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Aspenstar had big plans for NightClan, plans that she had yet to inform most of the clan about. What that meant, though, was that she needed a full Loyal Guard, and luckily, she had been given a horde of apprentices that were impressive. There had been two that she had been drawn to in particular: Moonpaw and Sagepaw. They were nearly opposites, but they were a strong team. Yet, if push came to shove, Aspenstar had a preference, and the decision of which one of the duo to promote in normal fashion had been clear. Sagepaw was passionate and ambitious, and Aspenstar adored her for that, but she as unstable. She'd always been feisty, and she was quite convinced that when push came to shove, the leader didn't know where Sagepaw stood. Moonpaw, while still young, didn't carry that same danger. In their limited interactions, the leader had already noticed this. He was reliable and seemed dedicated enough, and moreso, she was more convinced the tom was moldable if given the right circumstances. She carried none of the same doubts about the tom that he did about her training partner, and at the end of the day, that had made it clear that he was the choice that she should go with. Of course, this decision came with complications, namely what to do about Sagepaw. Alas, that was something she'd have to deal with another day.
The leader let out a sigh, before glancing down at the water. She'd instructed the tom to meet her there the evening after his final assessment. She'd informed him that they had business to go over, but had been relatively vague about the nature. Of course, all of the apprentices were acutely aware of the competition to be the best, to be her first choice, so she could assume that it was possible that he would have made the connection. Perhaps that's why she had been so vague; it always intrigued her what her clanmates thought she wanted out of them. Sometimes, they were right. Other times, they were brutally wrong. Either way, it made for an entertaining evening.
Her ears flicked at the sound of upcoming footsteps, although she didn't turn from the water. "Moonpaw," she greeted, "I'm glad you made it."
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Post by achromatic on Sept 25, 2021 19:48:07 GMT -5
Moonpaw had been nervous when Aspenstar asked to meet with him. He wasn't the kind of cat to draw attention to himself after all; he had been proud to be Larkspur's apprentice, and he had vowed to prove himself worthy and to do his very best, but even so, he had never been the type to command attention with his confidence and charisma or to lash out at others in a desire to be controversial. He had stayed out of the way, for the most part, finding comfort in fitting in and being just like every other apprentice, in making friends with others and being respectful to his elders.
Of course, that wasn't always the case. There were a fair few times he had gotten himself into trouble, their last little excursion had gotten him an earful from some of the other cats who had to tend to their injuries from their misadventure, and he had always been the type to sneak out and explore with Sagepaw. For the most part, he had assumed they were pretty sneaky about it all, keeping it under wraps in some excuse about training this or hunting accident that. However, the meeting that was suddenly arranged made him a little skittish. On the bright side, maybe it's a good thing, it's a privilege to chat with Aspenstar, right?
On the downside, maybe he was actually in trouble. How could he be sure? As he walked towards the water, his eyes met the pale cat, sitting expectantly waiting for him. "Aspenstar," he spoke, his tail twitching, before he did a scrambled bow, as if catching himself before he could be seen having bad manners, "you...asked for me?"
"Indeed I did," she meowed as she turned towards him for the first time, her mismatched gaze critical on his form. In a way, she could sympathize with his nervousness. It was probably the same nervousness that she faced when Phantomstar had first called her to his office all of those moons ago. She had sweated bullets the entire walk to the leader's den, completely unsure why the tom had needed her. Maybe she should have been a little kinder after their meeting earlier, told him that it was nothing bad, that actually, she had brought him here that night for the potential she saw in him.
She waved her tail in greeting, motioning for him to come sit with her. Judging by the look in his eyes, he was thoroughly confused as to why he was here. Amusement passed her gaze; this was going to be even more interesting than she had imagined. "Is there something I should know?" she asked him, tilting her head in interest. He surely looked like he had something to say, and she was certainly interested in it. "Or, I suppose, asked a different way, why do you think I've invited you here?"
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Post by achromatic on Sept 25, 2021 20:31:54 GMT -5
Moonpaw was easily a nervous chatter, the kind of cat who tried to break awkward silences by poking fun at things or trying to engage with someone else, but it seemed like that sort of thing had an override button, and that was in positions where he wasn't sure what the other cat wanted from him. As much as he often overshared about his life, he was a mirror, the kind of cat who's personality changed depending on who he spoke to and of course, what the other cat seemed to expect of him.
He hadn't met Aspenstar, but from this interaction, he was certain of a couple of things. She knew he was nervous and expected him to talk. She didn't know why he was nervous. In her opinion, he had done nothing wrong...yet. After all, if she knew, she wouldn't have been probing him like this. He didn't know what exactly would impress the leader at all–that was something he'd have to figure out eventually–but there wasn't a need to reveal anything yet.
"I don't know," he spoke slowly, his wide-eyed gaze portraying a sort of confused innocence, "maybe...to check up on my training?" His excuse sounded weak, but in a way that made him seem more confused than anything.
