SkyClan Clearing

[doghouse]

Lioncry padded out of the elders' den, her golden brown pelt sticking up. Usually, she was well groomed and her fur clean, but the warrior had grown to be rather forgetful and often forgot to clean out her pelt. Once, she'd been slightly sleeker, but the long days spent in the nursery and hunting had worn her down a bit. She shifted with anticipation for the upcoming battle, which she was determined to see through to the end when it came. She looked around, in the mood to talk to someone.

@Flameleaf

[BluBunnie]

Originally Posted by Noire

Cloudriver continued to take small delicate bites at her prey, and felt her friend sit next to her. She looked at him for a second, watching as he scarfed his meal down in single gulps. It was a humoring sight, but quiet sickening to her as well. ''How could you do that?'' She giggled, and turned back to her own prey. Her starling wasn't even half through, and she bent down to take another bite of it. At feeling a light nudge, the she cat turned once more to Mousefur. ''Hey,'' She narrowed her eyes playfully at him, ''Just because you don't want to appreciate the taste of your food, doesn't mean I don't have to. In fact, this meal is tasting grand as I'm taking my time.''She tells him, leaning into his fur, and nuzzling him lightly. She picked herself off him, and bent down once more towards the bird and picked at the meat, chewing it slowly and swallowing it down. Apart of her knew it was how she ate, and the other part knew that she only did it to tease Mousefur, who knew she did, indeed, eat too slow.

Mousefur rolled his eyes and smiled a bit. He loved teasing Cloudriver and part of him knew she only ate slow to tease him back. He shook his fur as he started feeling an itch near his shoulder blades, the tom rolled onto his back and tried to itch it as best he could. As he rolled back over his long, thick pelt began to stick up and get messy. His white fur turned a brown color and he had grass all over him. Mousefur yawned a bit and tucked his paws underneath him, not realizing how messy he looked.

[Tundra]

Goldenpaw finished her mouse and looked around the clearing. She spotted Lioncry near the Elders den and padded over. "Hi there, Lioncry!" She mewed. "What are you up to?" She sat down. Licking a paw and drawing it over her ear, she continued. "So, what do you think about the upcoming battle?"

[doghouse]

Originally Posted by Flameleaf

Goldenpaw finished her mouse and looked around the clearing. She spotted Lioncry near the Elders den and padded over. "Hi there, Lioncry!" She mewed. "What are you up to?" She sat down. Licking a paw and drawing it over her ear, she continued. "So, what do you think about the upcoming battle?"

(not to sound rude, but can you quote me next time? It will help me to reply sooner and keep track)

Lioncry heard a voice call her name and she looked up to see an apprentice.
She believed that her name was Goldenpaw, but she wasn't entirely sure. She got to her paws, blinking. “Hi. Goldenpaw, right?” she asked, flicking her dark tipped tail as she sat down, facing towards the young molly. “Nothin' much. Hmm . . . . I don't like it, but I know it's necessary. And what do you think?” she knew full well that not every cat was going to come back to SkyClan, and she knew that cats were going to die. That was battle, and she'd seen four battles already. This would never fifth, and she hoped that it would be her last, and SkyClan's last.

[Tundra]

I did...)

Goldenpaw nodded. "Yes, its Goldenpaw," She purred. "I don't really like the fact that the battle is happening... I know some cats will die..." Goldenpaw let her voice trail off. She stared into the distance for a few moments, her mouth slightly open. Taking a breath, she continued. "Isn't there a way to prevent the battle?"

[The Cannibal]

Originally Posted by Noire

The calico feline felt a bright smile coming to her maw at the compliment. She was never used to getting compliments on her name, and she had to embrace the fact that her name...wasn't all that bad. Though she would had preferred something simple such as Splotch as she used to be known, or even Splotchy, as nicknamed by good friends. Even so, her name had fit her well. Named for the splotches on her pelt, and the prefix- feather, for the softness of it. Almost as soft as a feather. She remembered Greystep said the same thing about her name. The senior warrior was kind--skittish, but kind. Looking in front of her, Yarrowpounce reminded her of the grey tom. He was much younger, around her age she could tell. Maybe, older? Most likely.

