Ask to Join Training the Brain

Spawn of flame, Thunder-struck, from the ashes I rise
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The forest was alive with the quiet drip of melting snow, and though she usually found such mornings serene her thoughts were preoccupied. Greypebble’s company was welcome though, and she found herself smiling faintly as he glanced back at her every so often, his short tail flicking in that nervous way she’d come to find endearing.

When he finally settled beneath an overhanging tree, she followed, her spotted pelt brushing against a low hanging branch as she moved to sit beside him. His question about Coyotepaw made her pause for a heartbeat, her tail curling around her paws as she considered her response.

“Oh, Coyotepaw’s training?” she began, her tone light and playful as she flicked him with her tail. “She’s... quiet, but willing to learn and does well when she applies herself...” She grinned, though the humor didn’t quite reach her eyes. Truthfully, there were moments when she doubted herself, wondering if she was truly shaping Coyotepaw into the warrior she deserved to be. But that wasn’t something she’d admit now.

“You know...” Leopardrose gave a purr, tilting her head toward him. “I think you’d make a fine mentor. Moosestar just hasn’t seen it yet. I’ll put in a good word for you!” Her voice was teasing, but the warmth in her gaze was genuine. “And once you become a mentor it'll be fun to compare our 'Starclan, what are our apprentices doing!' stories with."

Her expression softened as he confessed his lack of confidence, and for a moment, she felt the familiar pang of her own insecurities. Wasn’t she only ever acting the part of a confident mentor, hiding her fears beneath a polished exterior? “Confidence doesn’t always roar, you know. Sometimes it’s just... showing up, taking that next step."

Even the smallest pebble can make ripples that change the course of the stream.

⋘ ──── ∙∙•🪨•∙∙ ──── ⋙

Greyprebbles shifted slightly, letting Leopardrose's words sink in, though, his blue-grey eyes stayed fixed on the ground. He toyed with a fallen leaf between his paws, his stubbed tail flicking absently behind him. "Coyotepaw's lucky to have you as her mentor" he murmured, his voice soft but sincere, he enjoyed Leopardrose's company, and even talking about things that didn't even concern him brought him a strange sense of joy. "She'll learn more than just hunting and fighting from you... she'll learn what it means to be strong, even when thing's aren't easy" he hesitated his hears flicking back for a moment as he gathered his thoughts "You've certainly taught me that"

As Leopardrose's teasing reached him, his whiskers twitched with a small smile, and he lifted his gaze to meet hers "You think I'd make a good mentor? Putting in a good word would be too kind of you" he asked, the faintest trace of surprise coloring his tone. "I don't really know...  I'm not sure I'd know what to say half the time. What if I said something wrong, or worse... what if my apprentice doesn't trust me?" his voice faltered, and he let out a quiet sigh, his gaze dropping again. "I suppose it's just... hard to imagine anyone looking up to me in that way. I know I'd try my hardest, but what if it's not enough?"

He gave a small shrug, his fur brushing against the tree bark behind him. The idea of spending more time with Leopardrose kept his eyes bright, Leopardrose seemed to light up the camp whenever she walked into it, and Greypebbles admired her more than he could say because of that. "Still... it would be nice to share those stories with you" he admitted with a shy smile. "Though I have a feeling yours would be way more exciting"

Her words about confidence lingered in his mind, and he turned them over carefully before replying. "Maybe you're right about that" He said quietly, but with a hint of thoughtfulness "Maybe it's not about having all the answers right away. Maybe it's just... being there, like you said. Taking that next step and hoping it leads to something good" He glanced at her again, the warmth in her gaze helping him to steady yet softening his own "I'll think about it"

Spawn of flame, Thunder-struck, from the ashes I rise
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Leopardrose tilted her head, watching Greypebbles as he toyed with the leaf beneath his paws, his uncertainty written plainly in the way his tail flicked and his gaze drifted to the ground. She felt a pang of affection for the quiet tom, his soft-spoken sincerity striking a chord in her chest. When he murmured his belief in her as a mentor, she blinked, caught off guard by the weight of his words. Strong... even when things aren’t easy. Was that how he saw her? It was almost too much to bear, but she hid her emotions behind a light laugh.

