my baby's got a gun, it goes boom, boom, crack! [ p ]

[wolfie]

credit to m-adking on dA !

as the apprentice, lotuspaw, closes their eyes, they'll awake in a dark crooked forest time and time again from this point forward. unaware of the darkness sown into the land, they will train with a forgotten warrior, leercry. [ @doof ]

╭──────»»❀❀❀««──── ──╮

"Please, please, no - I'm, I'm sorry, " Lotuspaw cries, their eyes squeezing together. Fear was running rapid through their limbs at the nightmare they experienced. For this last moon - it had been on repeat. Always chasing after their loved ones just have them out of reach - their death being shown in front of the brown bobtail. It was endless and they were dammed to watch. However, when Lotuspaw jolted up they did not startle from their nest. Instead, their paws pushed against dead grass. A gasp leaving them, they look around. Shadows consume every corner and their eyebrows furrow together.

"Hello?" They call out, their ears pulling back in worry. This was not what happened. This.. this wasn't home.. Cautiously, they rise to their paws, their stub tail lashing back and forth while the fur on their nape begins to rise. Everything about this location uneased Lotuspaw. They had awoken in the center of the clearing - dead trees surrounded them. They could practically feel the eyes on them, boring into their soul and weaseling out every flaw they carried.

Their lip turns up and they unsheathe their claws. Fox-dung, if this was a new version of their nightmare... "If you're going to kill me already, do it! Is THAT what this is about? You - you have to make me see them die and now you're onto me? WELL GUESS WHAT! I don't - I won't EVER go down without a fight so, just, just DO IT ALREADY!" Lotuspaw yowls out, whimpering. "Please, dammit, I don't want to do this."

[pxxylo]

» Leercry | he/him | @x ghostie


Oh, the tragedy. The sad, sad, thought as he stared up at the foggy sky. It’s so foggy, I can’t see five foxes upward. I’ll bet my tail that those cats are frolicking and fighting again, for no reason at all. His claws dug into the depressingly dark ground of the Place of No Stars, man curling into an exasperated, enraged, yet absolutely silent snarl. Nothing came out. Why? Someone else was talking. With a small roll of his eyes, he stood, sauntering into the shelter of the Dark Forest’s dead, toweringly intimidating trees.”I won’t kill you, not to worry.” His voice was the kind of voice that felt like it was curling slowly around your neck, squeezing tighter by the second like a python. It was calm. Collected. Yet for some reason it just…lingered. In an ominous and worrying way. Is this how cats are supposed to be?

A chuckle escaped the tom’s parted jaws as he materialized from the brush, aiming to land in front of the apprentice. I’ve been training for years here, I never miss. I can’t miss. No way in hell will I miss. If I do, we’ll that’s just plain tuck messed up. “If you don’t want to do this, then don’t.” His gaze skimmed over the apprentice. Bobbed tail, Brown-ish pelt. Strong build, but can be improved. Ooh, is that a scar I see on their shoulder? Maybe this one ain’t that bad. They look distressed. Probably woke up here amidst a nightmare. Pity. “Confident, eh? You don’t look like one to back down from a fight, you don’t gotta scream it out for anyone to know.” Amusement flashed in the pale, oceanic glows of Leercry’s eyes as he listened to the worrisome waver in the apprentice’s voice.

[wolfie]

@doof
Poison clouds their vision a sickly voice invades their senses, taking away their awaited breath and left them gasping. It sends a shiver down the bobtail's spine, and they take a step back but do not dare to back down. Instead, they bare their shiny teeth and stare head-on. "Liar!" Lotuspaw insults, not believing the words for a moment. Their mother taught them to be open but never trusting - often they failed to complete any of those, but they had the capacity to understand when to doubt.

A chuckle echos arounds them and a tom erupts from the bushes, landing in front of them and Lotuspaw jerks back, wide-eyed. Immediately they attempt to swing at Leercry out of surprise, but the attack stops in mid-air, blinking. Confusion consumes them, "What?" They spit, allowing their arm to fall back to the floor. "Elaborate. Now. Do, do what? I'm not - doing anything, " Lotuspaw huffs, tilting their head dramatically to the side. Claws hadn't met their fur so - perhaps this was going down a different route. Their nightmares never took so long, weren't so hidden.