The she-cat shook her head. Why was she focused on how old he was? He probably thought she was weird when she looked at him, but she couldn't help but stare at him as he was eating. She wanted to make sure he was eating every bite. It was a shame that he appeared...scrawny. He had the potential of being a strong warrior. She could see that clearly--did he? The tom looked so...lost. So...sad. Splotchfeather hated seeing sad faces because they made her sad as well. The calico feline mustered a bright smile as he pushed the rest of the bird to him. ''I said, I wasn't hungry.'' She remarked, though a gentle smile was placed on her maw. She thought it was sweet that he saved her a piece of the grouse, knowing that he needed the nutrition. Splotchfeather didn't want to take that from him, but she lowered herself down. She was grateful. ''Well, aren't you a gentlemen? Thank you...'' The she-cat bent her head down slowly, taking small nips at the bird. She had been hungry, but not my much. Her main focus was tending to the gloomy that needed a smile.

And, Yarrowpounce? He needed a smile on his face.

Her eyes looked up from the bird, staring into the yellow orbs of the other tom. One thing Splotchfeather wasn't afraid to do was stare at others. Stare at them until they were..well, uncomfortable. She liked to study them. Their expressions. Their frowns. And, at this moment, the she-cat gathered that something was hurting him. Did, he really just say that he was trying to eat, but the food pile was too far away?

I-It's hard to find t-t-the uh.. The energy s-sometimes to uh... Go to the p-pile.. To get something.

Ah, so he hadn't said that. He said that his energy was making it hard for him to get something from the food pile. Splotchfeather took a look back at the fresh kill, tilting her head and squinting her eyes before she looked back at Yarrowpounce. It seemed like she was trying to understand the concept of what was going on with him. The she-cat licked her maw at finishing the bird, a content sigh escaped her lips. Her ears twitched at the tom, and she smiled brightly. ''Eh, my morning was alright. It could had been better, but I haven't got much sleep. And, when I did I had a terrible nightmare, ugh! It made me wake up in a pool of my own sweat--not a good thing. I pictured myself around a pool of blood, and everyone was just watching me! Can you believe that? I don't know what it meant, but I hope it wasn't Starclan foreshadowing my future!'' She stopped, heaving in a large breath before breathing out. That felt like a long paragraph, yet she was long from done. ''Then, this morning I just woke up like nothing happened. I just chased after some birds, you know? Scaring them and such, but I only wanted to play! I don't know why little critters want to run away from me. I'm honestly not scary at all! Am I? Maybe, I am, but others don't tell me that I appear scary. Ohhhh goodness no wonder I'm annoying!'' She stopped herself from rambling, before she flopped down and rolled onto her back, her paws in the air. She leaned her head backward to look at the tom, her yellow orbs appearing larger and innocent. ''My morning was...okay. I could have put that simple, huh?'' She shakes her head, wondering about herself. Her mind was constantly running whenever she stopped. At the moment, she was at peace where she was. Acting as a kit, the female playfully batted at the tom, rolling herself over, so that she laid on her stomach. Her pelt fell to her side, covering around her like a colorful blanket.

''Do you choose to stay here?'' The female tilted her head, completely confused about him. His intentions. His desires. The tom didn't seem suspicious. Just hurt. She didn't want to be seen as being nosy in his business. At this point, though just meeting him, the calico dubbed him as a friend. Something she did quite often with other cats around her. Was that bad? Forcing them to be her friend? Maybe. She was a little forceful, wanting to appear bossy, but not to the extreme. She did care about Yarrowpounce. He was her clan mate. Now, she saw him as a friend. ''I mean, like...'' She trailed off remembering when he tried to stand up. Wobbling legs were never a good thing, and he seemed to young to have them anyway! She also assumed that he might have been sedentary. Never leaving his spot; glued to it. It wasn't her specialty to sit around. The she-cat knew she would go bonkers after about twenty seconds of just sitting around.

