[Fae Magic]

Poppyrain - 22 Moons - Mistclan

"Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory." ~Poppypaw

It wasn't that bad; really it wasn't. Not in her opinion. She'd had gotten hurt far worse than this old scrape during her training days. Heh as if her training days ever did end even after her warrior's name ceremony. She'd grown a lot more mature since she was an apprentice but there was one thing that never did change about the glossy brown molly was that her stubbornness could always rival others. Perhaps she enjoyed a good argument. Heh, but she didn't know what kind of argument she'd have when it came to facing Shadowchaser let alone Rustpaw. Oh goodness, she could just imagine her old den mate giving her grief for her stupidity. Well in her defense Poppyrain was hunting in a terrain that she was not familiar with even if said terrain had...well the body of water she was most used to as a former Rainclanner. Of course, her paws would be clumsy still on such a ground that; right it wasn't like it was her fault that she didn't see that stupid water filled hole that twisted her ankle? Sighing the young warrior limped her way through camp trailing droplets of water from where she'd fallen into a large body of water in the marshes of the Black Marsh part of the territory. She casually gazing at the new camp site in wonder at the fact that this was supposed to be their new home forever. Well unless Starclan wishes to have another tantrum like they did destroying their old home. But perhaps it was for the better for what happened to them even if it was difficult. She wasn't fooling herself into thinking she was over the fact that they'd lost everything they had and even lost some family and friends in the earthquake but she tried to put on a happy face so that it was easier for everyone else to settle into their new homes without trouble. It was odd to think Mistclan no longer held just Rainclan cats but also the cats of Nightclan. All of them had such mixed feelings about it; she herself wondered if the cats of former Rainclan and former Nightclan could get along enough to survive together in this new strange world.  

Once she finally found the den that Shadowchaser and Rustpaw shared together as their medicine cat den; which she knew because her nose tickled with the scent of herbs and earth that made her freeze mid-step to sneeze before entering the den. Ducking her head to enter so that her tall ears didn't scrape the archway. Her amber eyes scanned the dimly lit cave and sniffed lightly to scent who was in here despite the place smelling like the medicine cats mingling together. Once her nose finally told her brain exactly who was in here she gave a small cringe as she called out a little hesitantly. 

"Hey...Rustpaw...I need a little help over here.." she said looking around for the other she-cat. Her former denmate was just as stubborn and a determined figure as Poppyrain was as a kit and an apprentice so she could only imagine just what she'd say as soon as she noticed Poppyrain's condition. 

Sitting there still looking like a half drowned rat; not an unlikely feat for her as she was a rather skinny and lanky cat with otter like short hair. But her tumble into a large puddle made her look like some weirdo who decided they wanted to roll in a pile of murky mud water. Oh good starclan was that mud on her nose?! Huffing she reached a paw up to try and rub the mud off of her nose. Hearing the paw steps she gave a grumble as she focused on her face as she tried to look a little less as a half drowned rat as she spoke. 

"I know I know I look ridiculous. This wasn't my fault this time! I didn't see that there was a hole in a puddle of water and next thing I know I'm going tail over head into some marshes. I think I might have a cut on my leg but it won't stop throbbing and I'm afraid of I stare at it long enough I'll dang near imagine myself with a broken leg or something!" she sighed lifting up her free paw that indeed have a small cut along her ankle. 

"Can you do something about the headache too? Starclan help me I swear I'll have a concussion!" she puffed out a breath dramatically. 

Really, her injuries were pretty superficial and nothing that didn't need emergency care. But Poppyrain didn't know what this land could hold. One day she could get a small cut on her leg and the next it gets infected with something because her body wasn't used to the different germs in this part of the land or something but she wasn't going to take that chance. Besides, it gave her a chance to finally check up on Rustpaw. With Shadowchaser out of the way right now seemingly Poppyrain was happy enough to have the chance to talk to her old den mate. Had anyone cared to check up on her old friend during all of this? Was she settling okay in the new camp? Was she rested enough after the restless nights with the Tribe. Was she taking care of herself? Well, questions like that were the most simple in the world but could mean more than someone could know to the person that was being asked them. When the figure of the rusty colored molly came into view Poppyrain paused a moment in her scrubbing of her face to scrutinize the other and narrow her eyes a little as she seemed to scan her to make sure she was okay. Did she look thinner than normal or was Poppyrain imagining it? Was that exhaustion on her face or was it simply broodiness at seeing the dark molly after all this time? 

