[AbsurdJinx]

Originally Posted by Charmer

Kits and their drama, Shinefang thought to himself as he nodded along while Juniper described her various half-siblings and their feelings, fighting not to let his eye glaze over. But he couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for Juniperpaw and her lost parents. It had been moons and moons since he lost his own, and it still stung. "I'm sorry about your mother. I know how much it hurt to lose her. I think I already told you the story of how I lost mine and my eye in the same day... which come to think of it was worse than today. So I guess I'm moving up in the world if you think about it," he said wryly. "Your father just needs time. He'll heal." He knew a thing or two about parents neglecting their kits for their own grieve. Even now, bitter anger simmered within him. He may have been an apprentice, but that didn't mean he didn't still need his mother. "As for the rest of your family, they'll come around. You'll see."

And to watch kits and elders die... to feed them deathberries. At least he'd been lucky in that respect in his short career as a medicine cat, but he had seen cats suffer too long who couldn't be healed. "I hope you're not blaming yourself for that, Junebug. You could be the greatest medicine cat the clans had ever seen and still lose patients. It's not that you're only an apprentice, it's that you're only a cat. I may be hurting after losing Acornpaw, but I know you don't think less of me for it. Sometimes cats die. All you I'm not saying it will someday not bother you at all when you lose a cat, and frankly, it should bother you a little. It's only a sign that you care. It's why you're a medicine cat in the first place. And for every cat you lose, you'll save many many more." Shinefang used the tip of his tail to playfully tap the end of the medicine cat apprentice's nose. "So chin up, little Junebug."

Juniperpaw smiled up at Shinefang, though it was quite a halfhearted curl of her lips. She was still grieving the loss of the innocent patients, and the disappearances of her mentor and mother. The worst part of them disappearing was that she didn't know if they were alive or dead. Were they alive but suffering? Were they dead and at peace? Or were they alive and happy? There were so many possibilities, but Juniperpaw didn't know which one was true. And she didn't know why either. Why did they disappear? Did they leave willingly? Were they forced? Did Juniperpaw do something to chase them away? She remembered being on negative terms with Geckoleaf, and she also remembered how strained her relationship with her mother became once she earned her apprentice name.

``Okay, Shinefang, I'll keep my chin up. I like to think I'm already pretty good at that,`` Juniperpaw noted, purring softly in response to her self-compliment. Even though the elderly tomcat's words were very much appreciated Juniperpaw didn't find they eased her guilt and sadness by too much. However, it wouldn't stop her from trying to convince Shinefang he'd done well. ``Thank you, really.`` She rose to her paws and slid in front of the yellow tom. Juniperpaw looked up at him shyly, her paws shuffling nervously on the ground. ``I admire you very much, Shinefang; you're my role model and so much more. I don't know what I'd do without you.``