The apprentice watches as Leercry examines them and the second they begin to feel self-conscious they puff out their chest in a fake attempt at pride. "Do you have a staring problem?" They ask, focusing on his mouth to see what venom would seep from it next. "H..huh? Lotuspaw blinks in confusion, "Okay. You're weird. Yeah, of course I wouldn't?? I'm not,, pathetic. What's your name, weirdo? Do you even have one? You're so - so ugh, STRANGE! What's with the forest, anyway, like, this is a bit.. not-so-funky." Looking around at their scenery - yeah, this is a place where one could come and die. (They snort at the thought, a special place just for dying. )

[pxxylo]

» Leercry | he/him | @x ghostie

“Listen, drop the prideful and confident act. I see through it like the cleanest, clearest water to ever be seen. The only reason you’ve woken up here is because you’re insecure. You’re worrisome. You’re seeking approval. and reassurance.” A purr rose from his throat as he sat down. “This is not your nightmare, and nor is it the waking world. This is the Dark Forest. Welcome. You’re here because of your negativity and insecurity, luckily for you I was the one who found you howling and pitching a hissy fit. If it was someone else, you’d be mousedust by now.”

One claw rose from his paw as he placed it on the dirt, drawing a starry looking place, and below it, a lazy forest looking thing, and then, a dark and deep scrawled together scratch of the Dark Forest. Circling the forest with his paw, he explained. “This is where you love, this forest with the four clans. You know that already.” His black claw traced down to what laid below the forest scrawl. “We’re here. The Dark Forest is here. People here are less than the cats above, and in Starclan, so we lay below, in solitary misery and ever lasting pain.” His gaze flicked up, resting upon the distant sky.

“With that aside, I am Leercry, former apprentice of Riverclan. I’ve been training here for years, it’s quite easy to grow fond of after some time.” His face softened as he thought of his days here. The trail and error of training in solitude, and how long it had taken to get to where he was now, the powerful warrior he had always wanted to be, for himself. Not for some leader, or his mother, for himself. He carelessly proceed some dead grass from the ground. “It’s sort of somewhere that encourages learning, because there’s nothing else left to do but grow and develop.”

[wolfie]

@doof
A breath hitches in their throat as the tom spews out truth - it rings in their ears and settles down. "That.. that isn't.." Lotuspaw jumps to try and defend their self, but the words die down; they resort to allowing their gaze to drop defiantly. Only for it to immediately shoot right back towards Leercry as he reveals that this was the Dark Forest. A gasp escapes them, their eyes widening. Lotuspaw still stands defensive, even more so at this point, their gaze flickering down the tom. "..You're dead, " They point out the obvious, almost in disbelief. They don't give him the fire or try and defy what he said. The apprentice knew how they had grown soft... not - not insecure, "I'm.. just self-aware, " Lotuspaw adds on, taking a step back before finally sitting down. They needed answers and obviously Leercry wasn't coming to them from a place of malicious.

Lotuspaw watches as the warrior explains, their face becoming more and more confused. They weren't given much info about Starclan and the Dark Forest when they joined. Both places where dead cats when - one good, one bad. "AYE! I'm not, I'M NOT DEAD! Like, I think I would remember dying? Also, I'm not, I'm not bad. Are you bad? Oh, wait, wait, are -" Lotuspaw looks dumbfounded at Leercry. This could be a murderer standing in front of them. They shudder, scooting back aggressively from him. Ack.

"GROSS! You're, you're a FISHY CAT! C'mon, I hate the fishy cats. Jeez, wait, huh, training?" This perks the bobtail interest, and they pointedly move closer towards him. Goldeneyes.. she was a good molly, they liked her alot but.. she hadn't exactly taught them much. ".. Okay, I'm listening. Elaborate, training? All you said was boo whoo, I'm going through a tough time. Screw me, I guess. Not why I'm actually here - I'm not dead. I don't know if you're dead since I guess non-dead cats CAN come here - which, weird, but okay. I'm going to guess you're a bit dead though, " Lotuspaw huffs, lifting up a splotched paw to try and prod Leercry's chest. "However, mister LEERCRY! I ain't gonna associate myself with.. with murderers. This place is, is STINKY! That's what they said. Thunderclan. I'm from Thunderclan by the way, we're the coolest. Uhm, uhm, " They take a moment to pause on their name. Technically, Aspenstar had named them Lotuspaw - Eveningstar had named them Cloverkit before it. They had no choice in the matter. It was one of the few things they just.. dealt with.

"I'm Aster. Just Aster, " They finish, nodding firmly. If they had the choice though, they just wished they could've kept the name Mama gave them.