"I know I'm stupid for coming for something so small..." she said trailing off and gave a half smile. "Perhaps it was my excuse to finally come see how you're doing?"

Word Count: #1062 || Tag: Abyss || Notes: Throwing Poppy and Rust together!

~☣~~☣~

[Abyss]

She was tired. Starclan was she tired. Well...if they could even know or see that right now. She didn't know anymore. Everything was so uncertain, so unknown, so confusing. She was a naturally curious cat, she loved knowledge, she loved learning even if she was a little bit slow at it sometimes. But this…..it was surprising even to herself how hard all of this was hitting her. Even now that they weren't in the tribe anymore, they were in their new home, she was still...off. She knew it, and so did multiple others around her.

Riverpaw, Shadowchaser, even Ebonyheart and Sagepaw had seen it before they left the tribe. Then again, one could only imagine that this was hard, given recent...events.

She was staring, lost in her own mind, gone to the world. She could vaguely hear shuffling, probably Shadow moving things around. But she couldn't hear.

Where you were born is gone. The last place you saw your mother and sister is gone. The place you were given this position is gone. The one who gave you this position...gone.

Her thoughts raced, her eyes were dazed, her tail tip occasionally twitched. Her ears felt as though they were packed with moss. There was a moment when she distantly heard her name called, but by who? She didn't know, but it didn't register the voice enough to recognize it. It wasn't until she felt a few nudges that she blinked a few times, snapping back into reality. She turned slowly, seeing a familiar dark face near her own.

"You're being called for." His voice was soft, understanding, and his eyes were sympathetic. Words could never express how grateful she was to have Shadowchaser by her side at any given point. She nodded gently, standing from where she sat at the back of the den.

When she went to the front of the den, she wasn't sure who she was expecting it to be, but Poppyrain wasn't quite it. Not that she wasn't happy to see her old friend. But they hadn't really spent much time together in...she didn't even know how long.

A small smile crossed her face, but it was very small, her low-held eyes and poor posture taking prominence over a tiny facial expression. It was good to see Poppy, she looked...wait. Her eyes took on a confused feature looking at the other. She was-

The other she-cat just started talking. She stepped in a hole full of water, tripped, and flipped into even more water, and probably hit her head. Her smile grew a tad, amused at the thought.

"We aren't fish, you know." Even her voice was tired, quiet. She knew something would be said. She knew that her condition would be noticed, especially by an old friend. But she knew she couldn't stop that from happening. As usually strong-willed as she was, even she didn't have the power to hide exhaustion or grief.

She slowly approached, lowering her head to peer at the she-cat's paw. For just a moment, her head went fuzzy.

You could have been a Warrior too.

She shook her head, pushing those thoughts away. Poppy's paw didn't look too badly hurt, though she was sure it was likely sprained. A sprain and a headache. Seemed easy enough.

"I can grab a few things and see what I can do. It doesn't look too bad." Though her instinct was to turn and grab what she needed, she felt as though she should stay where she was. She heard what Poppy had asked. But how was she supposed to answer that? No matter what answer she said, it wouldn't receive a good response.

"I would say I'm alright...but I know you wouldn't believe me…..I wouldn't believe me either."

634 | Fae Magic

[Fae Magic]

Poppyrain - 22 Moons - Mistclan

"Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory." ~Poppypaw

She wasn't fooling anyone. Not Poppyrain anyways. Even when the dark molly kept up the ruse of being high in spirits she could see her friend wasn't doing well. Her smile fell ever so slightly as she studied the rusty colored feline in front of her. She looked like an emotional husk of the cat she once knew. But things have been rather tough for everyone with the disaster befalling the clans and the stress of living with the tribe in hopes of finding a better home for themselves. Poppyrain couldn't imagine how much stress the other had been through. She had heard of those who had fallen during the disaster and she'd mourned them just as much as the next cat within the clan. A life was a life no matter what clan they were in and at the end of the day they all suffered much together. But unlike some of them...Rustpaw didn't bounce back; such stress and heartbreak on a cat so young should never happen. The warrior's jaw clicked shut as the other examined her mumbling about how she was not too badly injured and would be able to fix her up easily enough. But the fire and spark that once lived in her friend's amber gaze was no there even when her weak jab at a joke of them not being fish hung limply in the air around them. 

