Stoatpaw's blood froze. "You... y-you think that's what..." It had never quite expressed such clear, genuine terror. Even if it was subtle about it physically, the apprentice still reeked of fear.
~Get it together.~
"What?" Stoatpaw bristled, though there was no real frustration behind it. "What'd I say?" There was even a tiny giggle at the back of its throat, near imperceptible to any cat not listening very closely. It was all a front, an upholding of an authoritative presence with nothing to back it up. It was, in a way, Stoatpaw at its core.
It felt so odd hearing such a solid emotion from Jaypaw, recognizing a genuine presence. He almost looked the way a cat his age ought to, rather than the tired false adult Stoatpaw had grown so used to.
Walls were breaking. Stoatpaw wasn't sure how to feel. It didn't mind it, yet it felt so wrong not to uphold its determined status quo.
It vied instead to ignore it and move on. That felt easier.
"There's a finch from yesterday's Sunhigh patrol that still looks good. We can take that to check in on the elders and eat."
Stoatpaw couldn't help but mirror Ivystar's eyeroll with a half-amused one of its own. As it made to move on, as the conversation seemed over, Jaywing caught up.
The tripod apprentice's tailtip twitched, but any irritation that tried to bubble up diffused quickly. It had no qualms with Jaywing and the poor kit was clearly and much more rightfully frustrated. It did startle a bit when Jaywing touched it, but that too settled.
"Well to start, I don't think you're crazy. But I do think Ivystar is right about looking into it." It gave a tip of its head to signal that there was a 'but' to that 'but.' "That being said it would be mouse-brained to send the Clan's only medicine cat, who's already way underage, and I mean to say it strictly as a fact of the matter, off to the Moonpool alone while the Clan is still recovering." It sat itself down to verbalize more of its logistics. "Ivystar *was* a medicine cat, but balancing managing that to back you up on top of leader duties is enough to drive any cat insane I'd guess. It'll more than likely be a few moons before everything's properly on track though, and surely she doesn't expect you to wait that long. Then again, she could just leave her Deputy in charge while you're gone. And surely one warrior could be spared to accompany you."
It took far too long for Stoatpaw to remember this wasn't analysis time. Jaywing absolutely didn't need a twelve step plan for how to keep the Clan from keeling over in his brief absence. He needed comfort and a stars-darned break.
~Still it was a good plan. Don't forget it, just in case.~
"Sorry, I... nevermind. Have you eaten?"
~Understatement of the go***amn century.~ Their teeth gritted. All they could offer was a stiff nod with little to no conviction behind it.
Twitching like a dying bug. Loaz had always been so sympathetic and sad for those dying cockroaches in the garage, yet here they sit with a person in the same state and all they can muster is cold, shuddery acknowledgement.
