The light is so bright its like I'm overheating

**namen_roodles** · #1 May 2nd, 2025, 11:56 AM

SPIDERPAW
Riverclan Apprentice | 7 moons | Lanky, amber eyed, blue-grey tabby she-cat with white paws, chin, and tail tip.
Heightened perception: Smell
~~~
It had been a while since Spiderpaw had talked to Minnowpapa. After getting done with bringing Fallenspirit to the medicine cat... She had a lot to talk to him about. It was strange to her how much had happened in just a few weeks. Her mind was still trying to grasp everything around that interaction. She certainly needed more time to think about that before she talked about it.

No, it was a couple other things she wanted to ask him about. Tell him about. Would he ask about the scar on her lip? She knew those crab pincers shouldn't have scarred so badly if not for her own negligence. How her left canine permanently showed, now, because of the infection in her lip? She hoped not. The apprentice didn't want to admit that she hadn't listened to him about immediately seeing Berryshine, instead only seeing her when her muzzle had swollen and become painful.

At least the medicine cat had gotten rid of the infection. It was only a scar that reminded her of that injuries could, in fact, get worse when left to their own devices.

There were more important things to talk about, though. She needed to find her dead. Her fur was still damp and a bit bristled. Brushing with death... well, she wanted to make sure her family knew how much she loved them, first and foremost. Spiderpaw had learned quite the lesson... Even the most routine things could take her life. That was terrifying.

"Papa?" Her voice was a bit shaky as Spiderpaw poked her head into the warrior's den, ears perked as her eyes sought out her father's light pelt among the sleeping and relaxing warriors.

@Idiotic.Bean101

**Idiotic.Bean101** · #2 May 2nd, 2025, 02:19 PM

art and design by investigator on TH
Minnowrain-He/Him
51 Moons

-------------------

Who knows what Minnowrain was dreaming about, but he woke up groggy, hearing Spiderpaw's voice.
He moved to sit up, still getting the sleep out of his eyes.

"Yes?" He replied quietly, as to not wake up anyone sleeping in the den.
He was still all blurry from sleep, he would probably go ahead and leave the den in a few moments so it would be less likely to wake anyone.

@namen_roodles

**namen_roodles** · #3 May 2nd, 2025, 02:37 PM

SPIDERPAW
Riverclan Apprentice | 7 moons | Lanky, amber eyed, blue-grey tabby she-cat with white paws, chin, and tail tip.
Heightened perception: Smell
~~~
Oh, there he was! Her dad's sleepy reply met her and Spiderpaw carefully crawled into the warrior's den, ensuring she didn't wake anyone else as she went. Whatever plans her father may have had of slipping from his nest were not on her mind as the apprentice curled up beside him in the bedding and hid her face into his shoulder. She hadn't expected to start shaking again as soon as she heard his voice.

"Papa... I love you..." She told him quietly, not even aware of how damp her fur still was from swimming at Lionsbeach. She sniffled, trying to blink back tears as everything crashed back down on her again.

@Idiotic.Bean101

**Idiotic.Bean101** · #4 May 2nd, 2025, 03:17 PM

art and design by investigator on TH
Minnowrain-He/Him
51 Moons

------------------

Before he could exit, Spiderpaw was already headed into the den.
Before he knew it, she had curled up next to him, and stuffed her face into his shoulder, and she was...
Shaking?

He immediately leaned down a bit, putting a paw over his daughter.
"Hey, I love you too." Minnowrain says gently "What's wrong?"