She smiled, turning back to the water. "You aren't incorrect," she meowed. "I suppose, when it comes down to it, that's exactly why we are here." The leader's reflection danced across the small waves, the very waves that enchanted her. Since the day she had first been an apprentice, these waters consumed her. There was something about them, something she could not place...
She sighed, once again pulling herself from the water. This time, she shifted entirely, turning her back to the gentle waves. "Of course, I'm here tonight to talk to you about more than just your marks, but I suppose we will get to that in due time, mmm?" She let out a faint purr, her mismatched gaze settling on his frame.
"After training alongside Sagepaw, do you believe the two of you are ready to be promoted?" They'd completed all of the formalities by now, if she'd been keeping track of them properly. Perhaps she hadn't, though; her brain was awfully scattered as of recently. "Strengths you've noticed about yourself when training alongside her? Weaknesses?"
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Post by achromatic on Sept 27, 2021 16:37:37 GMT -5
He blinked, both surprised he got it right but also relieved it wasn't anything serious. Of course, it didn't show on his face; Moonpaw's poker-face was rather advanced, after all, having faked most of his emotions half his life. He was curious as to what Aspenstar meant about 'more than just his marks' but he stayed quiet, waiting for her to speak first. After all, he didn't often speak unless spoken to when it came to cats he found intimidating, and Aspenstar was the most intimidating of them all.
Moonpaw gave her questions a few moments to sink in. Strengths? Weaknesses? He didn't really know. Moonpaw wasn't the type to toot his own horn, but he had always found fighting something natural to him. Perhaps it was all the play wrestling he did as a kit, or the fact that he was large and bulky enough to hold his ground, but he enjoyed it. There was part of him that loved how it pushed him to think outside the box too, to compensate for his weaknesses in the midst of battle.
"Weaknesses are probably hunting animals that require me to stay light on my paws," he admitted, "I always found it a bit difficult to do that even if my crouch is just right; I guess being a larger cat doesn't really help that, and because I'm not as small as Sagepaw, making quick turns when I'm chasing after something, whether another cat or prey, makes me lose my balance sometimes, so I don't turn as easily as she does. Strengths..."
He hesitated, not sure whether to downplay them or to speak of himself as highly as any other apprentice would. "I guess I've always found fighting a lot easier," he shrugged, as if it was nothing special, "My larger size helps me when it comes to holding my ground, and...well, sometimes you can tell what other cats think, you know? How they perceive you, what they think you'll do, and if you know that, and know what kind of patterns you fall into, it makes it easier to predict what others will do because they assume they know you."
If he looked closely into her eyes, he might notice the delight that was forming in their corners. She wasn't exactly sure how she expected him to respond, but it was clear that the way he did deeply pleased the leader. She had been right to have hope in the tom, it seemed. He had potential before, but now, Aspenstar was beginning to develop a plan for the tom. The intellect in battle was something that was desirable. If it was molded properly, with a patient but firm hand, Moonpaw's inclinations could be weaponized. Perhaps it was rather cold to think in such ways, immediately finding the usefulness in the other and considering how it could be used in her benefit. Those who knew her, truly knew her, knew that this coldness shouldn't be a surprise; the leader was nothing if not strategic and willing to do whatever she needed to do to put her strategies into action.
"Very good," she meowed with a nod. "I respect someone who knows their strengths yet respects their limitations. It suggests a maturity that isn't common in young felines. Or, really, most felines. It's easy to get wrapped up in the things you are good at so much so that you ignore the things that you aren't."
Aspenstar blinked before continuing. "For the sake of transparency and in the vein of reciprocity, I'll share mine as well. I have a feeling that you and I will be working closely together in the coming moons, and knowing my strengths and weaknesses will make things easier to negotiate if there comes a time of conflict." Her tail twitched back and forth. Even though she had not offered the position to the tom already, it seemed that she was thoroughly convinced that he would be part of her team- why else would she lift the veil of perfection? Few cats saw the leader's weaknesses. She was careful to curate them away from her clan, because what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them. But her team was different. Just as she needed to be acutely aware of their struggles and successes, they too needed to be aware of hers.
"I can't fish," she meowed with a hint of amusment in her voice. Of course, this wasn't her biggest flaw, or even one perhaps worth mentioning. After all, NightClan seldom fished. But, it was a running joke for the leader, who had at one point been so ashamed of her swim that she couldn't face it. Now, Aspenstar didn't feel shame, although perhaps she should.
"More seriously, though, my small size makes fighting difficult. I am fast and strategic to a level that few can match, but if a feline could outstep my mind games and evasiveness, there is always a chance that I will lose the fight. I have high levels of endurance, but my actual attacks have limited strength behind them." There was a reason she had a guard, and even if there hadn't been the Loyal Guard when she entered the position, it was unlikely that she wouldn't have instituted one.