[pxxylo]

Probably won't reply for a bit, going on vacation. ♡ @x ghostie

[pxxylo]

[ @x ghostie ]

“Self-aware and insecure are both the
same thing, and I don’t mean by definition.
Yes, they do have the same definition meaning
but..” He paused, looking around for a second
before speaking again. “that’s not what I’m
talking about right now. They’re both labels. You
can call it whatever you want, just know that it will
always be the same.” The off-black and white tom
brushed away the illustration of the forest’s above and
below levels with one large paw, pricking a blade of
dead grass from the ground again out of subtle boredom
that crept up his spine as he listened to the apprentice
yowl and cry in denial oof the truth. The real and
untarnished truth. He gazed down at his own paws.
Dead, huh? Why do people have to point that out so
much when they visit? I shouldn’t call it visit, they don’t
want to be here, and she clearly doesn’t. Should I just
pass them on to another dark forester? No. Be persistent.
Help them be better. Train them, they seem to be interested
in the idea anyways.

The idea of death and being dead just angered him.
As the yowling apprentice yapped on, he listened
closer as he heard her speak of the dead. Standing up,
he spoke in a louder voice. ”No, you’re not
dead, I am.” His claws dug into the ground
as the brown molly continued on. Letting out a huff of
breath, he sat. “You would remember if you died, yes.
You’re not dead. And no, I’m not bad. My mom killed me,
I killed her. We killed each other at the same time, it was a
tragic scene, yet very memorable, I treasure that day in a
way that can’t be described or categorized just by whether
or not it’s a good memory or bad memory.” He heard the
interest in the apprentice’s voice as he listened. “Yes, training.
Forgotten warriors train living apprentices here that are neglected
by their crappy mentors, or just those who would prefer a strong
warrior from down under to train them rather than some lazy
mentor who half-asses your training.”

“Aster, huh? Sharp name, only ever heard it once.”
A hearty grin crossed his face as he gazed Dow at the
apprentice, tail neatly wrapped around his two large paws
as he calmly listened in to Aster speak.

[wolfie]

@door~
The bobtail stared quizzically at the tom in front of them, their face faltering into confusion. He didn't make any sense but perhaps that was the denial that they had woven inside their head. (They sounded like two completely different things. Insecure was just... hating yourself tenfold, being self-aware jut meant you were aware of your flaws.) Lotuspaw huffs, doesn't reply, but knows it's right. It frustrates them, knowing Leercry somehow had the audacity to put a label on their self that they wouldn't. They unsheathe their claws, digging into the rotten dirt.

Any words that threatened to spill were cut off with a dam as Leercry suddenly stood up, his face showed them all they needed to be. Lotuspaw leaned back, eyes blown wide - fur bristling in fear. Half breaths, they weren't sure what he had said. Was too focused on the way he moved to pay attention. Lotuspaw frowned, nodding their head slowly. Alarms rang inside their head, and they were a fool to ignore them. "O, oh, okay ... that.." Lotuspaw stares at Leercry with pity, what a sad story. Murder wasn't - wasn't alright. No matter how anyone tried to justify it but, did this warrior had any choice..? Lotuspaw anxiously chews on their bottom lip apoplectically, if it was in self-defense then,, why was Leercry here? It wasn't his fault. "That... sucks, " They finish, shaking their head. "Sorry, " they add on in a softer, hesitant voice. They were more grateful Mama was always good to them.

Lotuspaw gasps as Leercry explains and immediately, they shoot up to their paws. Eyes sparkling with interest, that was what they wanted to hear. "You - YOU KNOW!!! I'm - I'm interested in that, like, you said I have uh, flaws, blah blah, why don't you help me with those, huh? Huh? Now you have to train me. You got me EXCITED! I love Goldeneyes but she isn't around and - I need to know how to just, DO STUFF! 'Cause STINKY RATS have invaded Thunderclan so, " They wiggle excitedly, nodding up and down. (Don't get into any trouble, okay? Sorry, Golden. ) They brighten even more as Leercry refers to them as Aster. It's been so long since someone called them it. It feels them with warmth.

"TRAIN ME! Please, PLEASEE?! C'mon, train me, train me, I can be a VERY good apprentice! Like, I'm already a big cat so - so - " Lotuspaw tilted their head to the side, waiting for his response. "Eh? Eh?"