Splotchfeather tried. She tried hard to be a normal cat. What was a normal cat, anyway? Sure, she might have been more energetic than most, and she could learn how to shut her maw when it wasn't needed to be opened. She had flattened her ears when Yarrowpounce commented that he would never shut her up. It was quite laughable. She wondered how much he could take of her before she ran him up a tree and he never came down...because that's what it felt like she did with everyone. She did not blame them for leaving. In fact, she embraced their opinions and ideas of leaving because the feline felt that she was incapable of hating. She was positive that she would hurt, but for now. She did not worry about herself.

There was this tom in front of her. With his stuttering. With his wobbling. With his sad soul that called out to her. Clearing her throat, the feline shot to her paws again, twitching her tail. ''I'm glad you've eaten, dear! Now, if I have to come out here daily, and you've didn't eat?'' The feline half-lidded her eyes, smirking. ''You're in trouble.'' She giggled at him before jumping around, humming a light tune. Splotchfeather knew she wouldn't last much when it came to sitting down. She hate the thought of being planted in one spot for too long. It was senseless to her! It was nerving to her. Moving to her meant freedom. This she-cat valued her freedom and as she pranced around her new friend, she hummed a tune to a song she didn't know. Didn't really care for since she got many songs mixed up. It was a soft, bouncy tune that went with her flow. And, when she suddenly stopped, moving her head to look at Yarrowpounce, she wondered if he was good enough to move around.

Splotchfeather would had loved to go on a walk with her new friend. She hated that he sat there, so...saddened. Was he heartbroken? That's what she figured. She knew many cats had went through it, and there were so many to cheer up! The she-cat forced herself to start with him. He was the only important thing to get back on track. So playfully, she trotted back to him, nearing herself gently enough to make sure he didn't feel uncomfortable. She replied with a soft voice that her mother used to use on her brother when they would frolic through the wild flowers at night, and he wouldn't join. Splotchfeather never knew why her brother wouldn't join them! The flowers were fun! And, their scent stuck to her fur, making her smell wonderful everywhere she went. Though the song was meant for nighttime, she felt that it was appropriate to use.

''Are you lonesome tonight...? Do you miss her tonight...?'' Splotchfeather had paused. She didn't know the true reason as to why he was sad, but she felt that it was her apart of the reason. That he was holding onto someone special. The female never had anyone special or dear to her in the sweetheart department, but she knew most cats did. So, focusing on her inner conscious, she continued, ''...are you sorry you drifted apart...? Does your memory stray to a brighter sunny day...? Where I can heal your heart once again...?'' She knew it wasn't the actual words that her mother used, but it played a part in the situation. She only wanted him to smile. To feel...less tense around her. The calico knew that she could heal his heart if given the chance. She didn't think that she would heal his heart in that way, but in a way that helped him move on to the present...and to take fully care of himself to where he was plump and a strong warrior. As she circled him once again, the she-cat took a few steps in front of him, stopping in her tracks as she looked back at him, swaying her tail to the side.

''Are you up for taking a walk? I would love to get to know my new friend better.'' Besides that, it was easy for her to stay a lot calmer when she was moving. She had hoped that he had enough energy to walk around. If he didn't, she would feel ashamed that she invited him out on a walk and he was too weak to go on it. Quickly, she added, ''You don't have to though. If you're...you know.'' She whispered slightly, but tilted her ears forward and gave him a bright smile. Splotchfeather never forced anyone to do anything if they didn't want to. If he wanted to stay here, comfortable, then so be! She would be comfortable with him. She promised herself that she wouldn't leave him. She couldn't leave him...at least, not yet. She had to stay and make him laugh. Make him happy. Make him feel loved. Make sure that he knew he was loved. Even if she was the only one who said or showed it to him.

Being loved was important. Everyone wanted it, right? Splotchfeather knew she wanted it, but she was always willing to give it out. It was important. One less lonely cat. That was her job. To give love. To exert love. To make sure it was felt.