She paused, waiting for his response. Would he put together the implications of her words?
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Post by achromatic on Oct 5, 2021 15:31:28 GMT -5
Moonpaw should've noticed the gleam in her eyes, but he was still young. As perceptive as he could be, he was unlike those who came before him. He had never been raised in darkness, in a world where the only rule was that of survival, where one had to fight tooth and claw to truly thrive. He wasn't as conniving as the birth father he had, nor as calculative as the one he'd call father. No, his guardians had made sure of that. That he'd never fall for the same tragedies that haunted their family, seeping into their bloodstream like ink in water.
He simply listened intently, the wide eyes glowing at the rare praise from a cat he so strongly admired. He had always been the cat to sit back, the cat to be overlooked, and to be spoken of so highly, that was a first. Even more of a surprise were the words that came after. Working together? He knew his warrior ceremony must be coming up soon; Larkspur had nodded in approval the last time they had trained, after all, and their assessment had passed with flying colours.
At first he couldn't understand why she was telling him all of this. Fishing? Then again, she seemed to truly be telling him about her weaknesses. He was suspicious at first; what was the point of all of this? Surely she wasn't trying to challenge him to a battle? He didn't believe any words until they were proven, and despite being able to see that Aspenstar herself had the smaller stature so similar to his training partner, he wouldn't trust it until he saw it.
Still, there had been a reason for pairing him with Sagepaw; they had balanced each other and covered for each other's weaknesses almost naturally. For a cat that was smaller, with more limited strength, it wasn't a surprise that they'd rely on speed as much as he relied on strength and size. It made sense to be paired with a cat of a different fighting style this way. A foot soldier had different advantages than the archer and the cavalry, and yet each had a distinct advantage over another, and a distinct weakness too. A game of rock paper scissors...was that it? Did she think that they'd work well together?
"I'm not sure whether you want to spar or whether you're telling me to become your guard of some sort," he spoke slowly, his brow furrowed in confusion at this unusual proposition.
It wasn't often that she actually laughed. Normally, if she showed any amusement at all, it came in the form of a soft chuckle, met by her characteristic half-smile. His words made her actually laugh, though, a light noise that was surprisingly... warm despite the general coldness of the leader. He was quick to catch on, which was good for her, and his slight confusion was amusing. It was as if she could see the very wheels turning in his mind.
"Well, I don't particularly want to spar tonight, although we could," she meowed with a blink. "You're onto something with the second part, though," she then added. "I'm not sure how aware Larkspur has made you of NightClan protocol, but we always save one spot in the Loyal Guard for the top apprentice." She paused for a moment, letting the information settle.
"Obviously, you and Sagepaw are my top training pair, which means one of you will be entering my guard. I believe that you are the stronger candidate of the two of you, being that Sagepaw is, well... the way she is." She flicked her tail, hoping that she didn't offend the other. She knew that training pairs often had strong bonds, and this particular pair was seldom seen without the other. "This isn't to say I don't think Sagepaw is qualified," she added after a moment. "I just think that she's... less ready to be on her own." This was true. Aspenstar wasn't yet sure what she was going to do with Sagepaw, but there was a second opening in the guard...
"If you're interested in the position, I brought you here to give you your full name."
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Post by achromatic on Oct 9, 2021 16:36:13 GMT -5
Moonpaw felt a little nervous but he laughed along, albeit a little more awkwardly than the genuine laugh that left Aspenstar's mouth. As much as he absolutely admired Aspenstar, there was still a large part of him that understood the power dynamics here, that she was his leader and that he was truly here to serve her. Still, he gave her a sheepish smile as she continued on. As much as he was embarrassed about suggesting the sparring, he was relieved to hear it was not so. He wasn't so sure he could beat her in a fight as good as he was.
The tom blinked in surprise when she mentioned that they were the top training apprentices. Then again, perhaps he shouldn't have been surprised; they spent every waking moment battling or competing against each other after all, and he had always pushed himself harder just to make sure he was staying ahead or at least rivaling her in everything. There was no way he could lose to Sagepaw after all, she'd never let him hear the end of it.
Yet, when Aspenstar mentioned that he was the one to advance, a mixture of emotions welled up inside of him. Pride, that he truly had been the best of the crop, a 'ha! I told you so' to Sagepaw perhaps, but also...disappointment, that they wouldn't be a pair anymore. He didn't know why he felt that way; just moons ago they were arguing and saying how they'd be glad to get rid of each other once they were truly warriors, and now...he felt a certain connection with the other apprentice he often worked with. He didn't understand why he felt that way, but it was there.
"I...I'm honoured to be selected, Aspenstar," he spoke, wiping away the doubt that came across his eyes for that brief moment. Compartmentalizing was always a skill he had, and he'd simply deal with it later, though he didn't know what he'd say to Sagepaw if she wasn't chosen. "It would be amazing to join your loyal guard, and I promise I'll do my best."
