Feeling Down, Down? [c]

To say Violetpaw wasn't lonely would be a lie, but saying Violetpaw wasn't talking to the Asylum cats, wasn't true either. First of all, when Mishka was talking to her earlier something sparked. So it wasn't like she wasn't making friends. What was putting the dark grey she-cat into a bad mood?

At first she couldn't figure it out, but after seeing Downtuft, her mentor, her mother's brother*, and most of all, her friend, upset, she knew what was going on. Like most friendly cats, Violetpaw can't stand seeing her friends and family members* feeling down. So, as any good cat would do, she went over to check on him. "It's... Goldengale, isn't it?" She mewed softly. "You haven't spoke to me much after the um, takeover." Violetpaw wasn't sure what to say, she didn't know what to do to give the older cat comfort. "And I don't want to bother m.. Softbreeze with Dappleshine.."

"Too much is going on, it's like the Asylum knew we weren't ready." She hoped jealousy didn't show in her next comment. "It seems like... Um, Daypaw- I mean. It seems like you care about Daypaw more than... me." She barely got out the word 'me' her sliver tinted muzzle barely opened to speak it. "I miss your energy, Down."

((*Violetpaw was adopted by Softbreeze. She doesn't know that she isn't related to the two siblings, which is why I won't refer to them as adopted.))

Downtuft had been preoccupied with his thoughts. His talk with Daypaw had gone well, he thought. Next on his list... Violetpaw, perhaps. He hadn't spoken to her much, but that was because he wasn't very good with words. He did worry about her, as much as he would any family member. While not biological, Violetpaw was family just the same.

Family. Something Downtuft kept losing, it seemed. A scowl crossed his face. Barleytuft, his beloved father. He had always known just what to say, when to say it, and how to say it. Graybriar. He remembered his mother telling them stories every night, him and Softkit listening anxiously, with wide eyes. Mistystripe and Quailpaw, two siblings he never got to meet. Clovertwist, his elder brother. Determined and strong, with an awful sense of humor. The absolute worst of dad jokes. Wherever his paws carried him, he'd hoped he was happy.  Briarthorn, as well. And now... Now Goldengale. His older sister.

Then their were Goldengale's grandkits he'd lost. Most he weren't particularly close with, but there were a few. Wildflower, Morningdove (how anything kept her down, he was unsure of.) He was close with, Heatkit, Snowkit, Petalpaw, Echokit. Not many remained of his family, and he and Softbreeze were the only living children of Barleytuft and Graybriar now. That was hard to believe, if he was being honest.

Of course, so lost in his thoughts, he hadn't heard Violetpaw.

When she spoke, he visibly flinched, rapidly turning to face him. "I-- uh, don't know what you're talking about." He huffed stubbornly, refusing to make eye contact. This wasn't a conversation he wanted to have. It wasn't how he planned this conversation to go. He was supposed to be comforting her. Wait. "Care more about Daypaw? Are you insane? No! I care about BOTH of you EQUALLY! Where did you get such a harebrained idea?" Downtuft was shocked, entirely. Those ratdung Asylum cats.

"Stay away from those Asylum cats. And Eagletalon; I don't trust her. They'll fill your brain with nonsense, and you're much too bright for that to ruin you. Daypaw and I talked the other day, I was meaning to speak with you too." Downtuft mewed sternly, and then glanced at Violetpaw.

"My sister could use your light much more than I could. I miss her energy. Have you talked with her recently?"After a second of observation, he tilted his head. "Where's your feather?"

With a growl, he looked around the Clearing, eyes narrowed. "None of those weaselhearts took it, did they?" If they did, well, they'd certainly regret it. Downtuft didn't know why she liked that little feather so much, but she did, it comforted her and if any cat tried to take that from her, he'd fight to the death for it.

Only after a few seconds of talking did Violetpaw realise that Downtuft wasn't upset, he was angry. "I-I-" Her tail was puffed up, she didn't like his tone. "U-Um.. You've been talking with Daypaw more than me... I just..." She let her fur lay down. "I thought we should spend more time together, we're family, right?" Then the tom went on a rant about the Asylum and Eagletalon. She was going to say something, but, she couldn't bring herself to speak. "I should miss Softbreeze's energy? Yes, I know but your energy is gone too and I just feel like Softbreeze seems so different after..." Her voice grew quiet shuffled backwards as Downtuft questioned where her feather was.

"No- no they didn't take it, it's in my den, under my moss bed." She flinched when the older cat said they were weaselhearts. "N-not all of them are like that- I was just talking to one of them before, their name was Mishka- they're really nice." She smiled, just talking about them made her happy. "And she liked my feather, she didn't take it, though. She told me it was pretty." Her yellow-ish green eyes shined. "I was going to go out onto the moor with her, and have a little hunt or something." Violetpaw couldn't help herself, Mishka was the friendliest Asylum cat she had met, maybe saying all this could help Downtuft feel more safe around them, if he still didn't trust them.

"Family.. Yeah, you're right, kid. We are family, we always will be. That's why I'm worried about you. You should've come to me earlier. If I'd known you felt this way, I would've made an attempt to reach out more." Downtuft sighed. He'd definitely come off harsh at first. He hadn't meant to, he just wasn't good with words. He raised an eyebrow as Violetpaw began to talk about a... Mishka. "Don't. You don't want to be friends with her."

How could he describe this to her? Oh, he knew! "You wouldn't be friends with a fox, would you? Eventually they will turn on you, or try to turn you against us. When has WindClan ever hurt or abandoned you, Vi? We care about you, I care about you. I don't want to see you hurt. I know they seem nice now, but look what they did to Goldengale. To Dappleshine, and Raventail. You could argue Raventail's death was his own fault and that Goldengale shouldn't have been out alone, but what did Dappleshine do? She hadn't done anything. She'd been silent and now she's dead. Like an adder poised to strike, just waiting for the perfect time. They know we'll never submit, so they're going to try to taint our young against us. What better way to take over a Clan than to control the young?"

Downtuft hoped he was making sense to her. He didn't want her choosing the wrong side when the Clans finally fought back. "If we went into battle right now, can I count on you to fight tooth and claw for WindClan? I know I can. But what about in the future? What if you make friends with them? Will you be willing to fight your friends to protect your kin? I know you can, but I don't want you to have to make that choice. Your as loyal to WindClan and your family as I am. I'd never doubt that in a million leaf-bares. I want to protect you, Violetpaw, but I can't protect you if you won't let me." His jade eyes were pleading now, as if begging her to understand. "Softbreeze is different because of what they did. You shouldn't be alone with them. I'll come, or bring Daypaw, or Fogpaw, or Spotlake or-- any cat, really. Any loyal WindClan cat. I don't trust them. I wouldn't trust them to cover my dirt. You shouldn't either. Some cats are just pretty words."

Maybe telling her the story of the first time would help. "Before I was born these cats came before. Theron, the one who killed Dapple and Golden, and three of her friends. They killed an apprentice, Puddlepaw, and wore his pelt as they fought us. They claimed two of Finchstar's lives. They nearly killed Spotlake and Crowspirit and they're the reason Grousefrost can no longer hear. They destroyed our camp and nearly killed our medicine cat at the time, Aspenheart. It took many moons to rebuild; I should know, Softbreeze and I helped to rebuild camp. You see Crowspirit's scars? Those all came from the Asylum cats first attempt to take over. Now do you see why they can't be trusted?" As Downtuft got to the end of his explanation, his voice became softer, concerned, and he edged closer to Violetpaw, willing her to understand that she could not be friends with these evil cats.