"Hmph. If I can muddle my way through mentoring, I’m sure you’d be brilliant at it.” His concerns about being trusted or saying the wrong thing earned a purr from her, warm and reassuring. "If you say the wrong thing... well, that's what humor is for. And who's to say which stories would be more exciting -?"

She let her paw brush idly at the damp earth, her gaze turning thoughtful as she mulled over his final words. “You’re right, though. It’s not about knowing everything or always getting it right..." With a small, determined shake of her spotted rump, she trotted towards the nearest tree, launching herself against the bark where her paws stretched, claws out to scale it.

Once she was on a stiff enough branch her whiskers twitched, smile returning to her face. “I could try embellishing my stories...I suppose, but I'm a little young to be an Elder.” She winked down at him.

Even the smallest pebble can make ripples that change the course of the stream.

⋘ ──── ∙∙•🪨•∙∙ ──── ⋙

Greypebbles was quick to follow Leopardrose up the tree that she had begun to climb, though this small body of his wasn't well build for it, he still could climb - it just took a little more effort that was all. Greypebbles then sat before his long old friend on the tree branch "I'm not apposed to you putting in a good word for me, about me being a mentor anyway" He said after a few heartbeats of silence. "Though the decision is up to Moosestar" he added

Leopardrose's words continued to play in his mind, even hearing her voice or smelling her scent gave him a bit of comfort, but he couldn't have a piece of her forever... at least he thought he couldn't, as long as they were clanmates he was sure as the stars that he could anyway. "You could pass as one if you embellish the story enough" Greypebbles joked back, giving his shortened tail a playful flick. "Then again if you told me that Coyotepaw flew onto a cloud I'd believe you" he added, letting out a dry chuckle at his own expense, though he felt no embarrassment... which seemed to happen most of the time, why not now?

"So what's the story today old Leopardrose, you don't need any mouse bile for those ticks do you?" he joked cuffing her ear playfully with a paw of sheathed claws. "Let's see if you could make it a good one" He added, his tone moved from a soft-hearted, bare whisper to one that sounded rather reminiscent of his father's chirpy and friendly tone but Leopardrose probably didn't know him that well, Greypebbles didn't know him at all... through circumstances that he had no control over... 

Spawn of flame, Thunder-struck, from the ashes I rise
──●◎●──

Leopardrose let out a mock gasp as Greypebbles cuffed her ear, her whiskers twitching with wryness. "So...you want a story?" She perched herself a little more securely on the branch. "Alright. Just don’t laugh. Or, actually, laugh if you want..."

She cleared her throat. “There was a forest… uh, very much like this one, there was… a warrior. Let’s call her...Umm...Roselight!" She glanced at Greypebbles, her eyes narrowing pointedly. "Roselight was the strongest, cleverest, most fearless cat in the whole forest - but despite all her talents, there was one thing Roselight feared above all else..."

She threw herself up dramatically. "Ticks. A great, terrible, fat tick! It wasn't a normal tick... oh no. This tick was… huge! Yeah, it could -uh - scurry faster than a squirrel and burrow in the sand like a mole! Roselight and her Clan lived in terror of being ambushed in the night in their dens..."

Leopardrose faltered, realizing the absurdity of her story and feeling her ears grow hot. But she soldiered on, eyes glinting with a mix of embarrassment and determination. "One day, Roselight... was sent on a mission by her leader to, uh… defeat the giant tick...."

She suddenly broke off and gave Greypebbles a exasperated look. "You know, I’m starting to think I'd make for a terrible Elder."

Even the smallest pebble can make ripples that change the course of the stream.

⋘ ──── ∙∙•🪨•∙∙ ──── ⋙

Greypebbles' eyes seemed un-movingly fixed on Leopardrose, unusually captivated by her story, letting out a few light-hearted snorts of laughter at some parts, but his eyes mostly held the respect and focus of the quiet and observant apprentice he once was, as if he had been listen to a wise, long-winded story from an elder. His ears twitched as he followed each of the words with a playful, light hearted expression.

With Leopardrose, it was as if Greypebbles was a completely different cat, more talkative and considerate, he had always been a great listener, but he hardly thought that any cat stuck around long enough or paid enough attention to notice. "Aww but I was quite enjoying Roselight and the giant tick" he laughed lightly, flicking his bobbed tail back and forth with rare enthusiasm and a more common intrigue.