{Oh dear, I'm so sorry for this late reply!}

Whenever in the company of other cats, Yarrowpounce always tried to make them happy, he always tried to be his nicest to make up for his awkward nature especially when talking with others. So when he saw the beginnings of her bright smile, he couldn't help but allow a small smile of his own onto his lips, his yellow gaze focusing on the ground. He always liked seeing others happy, he liked seeing others get along and to know that he had been able to make another cat smile and be happy if even for a moment? It felt good. He hadn't been able to make another cat smile in moons, ever since Willowrain had all but disappeared from Skyclan. But as the silence fell between them, he could feel his smile beginning to fade back to a neutral face a quiet sigh escaping him.

He had made quick work of the meal she had brought, he felt nervous having her sit there and watch as he ate, scared that his ravenous eating would turn her away from him, but he couldn't help it, he was literally starving and now that he had food in front of him.. He couldn't help it. And despite his hunger, he made himself eat only half of the bird, feeling that the very she-cat who had brought it to him should have the rest. And so he carefully sat up and nosed it in her direction. At her remark, Yarrowpounce would flatten his ears and dip his head a bit, quietly muttering a 'sorry' and glancing away.
Should I.. Should I take it back? Maybe it offended her that I didn't eat it all... Slowly his gaze drifted back to Splotchfeather and he found the smile on her muzzle, causing his ears to perk up slightly. Was she not upset?
Soon enough she was settling down to accept the grouse, making him relax and breath out a quiet breath of relief, the beginnings of a smile threatening to be placed on his lips again, his head nodding.
"I-I try to be a um, a uh.. A gentlemen." A small, weak laugh escapes him and he looks away again. It wasn't very often that he was able to be a gentlemen to anyone anymore, no cat came around. It felt good to be nice to cats again, to actually have a conversation, a chance to finally be himself again. Btu he wasn't sure if this would be lasting. For all he knew, she could be gone by the next day, forget all about him and he'd sink right back into the pit he was still desperately trying to claw out of.

If she forgot about him, he would slip right back into that hole, and he'd never get a chance to get out again.

The white and brown tom found himself looking back at her for a moment, only for his yellow eyes to catch hers, staying for just a split moment, just enough to give her insight into that pit he was trying to climb out of, before he was ripping his gaze away and clearing his throat, flicking his ears a bit. He didn't like much direct eye contact, it made him nervous and he felt like others tended to not like to look him in the eyes much. He was an open book really and most cats didn't want to read the story that was in his eyes.

And there was a desperate tale with this tom, a battle to cope with the sorrow that took such a strong hold on his heart.

After stating that it was hard to find the energy to go to the fresh kill pile, he watched her look at it and immediately felt ashamed. It wasn't far away, not at all. A warrior like him should be able to very easily make that journey to the pile and back in order to feed himself. And yet? He couldn't. It was like his paws had rocks tied to them, like the ground was made of glue and he couldn't move from his spot unless absolutely forced to by the deputy to go on a patrol. But it was time to switch the subject, Yarrowpounce didn't want to think about it anymore.
Hearing her beginning to answer his question about her morning, he would settle down and carefully focus his gaze on her, his head occasionally nodding to signify that he was indeed listening to what she was saying, a small smile appearing on his lips every now and again. At least not about the talk about the nightmare, he had very clearly looked concerned for her, but seeing as that she seemed to be no longer bothered by it, he would let the look fade away into the polite listening face that he often used when listening to others. He usually didn't make much contribution to conversations and was more of the listening type, if Splotchfeather couldn't tell. She would have to prompt him if she truly wanted him to talk, and most of the time he would be too polite to really so no to any question, or to decline to answer it.
"N-No, you're not annoying I-I uh, I like listening to you talk, you have a uh.. A nice v-voice." He said gently before flattening his ears and glancing away. Most cats didn't take kindly to him giving them compliments and he was praying to Starclan that she wouldn't claw his ears off, but it was true, he liked listening to her voice, it was like a gentle melody, a song even. The tom's gaze nervously glanced back at her as she rolled over and batted at him, the white and brown cat unsure if he should bat back at her or not so he simply awkwardly sat there, too scared that he might accidentally end up hurting her anyways.

