bracken stems (p)

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|| Brackensky ||

Ivystem sat by herself near the back of the clearing. She was sitting in a nice patch of sunlight, and it felt amazing. 'I hope no one disrupts this peacefulness. I haven't been this relaxed in moons. She didn't expect anyone to come up to her. RockClan was a pretty small clan, and she couldn't hear or see anyone around. Today was her lucky day.

Or at least she thought. Ivystem looked up as she heard some pawsteps approaching. 'Are you serious? Do I look like I want to talk?' She had a scowl on her face, though it went away the second she realized it was a queen. She sighed. "Hello."

[Brackensky]

Brackensky had noticed that same patch of sunlight.

She'd also noticed the warrior already occupying the space. Hm... The she-cat seemed to be rather content and relaxed. Hopefully it wasn't a cat as quick to snap at your paws as a hungry fox. She personally enjoyed the company of others, even if it was just presence. It was... Comforting in a way, to be reminded again and again she was in a clan rather than alone.

But that was just her. 

She lay herself down on her side in the sunlight. "Oh, don't mind me." She meowed calmly, loving the warm rays as a soft contrast to the biting chilliness that had plagued her pelt for so long.

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Ivystem huffed quietly and scooted over a tad. She rested her head on her paws, hardly taking a look at the queen. It wasn't her mother, and she hadn't seen Spiderleaf around, so this had to be one of the newer queens. The warrior flicked an ear at Brackensky's voice. "I'm trying not to."

If it were a warrior who approached her, Ivystem would have snapped at them. She had a soft spot for queens, which was why she was tolerating this she-cat. 'But why couldn't she have found a different spot?'

[Brackensky]

Brackensky was not fully acquainted with the clan.

As such, many of her encounters were new ones. Granted, she was aware that Rockclan was smaller than the others. She had been to gatherings before and was able to draw a conclusion by viewing the comparisons herself. 

She relaxed herself and allowed her thoughts to run free as she was able to smile. The other warrior didn't seem so into Brackensky's presence, but they weren't running away or shouting. So, that was good. She curled in on herself. "My name is Brackensky." She whispered softly with kind tone.

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'I didn't ask.' Ivystem closed her eyes, trying to zone Brackensky out. It didn't work- she could still feel the queen's aura brushing against her own. The warrior drew in a breath. "Ivystem." She sounded tired and worn out. Maybe that would give Brackensky the message. She wanted to be left alone.

It didn't look like the queen was leaving. 'Just ignore her.' She curled her tail tightly around herself and looked the other way. She didn't have many positive relationships and didn't plan on increasing that number. She just wanted to be neutral with everyone. It was better that way. No drama, no heartbreak, and no sadness. Only loneliness remained, and she was used to it by now.

[Brackensky]

Brackensky purred.

"That's a very nice name." She meowed softly. The other she-cat seemed tired. Maybe she didn't enjoy Brackensky's company as much as she did Ivystem's. Maybe she wasn't be sensitive and considerate right now by leaving.

Still. She wanted to be a little selfish right now.

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Ivystem shrugged at the compliment. She didn't really have an opinion on her name. It was just part of a plant. "Brackensky isn't half bad, either." She slowly turned her head, taking a look at the queen. She sort of admired how she had stayed put, even with her own coldness. 'Then again, she probably deals with grumpy kits from time to time. Maybe she's used to it.' The she-cat thought, turning away again.

[Brackensky]

Brackensky chuckled lightly.

"Mm... I always thought my name was a bit off." She answered honestly. Ivystem wasn't exactly chatty nor giving off friendliness in waves... But the queen thought the warrior made pleasant company. That was a definite yes.

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"Mm...I always thought my name was a bit off." Ivystem gave another shrug. Sure, you wouldn't see bracken in the sky, though it was still a nice sounding name. She tapped her tail against the ground. Bracken sort of fitted the tabby. In a way. The warrior took another look at her.

Come to think of it, she couldn't remember a Brackenkit running around, or even a Brackenpaw. Brackensky becoming the new queen was probably the first time she'd ever seen her. Ivystem thought on this for a moment, getting curious enough to ask. "Where are you from?"

[Brackensky]

Brackensky pondered over the question.

Not because it was difficult to answer... But she was wondering over the wisdom of giving this information so freely. Then she decided honesty is the best policy applied rather well here. "I used to be a loner." She answered truthfully. 

She fixed her wide hazel eyes onto Ivystem to gauge her reaction.

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'A loner.' Well, it was better than being a kittypet. She could feel the queen's hazel gaze, and turned to match it with her own green. "Why did you choose to join RockClan, then?" She thought loners were free spirits, not wanting to be tied down by clan rules. But maybe that was a wrong assumption. She'd never met a loner, after all.

[Brackensky]

Brackensky was glad that Ivystem didn't seem judgmental. 

Though, the sandy warrior still wanted to know her reasons. She supposed... It made sense. Loners and clan cats led rather different lives. Usually the groups stayed within themselves. "Loneliness." She answered simply.

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'Loneliness.' She looked across the clearing, only spotting one or two other pelts. 'You definitely picked the wrong clan for that reason.' Ivystem couldn't remember a time when the clan was packed with cats. 'Didn't she realize that we were a small group when she found us? She could've chosen a some other clan.' The warrior shrugged to herself. Maybe the other territories just weren't as appealing.

"I see." She said simply, followed by a yawn.

[Brackensky]

Brackensky watched as Ivystem's gaze wandered.

She was probably thinking about how Rockclan wasn't that populated... Well, she hadn't really been searching for a clan to join... And Rockclan was nice enough. She didn't mind that it wasn't bustling with cats. As opposed to spending days at a time with nothing but her thoughts, her only contact brief brushes with other cats that were far and few in between.

She sighed as her gaze turned to the sky. 

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Ivystem noticed Brackensky look up. She did the same, squinting at the sun. The sky was clear and blue, and there wasn't much to look at other than the occasional bird that flew by. She rested her head back down on her paws.

"What are you thinking about?"