

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opening his mouth to speak more, robinkit was stopped by an quick flick of lynxstar's massive tail. the little tomkit looked up at his leader just in time to see a delighted smile spread on his features.“That’s enough, my child. You have seen my point. But I do not wish you to lose that desire, to see others smile. Simply go about it another way.” robinkit nodded in agreement and promised himself he would find new ways to make people laugh. good ways, that didn't use others pain and suffering to make the scene. then lynxstar nodded his head toward the den entrance and said, “Now scamper on with you, there are games to be played.” robinkit knew that his leader was tired from the day's events and he really should be going because he already took so much of lynxstar's napping time already. he hesitated for a moment, but then thinking how the punishment was over and he could get back to normal life, robinkit brightened up and began to scamper towards the den opening. when lynxstar called his name one last time and confirmed his original desire, robinkit glanced back which, being small, made him trip over himself. but he wasn't hurt or upset by it. instead he laughed with joy at having achieved his goal. he hooted in an excited way as he stood back up and dashed out the cave shouting, "jaykit! thrushkit! guess what happened! you won't believe what just happened to me!" he dashed over to his siblings, the whole camp having the joy or the annoyance of hearing his kittish call. excitement filling the camp air.

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