I'd rather be here than down below [Private]

[alaskaa]

@poppy.
[aspen/ivy time woo]
Ivypaw ~ she/her
~~~
She was leaving an awful and long day behind where it was as the tortoiseshell snugly curled up on her bracken nest in the apprentices' den, inviting sleep to come to her. She closed her eyes, too tired and distressed to yawn. Almost instantly, she fell into a deep sleep, though it wasn't dreamless.

Ivypaw was in a lush green forest, no snow on the ground, as though leaf-bare didn't exist. She must be in a dream, or the would be snow and the usual leaf-bare additions. The apprentice sniffed, pricking her ears and opening her maw. The smell of mouse rushed in and longing crashed over her. Ivypaw carefully replicated the hunter's crouch, stalking towards a plump grey mouse that had just scampered out of a rustling bush. Her green eyes hungrily followed the mouse as it crawled across the ground, and bunched her muscles, pouncing, her paws out.

[poppy]

Aspenstar really did not understand why StarClan was so unrealistically beautiful. But you know, some questions, like the beauty of the afterlife, couldn't be answered. But she would rather be basking in the warmth of this place, then on the Thunderwillow, the cold breeze chilling her skin and the hateful glares making her chilled skin crawl. Better than nothing.

She felt a prickle in her heart. That was the same feeling she had had when Softpaw came. She saw a flash of tortoiseshell. Familiar fur. She looked harder. Oh. She inhaled softly. Ivypaw. She ducked into the clearing, and watched the apprentice stalk a mouse. She was a good hunter. Shiningskies taught her well.

Shiningskies. It felt like a rock was lodged in her throat, and Aspenstar froze. What was she supposed to say?
@eclipse.

[alaskaa]

@poppy.
Ivypaw ~ she/her
~~~
Her claws closed on the mouse, and the tortie bit its throat, scrambling to her paws. Then something rustled and in alarm Ivypaw dropped the mouse, her fur spiking up, her heart poundin as she spun around, her brain whirring furiously as she tried to remember all the battle moves she'd been taught in case it was an attacker. Her claws slid out. Her roleplayer rather thought that the apprentice was overreacting as she fully turned around and caught sight of maple-coloured fur.

Ivypaw recognised that pelt. It was very familiar, yet she couldn't be sure. She pointed her nose up, expecting to see yellow eyes, and she did. A sharp intake of breath from the tortie. Wow, was this... Aspenstar?

"Asp-Aspenstar?" Ivypaw whispered, taking a step forwards, to have a better look. Was it really her, from StarClan? The honey-coloured pelt was glowing as though filled with stars, so maybe it was Aspenstar from StarClan.

[poppy]

It was... pretty easy to tell the point where Ivypaw spotted her and Ivypaw recognized her. The leader didn't know what the proper thing to do was. TECHNICALLY, this was Shiningskies's daughter... did that mean it was her daughter, too? Was she supposed to spread her paws out and embrace Ivypaw? No, Aspenstar would probably end up just looking stupid and making things awkward.

"Hey, Ivypaw." She said instead, smiling warmly. Ivypaw had always been a good cat, and she was glad that Shiningskies had the tortie in her corner. "How've you been?" In all honesty, she knew that things were probably crappy down there. With Nectarflame

Didn't hurt to ask though.

[ @eclipse. ]

[alaskaa]

@poppy.
~~~
Ivypaw stood up straighter now that she was face-to-face with the leade-ex-leader. Though considering Shiningskies was her mother, this was Ivypaw's other mother? She gave a smile back as Aspenstar smiled warmly.

"Hi, hi, hi Aspenstar," the tortie said in a rush, self-conscious of herself. "Err... can't say I'm good..." ...with Nectarflame and general chaos bouncing around in the Clan, her brain finished for her. Ivypaw decided not to say this.

"... with everything happening lately," she finished, rather lamely in her opinion. Ivypaw ducked her head, nervously avoiding those yellow eyes of the ex-leader.

[poppy]

Maybe the question was stupid. Of course Ivypaw wasn't doing good, no one in the Clan was. Aspenstar inwardly kicked herself, then twined her tail with her hind leg, nervous. She noted Ivypaw's straighter posture and smiled a little. This cat was going to be a great warrior. The leader's regret was that other than dreamvisits, she couldn't be the 'mother' Shiningskies signed her up to be for this cat.

''Oh... um... that's too bad. I'm sorry to hear that.'' She mumbled, not knowing how far she wanted to take the conversation in this direction. ''How's...'' The Abyssinian paused, hesitant. Shiningskies. Was she mad? Sad? Hurt? What was going on down there?

[ @eclipse. ]

[alaskaa]

Ivypaw drew in another breath as Aspenstar spoke again and lifted her head, thank the skies she wasn't mad. The apprentice just nodded, unsure on what else to do, was there really anything to do anyway?

"Uhh ,, it's ok," she reassured quickly, flicking her tail. The tip brushed softly against the cold blades of grass beneath her paws.

How's who? Ivypaw guessed Aspenstar meant Shiningskies, but how would she answer that really? There weren't much words crammed in Ivypaw's mental dictionary, even if there were she wouldn't be able to find the correct phrases.

"... Shiningskies?" the tortie asked, her voice lifting in tone a little. Last time she'd seen her mentor Ivypaw thought that Shiningskies was okay. She decided to go with that. "Shiningskies is... okay. Recovering. Um, doing stuff around camp, and, and stuff-" Oh jeez why did she have to stumble over her words? Even worse say the same word twice in barely five heartbeats. Ivypaw flattened her ears, wanting to just sink to the ground and bury herself there, her pelt warm with embarrassment. ".. uh, keeping busy.. doing usual warrior duties..."

Ivypaw trailed off, since that was all she eally knew. She hadn't traned for ages, and was already tweve moons, but she sort-of wanted to remain an apprentice until everything cooled down.

@poppy.