"Does she end up defeating this giant tick? Come on Leopardrose, every story deserves an ending, especially an entraining one such as Roselight's" the grey tom purred, a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth as he placed a paw on one of Leopardrose's paws, smiling at her with a rare warmth that wasn't seen too often. He like feeling this way, but he just wasn't sure how to do that with other cats. He'll figure it out eventually, at least he hoped he would.

"I'm sure she saves her clan, maybe she could be as great as you are, even an elder with creative stories as yours, but i don't think any cat could beat Roselight and the giant tick" the spotted grey tom chuckled with a light hearted resolve behind his voice, one that isn't seen as often as it should be.

Spawn of flame, Thunder-struck, from the ashes I rise
──●◎●──

The warm-faced she-cat continued after some encouragement from her clanmate, glad at least he was enjoying the story. "There Roselight was...Sent on a special mission from her leader and aided by a special, Starclan blessed stick soaked in mouse bile... Roselight ventured into the forest, deeper than she even dared to go, where the Tick waited."

Her claws scraped lightly against the bark as she continued, her voice dropping into an exaggeratedly ominous tone even as his paw sought to comfort her. Leopardrose was playing along. "The tick was massive. Their legs were like tree roots, their shells tougher than the bark of a ThunderClan oak! Roselight - uh - leapt into battle, wielding her stick like a true warrior. She slapped it left - then right, until the whole forest shook from their fight!"

Leopardrose let out a laugh, shaking her head as she glanced at Greypebbles, her aqua eyes bright with amusement despite the awkward telling. "Until finally Roselight hit it so hard it broke into a pile of pieces - and that's the story about Roselight and how she became a hero."

The tip of her tail twitched as it dangled, eyes bright as they landed squarely on her clanmate. "Your turn, Greypebbles. Save me from embarrassing myself further!"

Even the smallest pebble can make ripples that change the course of the stream.

⋘ ──── ∙∙•🪨•∙∙ ──── ⋙

Greypebbles seemed oddly enthralled with Leopardrose's story, twitching his ears attentively as she used elaborate movements to achieve the right setting for the story she had been regaling to him. "That's a good storyteller if I ever saw one" he stated with a smile "The way you get so incapsulated in your stories and make them seem so exciting, as if the most outlandish thing could be perceived as a real event, I wonder how you're able to do that" he said with a light hearted chuckle, parting his grey jaws open in a yawn after the story had concluded.

"My turn?" Greypebbles responded in mock shock, his eyes dramatically widened and a single paw placed on his chest "Leopardrose, you know I've only ever heard stories how could I possibly make one as-" the grey tom let out a snort "-fascinating as Roselight and the tick?" he stated, a small giggle peeking through the rumble in his chest, oh how he loved spending time with Leopardrose, there was nothing he like more. Except spending time with Bravesong maybe.

He lay his body lazily on the branch, it being surprisingly built well enough to hold both the two cats' weight, granted Greypebbles had always been a runt, always small and light; he never let it get to him though, small and lighter means agile and able to evade attacks quicker. That's what he always told himself anyway. He'd never really needed to use his battle moves before aside from sparring with Larchsong and Brindlespice when they had been apprentices. And even light spars with Bravesong after his apprenticeship had concluded.

"I think you'd make a better story-teller than I would even if I tried my hardest"

Spawn of flame, Thunder-struck, from the ashes I rise
──●◎●──

Leopardrose tilted her head, her ears twitching as she gave Greypebbles a playful, unimpressed look. "Oh, stop that." She teased, swatting at his shoulder lightly. "You’re not going to wiggle your way out of this with flattery, Greypebbles."

She stretched luxuriously along the branch, letting her tail sway lazily below her, the light catching the silvery sheen of her rosetted fur. Her aqua eyes glimmered as she smirked down at him. "Or are you admitting that my storytelling prowess is so incredible, it’s left you utterly intimidated?"

Leopardrose then rested her chin on her paws, her gaze warm and inviting. "But I’m not letting you off this branch until I hear something, so you might as well get started!" She purred, the challenge clear in her playful expression.