@namen_roodles

**namen_roodles** · #5 May 2nd, 2025, 04:02 PM

SPIDERPAW
Riverclan Apprentice | 7 moons | Lanky, amber eyed, blue-grey tabby she-cat with white paws, chin, and tail tip.
Heightened perception: Smell
~~~
It came like a wave as the apprentice broke down and started to cry when Minnowrain asked her what was wrong. Everything was wrong. What was he going to think? She felt like she suddenly shouldn't tell him. Would it worry him? Would he get upset? She didn't know. "I-We were... Fallenspirit was h-h-helping me with a swimming lesson... a-at l-l-lionsbeach..." Spiderpaw started.

"I was s-s-stupid... I saw him d-dive under w-w-water..." She looked up at her father. "S-so when I was... practicing and doing l-laps... I dove into the w-w-water too..." She shook her head. "Th-the undertow..." The little tabby buried her face into his fur again, seeking out the comfort Minnowrain's presence brought. "I a-almost got us b-both killed... Fallenspirit... he had to pull m-me out... of the water..." She sobbed, the shaking only becoming more violent as she explained.

@Idiotic.Bean101

**Idiotic.Bean101** · #6 May 2nd, 2025, 06:39 PM

art and design by investigator on TH
Minnowrain-He/Him
51 Moons

------------------

As Minnowrain listened to Spiderpaw speak, his ears flattened, just a bit.
And he pulled the small tabby closer to him.
As much of a hug as cats can provide.

"Hey, it's okay." He muttered "You're okay."
Minnowrain was trying to be as reassuring as he could, he wasn't as... present for his kids as he should've been when Creekberry had died.
He wants to be.

He regrets that he wasn't.
Even for the ones who don't remember her.
He needs to be there for all of his kids.
All of his family in general.

And what Spiderpaw is saying happened, it... doesn't sound good.
Almost drowning during your first time swimming can leave a... lasting impact.

@namen_roodles

**namen_roodles** · #7 May 2nd, 2025, 11:42 PM

SPIDERPAW
Riverclan Apprentice | 7 moons | Lanky, amber eyed, blue-grey tabby she-cat with white paws, chin, and tail tip.
Heightened perception: Smell
~~~
Upon hearing Minnowrain's assurances, Spiderpaw cried a little bit harder. It was... safe. It was safe to cry here. She cried until she couldn't cry anymore. It wasn't that she felt numb to it... Quite the contrary. As her papa pulled her close and let her know everything was okay, she was able to cry out the fear that had gripped her. To cry until she was too tired to cry. To cry until she could hear more than just the pounding heart in her chest.

She had needed to cry. Sure, she had cried on the beach, but most of that was due to her anxiety around making Fallenspirit upset. It was more mixed, and she had been able to redirect herself. Now she had a chance to actually cry for what had happened. For almost leaving her family behind... and for the stars that had watched her drown.

As she calmed down, she cuddled closer to Minnowrain with a sniffle. She remembered what Fallenspirit had talked about on the beach. His mother scolding him in his mind... She wanted to change subject, especially now that she was too tired to cry anymore. "Papa?" She looked up at her father. "What was mama like?" She just wanted to know. Would Creekberry be scolding her like Fallenspirit's mother? Would she have been watching along with the rest of the starry eyes? Would she have made a miracle happen so that the pair could've survived and pulled out of the undertow? She didn't know.

But she wanted to know.

@Idiotic.Bean101

**Idiotic.Bean101** · #8 May 3rd, 2025, 06:12 PM

art and design by investigator on TH
Minnowrain-He/Him
51 Moons

--------------------

It broke his heart to hear his daughter crying like this.
But he obviously would let her.
It's better to let it out than hold it in.

And then she... asked him a question that caught him off guard, to say the least.
Her mother.
Creekberry.

Minnowrain hesitated.
Then he forced himself to answer.

"Creekberry... was kind, but also... rebellious? No, outgoing would be a better word." He replied, a forlorn expression on his face "She always spoke her mind. Always... Always letting you know what she thinks. You should've heard her when we met."

@namen_roodles

**namen_roodles** · #9 May 4th, 2025, 01:11 AM

SPIDERPAW
Riverclan Apprentice | 7 moons | Lanky, amber eyed, blue-grey tabby she-cat with white paws, chin, and tail tip.
Heightened perception: Smell
~~~
Outgoing. Always spoke her mind. It was interesting for Spiderpaw to learn how different she was from her mama. There probably never would be any accidental mix-ups with calling her rebellious. She was quite the opposite. The grey tabby could wish to be more social and confident. It seemed a pretty tall task. However, a piece of what her papa said did peak her interest.

"What did she say when you met?" The apprentice asked Minnowrain, ears perked as she felt herself slowly relaxing more and more.

@Idiotic.Bean101

**Idiotic.Bean101** · #10 Yesterday, 02:20 PM

art and design by investigator on TH
Minnowrain-He/Him
51 Moons

---------------

Minnowrain was quiet for a moment.
He really hadn't talked about Creekberry much since it happened, huh?

"Well..." He finally began again "I was a... very clumsy apprentice. Once, I went out to prove myself. By myself. Not my started choice."

"Let's just say, her and her mentor had found me when they were out." Minnowrain continued "They found me stuck in a tree. She gave me a real talking to, you could say."

@namen_roodles