Oleander

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Scruffy brown tabby tom with green eyes

Oleander is a considerably ordinary looking cat. His stance is of medium height; frame average in size; and coloration that of a basic brown tabby. Weighing at just over 11 pounds, most of his bulk resides in the core of his body that's held up by normal if not slightly stout; legs. Oleander's main muscle structure stretches along his front legs making him an apt fisher and capable of hitting hard when battling in the off chance he lands a decisive blow.

A brown mackerel tabby pelt covers Oleander's body, his stripes thin slits of black along a dull brown canvases. The darker coloration intensifies near his legs which are almost solid in color and are matched by the thick band of dark brown that sits atop his tail. Light patches of tan pepper his fur creating variant hues of tabby. The only break up of brown on this tom's body is the white fur splashed across his muzzle that descends no further than the base of his throat.

Oleander’s face holds most of the tom’s personality, his expressive eyes and facial expressions relaying his emotions openly. Round ears sit atop his crown with tufts of fur protruding from within the pinna and give the tom a general look of fluffiness. Green eyes rest at the center of his face, the left piercing and the right cloudy. An old injury across the right eye mixed with inadequate healing practices have left Oleander blind in the globe and susceptible to irritation. More often than not he is dependent on his light brown nose to direct him and will use the white whiskers framing his face to get around obstacles as opposed to relying on his impaired sight.

Growing up under the strict rule of Lily, Oleander had obedience beaten into his brain. It is never a question of ‘if’ for the tom, simply a matter of ‘when’. He is eager to follow through with orders and very thorough when getting things done, believing it’s more important to be precise over being swift. The perfectionist in him crumbles easily under pressure or criticism; often even going so far as to destroying his own work to start over for the sake of getting it right. His self-criticism is perhaps the harshest opinion out there, second only to Lily’s displeasure in his existence and actions. His neurotic tendencies can throw him into fits of depression or anger both towards himself and everyone around him.

Oleander yearns to be loved and appreciated however his lack of self confidence and inability to love himself mixed with sudden mood swings inevitably drives others away. Never feeling good enough, Oleander is quick to defend his choices to others and will vocalize his reasoning behind decisions readily, only to torture himself with them later when his mind has the chance to sort through how he could have done something better.

Though a hard worker, Oleander continuously compares himself to others and is envious when things that are effortless to them take him longer to work for or achieve. He gets frustrated easily at his siblings for excelling and feels they are ignorant to how difficult things can be for him or others. Sarcasm is a defense mechanism he falls back on readily and will not hesitate to ridicule those around him to improve his mood or protect his emotions.

The constant need to prove himself mixed with harsh environments have created a resourceful cat. With logic on his side, Oleander is capable of finding prey when it’s barren and shelter when it’s scarce. These skills are often overlooked when surrounded by apt fighters and strong personalities but if given the chance he is capable of pulling through for others when needed. Growing up the least favorite among his siblings Oleander has developed a self-reliant lifestyle. He’s grown not to expect the support of his peers or family and instead is his own medic, prey provider, and confidant.

Despite his solitude Oleander does have the occasional cat he is close to. He is incredibly protective over them; having lost a mother due to his inability to react on time. Not wanting to loose anyone else Oleander will defend those he loves if he has to, though the fear of repeating history is never far from his mind.

All he really knows of his early life is that which he’s been told. Through the eyes of Lily and Sophie, Oleander’s only knowledge of his real mother is a frail depiction of a weak rogue who couldn’t bare the weight of motherhood. His own memories are hazy at best; those first two moons with his birth mother; Rosie, filled with fear and constantly being moved from one place to the next after the deaths of his two siblings. He remembers the quiet murmur of her voice as she called him Titan but anything else of his early kithood is lost to time.

After his mother’s death; at the claws of Lily no less - Titan became Oleander, his very existence a gift to Sophie from the she-cat who stole his biological mother from him. Too young to truly comprehend the change in his lifestyle, Oleander took to his new parents readily. More often than not he was drawn to Sophie’s side, her gentle and nurturing nature more comforting than the brutality of Lily. He was trained for combat early on though neither took it seriously in the beginning when it was just the three of them. For a time he was content; even happy to be with a family despite its small size and constant need to travel.

As he aged Oleander began his training under Lily in earnest, many sessions ending in disappointment. Though Oleander had grown to despise the clans under the tutoring of Lily, there was never that blood curdling sense of rage within him she sought to bring out. He worked hard to please her and would go so far as to train alone in the middle of the night in hopes of putting a smile on her face. Regardless of his efforts Lily remained impossible to please, his movements too slow or predictable. One day in a fit of rage and disgust she lashed out, her claws tearing a hole through Oleander’s right eye. The injury led to ulcers that eventually scarred the surface of his retina and left a cloudy glaze over the orb.

Within the first season of his life, Oleander was instructed to wait for his mothers as they went on patrol. It was a common request as the tom was left alone often however as the morning stretched to night he grew worried something had happened. That or Lily’s threat to abandon him had finally come to fruition. Too afraid to seek them out he remained hidden until Lily rushed into the den spewing commands. Oleander stared wide eyed at the mess that was Sophie, her side a gaping hole where flesh used to be and the both of them covered in the stench of Thistleclan. He scrambled to help as best he could by tending to his favorite mother but there was only so much an inexperienced tom could do. He looked on in horror as Sophie continued to decline while the kit they’d risked her life for glowed under the praise of Lily.

Oleander was quickly pushed aside by Lily who’s adoration and attention became consumed by training the kit into a vicious carbon copy of her.The tom quickly grew to resent Hawthorne, the very presence of his younger brother throwing him into fits of rage and jealousy. As Sophie continued to decline Oleander stood by her despite knowing the end would come soon. He tried to voice his concerns to Lily but the molly simply ignored him and demanded he try harder, threatening to take his other eye should he fail.

The decision to move to the abandoned campground was a relief for Oleander who hoped the stability would improve Sophie’s health and mood. In the end it was all for nothing as his brother and Lily went off on a scouting expedition and Curiosity appeared like a plague on the wind. The tom was quick and precise, going for Sophie’s throat before Oleander had a chance to react. He watched in horror as the one shining light in his life was snuffed out, too terrified and shocked to do anything more than cower.

Upon Lily’s return Oleander was never treated the same as the molly shunned him from her life entirely. Only Hawthorne’s advocation for him let Oleander remain though his existence seems nonexistent to his remaining mother. Poppy quickly joined the squad soon after and became another beloved for Lily much to Oleander’s chagrin. Over the moons he has tried to prove his worth but continues to fall flat as Lily makes big plans for tearing the clans apart. Not knowing where else to go, he remained with his family and has muddled through every day ever since.