Licking his lips at her question, his eyes were glancing away again, his shoulders almost seeming to shrug. "W-Well.. Yes and um.. No. I used to g-go um, hunting every day, I loved h-hunting but now I just.. I.. I can't..
I don't have the motivation or the energy... S-So I just k-kind of um.. Stay..
Here.." Another feeling of shame washes over him. He used to be just about the best hunter in Skyclan and now that was over because he couldn't get himself to be moved from this spot. A heavy sigh escapes him at this point and he lays his head in his paws, looking at her paws for a moment before looking away. It wasn't healthy for him to stay here and do nothing, he knew that, but he just couldn't.. He couldn't get himself to move. And it's all because of the sorrow that gripped at his heart, the sorrow that has been embedded there for moons. If that was removed he could finally have a chance at being himself again. But at this point in time? It stayed there like a parasite.

Yarrowpounce had tried hard in the beginning to shake away the grief, had tried hard to live how he used to live, had tried hard to do what always had made him happy. But it wasn't the same. There was a gaping hole that seemed to prevent any sort of happiness from ever settling in him again and it pained him, it made his heart ache it made his whole being ache. It wasn't as simple as being sad, this was more than that, way more, it left him without a sense of purpose, it left him feeling like he wasn't.. Anyone anymore. And yet he couldn't voice this to anyone, no cat cared, no cat noticed him and he was unsure if he wouldn't even burden another cat with this knowledge. What if the knowledge of what he was going through seeped into them and they became the same way? He didn't want that.

Visibly flinching as she shot up to her paws right in front of him, his yellow eyes looked up at her uncertainly, unsure of what she had in mind, perhaps she was just restless and bored with him. Most cats seemed to get that way. But no, she just commented about making sure he ate or apparently he would be in trouble. Swiveling one of his ears he gave a sheepish smile, glanced down and nodded his head. "U-Understood." Blinking a bit as she began to hop about like a rabbit, he watched, quietly wishing he still had the energy to be able to do that, or the energy to go out hunting, or just energy in general. At the moment he could feel the grouse giving him a small boost in energy, but how long would that last? There was so many things he was so uncertain of and he hated it. Why couldn't he have the confidence of other cats? Why was he the way he was? Why couldn't he even understand himself?

The tom found himself shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he didn't want to think about it anymore, he could find himself trying to sink back into that bottomless hole, so instead he focused his attention on the she-cat that now came trotting back to him, singing a song. A song that pierced right at his heart.

His jaw tightened a bit as he heard the first two lines and he could feel a stinging in his nose. She doesn't know about Willow, she's just.. Singing a song right? She doesn't know.. Yarrowpounce couldn't help but feel tears welling up in his eyes, glancing away and slightly dipping his head. It's been moons and it still bothers me, just a simple song like this can bring me to tears. Why does it hurt so much? Desperately he shook his head and drew in a sniffle, looking back at her, a few tears overflowing onto the white fur around his eyes. "I-Is that a um.. A-A-A song that you uh.. T-That you u-uh often s-sing?" His voice was a bit raspy, causing him to pause to clear it, a paw swiping over his nose. He didn't want to talk about why he was crying, he just.. He didn't want to think about it.

"Friend?" That's all that he had caught, the word friend, had she.. Had Splotchfeather called him a friend? "Wh-" It took him a moment to piece together what she had actually said, a look of confusion and uncertainty on his face. "N-No, um, I'm okay to walk um.. J-Just give me a moment."
With the word 'friend' still stuck in his mind, he looked off with glassy eyes as he slowly pulled himself up to his paws, his legs not as wobbly, but stiff from laying there for so long. He gave a cautious step forward before stretching a little, feeling the tightness in his muscles, the way it slightly hurt to be putting weight on them, but he knew he'd be able to walk. He just needed to get used to using them again. It felt like it had been so long since he had last stood up.

"A-Are you um.. Ready to go?" Asked the white and brown tom after his small stretching, angling his ears towards the she-cat. Perhaps he would feel better after they started walking and talking. Maybe that's what he needed.

