Here comes one now. Alderstep straightened up as he caught someone moving toward him. Oh. Dovefluff. One of her kids died. She still looked emotionally wrecked, but not the mess he'd seen (in passing glances) at the meeting. He supposed that was good. Stars help him if she'd come over expecting consoling or some other emotional comfort. He'd made it pretty obvious he was crap at that when he tried to comfort Rabbit's old apprentice. Who happened to be the new medicine apprentice.
Alderstep blinked off the realization, turning to look at Dovefluff head-on. He nodded in greeting, his eyes tracking the bit of moss for a moment along with the queen.
"It's going," he said, not intending to let on his internal panic and disarray. He really shouldn't worry the clan about that sort of thing. Who knew what would happen if the clan realized they had a complete and utter buffoon for a deputy. Besides, it was embarrassing to admit his worries to a cat he barely knew.
He tilted his head, racking his brain for something to say back, because deputies couldn't just be soulless and blank slates. That'd be concerning.
"And you?" Oh, wait. That broached into emotional territory. Well, there's a wonderful mistake for Alderstep.
"Do much today?" he asked in an attempt to fix it. Oh, and now he was calling Dovefluff lazy. Normally, he wouldn't care if he did that, except this was a queen. Who wasn't lazy. Who was grieving a dead kit.
Thankfully, some other cat approached the duo. Turning somewhat sharply, his movements jerky with his discomfort, Alderstep took in the sight of none other than Springpaw trotting on over. The deputy repeated his greeting nod. Unfortunately, his savior fell from her greatness rather soon. His eye twitched at the almost replica question. Great cats, that was the question of the age for him, wasn't it? As much as he wanted to hiss something out in frustration, he knew better than to do that to Springpaw. He'd never forgive himself for lashing out at Rabbit's old 'paw.
"It's going," he chose to repeat. Yep. Nobody was going to pull any information from him. Alderstep eyed Dovefluff. If he predicted things right, based on his observations on how close those two had gotten ever since the old camp's collapse, the grey queen would ask about how Springpaw's new rank was going so that he wouldn't have to. And Dovefluff would know how to ask it in a sensitive, aware way.
Observing the two was much easier than being emotionally sensitive, so Alderstep fell silent and reveled in the feel of a soft breeze (greenleaf could be warm, but he lived for the season's winds) brushing his fur. Seeing the dynamic duo (because what else would they be?) reminded him all too clearly of the evacuation a moon or so ago. He winced, suddenly wondering how Springpaw had taken the loss of her mentor. Alderstep fixed his green gaze on the young cat, searching her for any signs of grieving. She only looked a bit worried or perhaps stressed. He looked away. Maybe it
was just him.
He could skip out now. He could stand and claim he had duties and walk away and escape this awkward feeling.
What would they think of him, when he did that? How would it turn out for him, to show up as a socially inept cat? And what if these two had something to tell him that pertained to the safety of the clan? He'd be irresponsible for turning his back on his clanmates.
Alderstep took in a slow, satiating breath and took to studying Dovefluff again. She seemed at ease, undistressed, so perhaps there was nothing to worry about there. He was a smart cat, wasn't he? He could understand that nothing was going to happen if he sat here and offered some small talk. It was just that small talk was incessantly annoying.
He'd be fine. Hell, if these two cats, who were struggling more than he was, could sit here and talk together, he could. And so, he kept his ears perked for whatever these two wanted to talk about.
[ @
jupiter @
ares ]