Poppyrain didn't know what to do; she knew she couldn't bring the dead back to life and frankly she was not good at being the comforting shoulder unlike some others of her clan. She generally handled such things with humor or straight up facts. Being the shoulder to cry on wasn't her strong suit but Rustpaw didn't have anyone else to rely on when it came to that besides maybe Shadowchaser. Her green eyes flickered back and forth as if she was searching for something before she lowered her lanky frame to be able to meet her friend's tired looking face. 

"I know." she said softly and gave a faint smile. "I'm not blind Rustpaw; anyone with eyes who care to look can see you're not alright." Poppyrain mumbled nudging her forehead with her own and tried to get her to smile. 

"I'm not skilled at comforting others; that's one thing that hasn't changed about me. But, I am a good listener you know...It might not be what you need but I hope you can find comfort in knowing that there is someone who's willing to give you the time to verbalize what you are feeling. I know Shadowchaser is there too that you can do that too but sometimes having an outsider that doesn't know the full extent of your stress may help?" she fumbled for words with a small shrug as she looked at her awkwardly. 

Oh she was trying at least. Poppyrain wasn't a sappy cat. Not by a long shot but her friend needed her an it hurt knowing that Rustpaw might not have the connections she needed to get through this. She was strong of course, Rustpaw always got through whatever it was that bothered her in time. And nothing could change the past but time was crucial when it came to healing whatever it was one was broken over. The warrior gave a small muttered curse under her breath as she visibly tried to find something good to say to lighten her mood until an idea sparked in her mind. 

"What if you came out with me later today? Once your duties are done with Shadowchaser. Get a feel for the new land; maybe try out some hunting while you're at it and get your frustration out? I know you're a medicine cat but maybe a change of routine and getting out of this gloomy den may help lighten up what's on your burden and if you'd like you can tell me what's going on...or not I mean talking isn't mandatory but...I dunno." she shrugged lamely and slumped slightly. "Just...lets get you out of here for a bit. Train with me; lets get those emotions out." even if it ended up with Poppyrain getting her tail whooped in some tussling between friends that was perfectly fine. She wasn't good with words but she was good at distracting people and perhaps getting Rustpaw out of her comfort zone could give her a new spark.

Word Count: #763 || Tag: Abyss || Notes: #

~☣~~☣~

[Abyss]

A part of her longed for the days when it was easier to hide the turmoil that plagued her on the inside. The days when she would lay curled up in the darkness next to the old Rainclan Nursery and let her emotions take over, a tiny pool of sadness forming at her paws. Or even later than that, when she would curl up against Frozenrain’s stomach, bury her tiny face in her adoptive mother’s fur, and just let it all go. That had always been something that she loved about the pure white she-cat; sure, she was unable to speak as most others could, but words weren’t always what Rust needed anyway. She sought comfort, reassurance, security, warmth; these were all things that she had always felt the strongest when with Frozen. These thoughts were just a reminder that she should go and find the deaf Warrioress and spend some long-needed time with her.

Even still, as much as the tiny voice in the back of her head longed for those things, right now, standing in front of one of her best friends, she didn’t feel them. Seeing Poppyrain and getting to interact with her did bring Rustpaw comfort, that could never be denied. But everything felt different than before. It seemed over time she was coming to realize that she wasn’t as adaptive to change as she once thought she was.

“Yeah…I know…” Her voice was quiet, taking the other she-cat’s words to heart. She wasn’t wrong. Having an outside voice, someone who didn’t understand completely, someone who wasn’t there every moment of hardship she felt like Shadowchaser and Newtstripe, it could be the sort of viewpoint she needed. “I do have Shadow…and Newt…they try to help me as best as they can, but…it is just…really hard.” Her voice wavered a tad as she reached the end of her sentence, lowering her head to her chest. She could feel liquid grief building in her eyes, but she pushed them away as best as she could. Poppy said herself that she wasn’t the best when it came to providing comfort, so somehow Rust doubted that tears were something she dealt with often. Besides, tears were meant to be saved for when she was alone.

She listened quietly to what else her friend had to say, a proposition of a day out of the den. Truthfully a day away from this…new camp…felt like something she could use a bit of, at least for one day. She couldn’t even remember the last time that she had done some hunting, or even sparred with anyone. Not since…well…maybe that was what she needed. A reminder. A reenacted memory. The ability to defend herself was one thing that her old mentor had honed in on quite a lot. The idea that no Medicine Cat should ever be defenseless or unable to beat some serious tail when needed. It almost felt…right…to be going out and making sure that, out of everything, at least one of Dewfrost’s values would live on.