[pxxylo]

The off-black tom watched, tail twitching as the copper-eyed apprentice shrunk down, his simple standing, his own movement striking fear into the brown cat like lightning. Of course, that's irrelevant, there's not even weather here... just endless clouds and fog clogging up your throat as you forever walk, deteriorating as you go along, not to see the sun, a drop of rain, or even just a cricket pass. He felt a twinge of guilt, watching the apprentice shrivel up in fear as their voice grew smaller. "I'm sorry to have frightened you. As you now know, death is a touchy topic, not only down here but everywhere. Speak of death to a senior warrior of your clan, they'll surely be uncomfortable." His shoulder slumped slightly, which made the drawling scar on it even more obvious that it already was. The thing stretched from is shoulder, up t the back of his neck, and along his back. It was from the paws of his very own mentor from Riverclan, the one who was willing enough to tell him the meaning of his name, the one he got for his ominous gaze.

"Yes, flaws." He lifted a large paw, a smile ever so slightly creasing the tom's white muzzle. Nothing is perfect. You may say, "Oh, my clan is absolutely perfect and my leader is, too!", however that is not true. Ever cat has a bit of corruption in them, a little messed up inside. Even oh-so-mighty leaders. Some flaws can be fixed, or at least improved, but never perfected. Nothing is perfect."" He placed his paw back over the dead grass below him, chuckling slightly. The large tom continued to listen, his slight mane bristling and puffing up as the apprentice's excitement grew, and the strikingly brown cat nodded rapidly at his words. Slow down, kiddo. Is what he would've said... but nobody wants to be called "kiddo". Nobody wants to be looked at like some little kid who wails and has to be told to chill out.

He hesitated, staring at the dead trees and grass beyond where Aster beamed at him with excitement. For the most part, he tuned out the apprentice's joyed and eager squeals, had heard what he needed to. "Train me." Should I? Can I? It was like he was the only one there, staring out at the dead life that laid behind Aster, tuning out their voice, the silence growing louder and louder in his mind as he just stared. "This Goldeneyes sounds like a real fool, leaving one like you." He nudged the copper-eyed apprentice, a small chuckle wafting from his parted jaws as he stood. "I would be pleased to train you. Welcome to the Dark Forest, Aster."

[ @x ghostie ]

[wolfie]

@door~
The apology didn't soothe them, they appreciated it at least. They weren't sure why they became fearful. It wasn't the loud voice, (of course not, that was the only advantage they had. ) it was the way he stood. The way his expression contorted and while Lotuspaw had been familiar with fear since Mama had died; the Fox Cat had been right. The Clans only taught them how cruel cats could be. They were preparing to be striked, claws swiping across their fur. It never came. "It's uh, fine. M'was just - just being dumb. Should've been more aware, " Lotuspaw replied, averting their gaze. They find it drifting still, catching onto Leercry's stretched scar. They roll their scarred shoulder absentmindly, they wondered if he cried when he got it.,, probably didn't. (they still remembered how numb they felt when it happened. they only started sobbing when they were alone.)

Lotuspaw nods along in agreement. They pause, blinking as he explained everyone was a bit.. bit messed up? It causes them to barely falter in expression, but it makes their stomach churn, flipping. they.. they didn't wanna be a mess up though. didn't wanna be bad. "Y, yEAH! No one - no one is perfect!! Nothing!!!" They yowl, trying to copy the way his tone was. Stand as tall as he did, Lotuspaw grinned. Whatever. That was only the insecurity speaking to them. YEAH!

There was the hesitation and they stood awkwardly, keening to stand tall. A twinge of desperation in their eyes. Truly, he wouldn't deny them this. After practically dangling it in their face? Lotuspaw's eyebrows furrow together worriedly but soon, they receive their answer with that booming, dripping venom, voice of Leercry's. It sickens them but they didn't have to like the guy to learn from him. Either way, Goldeneyes didn't leave them!! He WAS wrong about that!! .. right??..
she. she had to be coming back.

Lotuspaw gulps, and then they laugh when they're nudged. "YEAH!!" They mew back excitedly, resuming their bouncing up and down. "Hehe, NICE TO MEET YOUUU!! Mentoree?? Mentor...y..? SIR LEERCRY!!! YEAHHH!!! Thankkkk yoUU!! You won't regret it!" They squealed, nodding. They tilt their head to the side, "Soooo?? WHEN... WHEEENNN Do I START?? Can we start now? 'Cause BOY oh BOY, I'm so - so PUMPED!!"