She lifted her head again, swallowing down the lump in her throat that had formed with her thoughts. “Y-yeah…that actually sounds…great. I think…I could definitely use some time…away from this place…” Her eyes glanced around them at the hollow that Mistclan called home. While many others were starting to see this place as their new home, it still felt…wrong to Rustpaw. Alien, almost. As though she wasn’t capable of calling this place home. Home was the Rainclan Nursery that no longer stood. Rustpaw would never be able to stand in her first true home ever again. And the idea of replacing it in her mind…it was impossible. Maybe one day she would feel more connected to this mossy hollow. But that day would not come any time soon.

“How about…I go in and grab some things to wrap up this paw that you are out there using to do fancy pawstand tricks, I stuff your mouth with a bunch of herbs, and then we head out? I know how much Warriors love the taste of plants.” In an attempt to make herself feel lighter, she managed to find at least a little bit of humor hidden away under her heartache. She put a smile on, and while the action took more effort than was easy, it still gave at least a little bit of hope. No, she wasn’t herself right now. But at least a little bit of her old self could poke through.

RUSTPAW

Medicine Cat Apprentice

Fae Magic

[Fae Magic]

POPPYRAIN

Poppyrain definitely wasn't one to shy away from confrontation, but she wasn't the best with words and soft comfort. Perhaps it was the way she grew up or simply her noting the differences between herself and the rudy molly in front of her. Despite sharing the same den for many moons the pair was one of those who were unlikely to pair. They made it work though over the many moons even when they grew up and took their places in their trained fields. Regardless of their shared history, the lanky molly could not find words enough to say what was on her mind in ways that could comfort or help her friend despite yet another shared event that altered their lives. The only difference was that Rustpaw lost someone dear to her and Poppyrain had not. Sure the warrior mourned the loss of clan mates but it was not the same as something as losing someone close to her as the medicine cat apprentice had. It was a cavernous trench that the warrior didn't know how to breach to help. Still, Poppyrain was not without her own sympathy and hardships due to the merge; everyone seemed to be struggling one way or another while some struggled a bit more than others.

The fact that Rustpaw acknowledged the fact that she was hurting and had issues she needed to heal from was a good start. Her admitting it aloud was a good step for sure and Poppyrain was happy that her friend trusted her enough to show her vulnerability about it even if she didn't say the words that plagued her mind outright. Acceptance was part of the grieving process. A small smile graced her features and she nodded looking at her intently.

"Yeah, trust me I get it. Maybe not the...depth of what you are feeling but it's still good to verbally put it out there. Having a different approach or a pair of ears is always a great way to process what you're feeling in comparison to familiar faces that you're around 24/7 yeah know?" she laughed a little bit looking a bit embarrassed. "Sorry I'm like a broken record right now just repeating everything." she raised a paw to scratch at her large ear awkwardly.

"Point being Rustpaw, I'm your friend, we grew up together so I won't judge you or be mad if you don't wanna tell me the depths of what you are feeling. Just know you aren't alone got it?" she gave her a pointed and light but stern glare with squinted eyes trying to keep it a little lighter so that her friend didn't think she was being like pressured or anything to tell the warrior what was on her mind.

When Rustpaw eventually agreed to get out of the den the dark molly breathed in relief. Not only so she can get herself patched up but allow her friend to leave the musty den that didn't smell of herbs and earth. She'd been eager to explore the land with some friends before and all things considering Poppyrain was glad Rustpaw agreed to get out of here before she went mad. Granted, the warrior thought it'd be better to have everyone regardless of rank go out and explore even for a day just so that they finally get that last realization to bring it all home that this place was where they will forever be living. This was their new home and it was about time everyone got through their fogged minds. No matter how hard it would be to evolve here while people living in the past it didn't change the reality of their situation. Perhaps seeing the new territory would help Rustpaw too. Not only to get settled into the new land but to help her move on from the loss she endured.

"Yeah, that sounds good Rustpaw! I'd appreciate it." she nodded quickly and looked around the den with a small smile; now excited to get out of here herself to be able to show her friend just what she was missing and what the land could do for her. Granted, the rusty female probably already knew most of the land due to needing to find herbs before but at the same time, it would be seen from a different point of view. She wasn't going to be having her nose buried in the ground in search of plants but instead looking up and beyond that to the world around her for the first time through clearer eyes, hopefully at least.


"This is Poppy speaking." And this is Poppy thinking.

Mistclan Warrior

Abyss

WORD COUNT 762 | TAGS Abyss | NOTES: We can end this in the next post if you'd like or keep going! Sorry for the shortness!