[The Cannibal]

Originally Posted by Empress Of Evil

It was strange really. How could she be so bored if she had so much work that she could be doing? That was a question that Auroraflame couldn't quite answer, although it wasn't at all like she minded. To be honest, she was quite happy to be feeling bored. As much as she liked to be busy and doing things, she was always quite fine with taking a break. Everyone needed a break once in a while, not matter who you were.
And even so, things were getting better each day for the deputy. The amount of work was decreasing ever so slightly, although new things always popped up for her to tend to. The ebony feline was often wishing for more time in the day to take her work a bit slower, but she knew that she would be extremely bored if she had nothing to do, so she was happy to have work.
Looking back at the leader, Auroraflame felt her grin widening slightly.
It always seemed to amaze her how the leader was always so optimistic about everything, always seeing the bright side of things. And that certainly wasn't a bad thing, in fact, it was a very admirable trait and it was one that should be appreciated. Not everyone in the world was going to be as cheerful and kind as Grousestar. The ebony she-cat herself was one filled with enthusiasm and joy, although she found it a tad bit harder to always see the positive side of everything. Auroraflame preferred to stick to the truth, with a bit of optimism included. The she-cat personally found it quite hard to deny the truth, her head quite firmly planted in reality. However that didn't mean she wasn't completely in reality.
Auroraflame was quickly brought out of her thoughts as the tabby tom replied. "Yes," Auroraflame replied, nodding in agreement. She was probably as well as a deputy could get.
"Well, i've had better days but they're okay," Auroraflame replied.
That was half a lie. Yes, she had had better days, but they weren't being a nice as she made it sound. Although she didn't need to put that on Grousestar, she was sure he had better things to worry about.
Suddenly, a question popped into mind and the deputy opened her jaws once again to ask the tom cat. "How have the Dusk Syndicate been recently?
I heard they've been stirring up trouble with our cats," Auroraflame said, her voice suddenly hushed. The deputy had heard rumors around the camp that a few more of their cats had been lost to the evil group of cats. Although deputy duties had kept her occupied and she hadn't been able to hear much more.

That was one thing that Grousestar loved to see, when a cat saw him, they always seemed to grow a brighter smile, or start to smile, he liked seeing cats happy, he liked having that effect on cats. And so seeing her grin more, he seemed to grin more, the tip of his tail curling in quiet happiness as he settled down next to his deputy.
Tilting his head at the answer to his question, he looked over at her curiously. "Oh, is today not a particularly good day for you? Cats giving you trouble about doing their duties?" If the answer to this question was yes, the leader would indeed go have a talk with the mentioned cats. He expected his warriors to be dutiful, and yes while he wants to make sure that his cats are happy, he needs them to do their duties. That's what warriors did and he needed the apprentices to be trained well as well. There was no excuse for not doing your duties and Grousestar would not allow it in his clan. He cared about the well being of his deputy just as much as any warrior, queen, apprentice, kit or elder in his clan and if some cats were giving her trouble? They will most certainly be hearing from him. It didn't matter what if he had other things to worry about, he cared about Auroraflame and would do anything to make sure that she is happy, just like any Skyclan cat.
But for now, the conversation moved on to a more serious tone, the leaders eyes almost seeming to darken with it, his smile seeming to falter as he thought about the Syndicate. Licking his lips, he nodded his head.
"Yes, they have been attacking our cats at the border, provoking them and have killed some. I went to speak with their leader a few days ago and nothing was accomplished. I will not tolerate them killing Skyclan cats so I have organized an attack on them. I know our cats will be hesitant to go into battle again, but I believe this is for the better good. We need to show them that we are not to be messed with and we do not tolerate their violence." His voice was hard, stern, a tone that he hardly ever used when speaking to other cats, but the Syndicate had worn his nerves then. He couldn't deal with them anymore and it was about time they attacked the threat head on. Quite literally.

[doghouse]

Originally Posted by Flameleaf

I did...)

Goldenpaw nodded. "Yes, its Goldenpaw," She purred. "I don't really like the fact that the battle is happening... I know some cats will die..." Goldenpaw let her voice trail off. She stared into the distance for a few moments, her mouth slightly open. Taking a breath, she continued. "Isn't there a way to prevent the battle?"

( did you push the "quote" button on the right gotten side of my post? )

Lioncry nodded, pleased that she had remembered right. She purred, dipping her hard. Her worry was forgotten in the moment, the she faltered, her purr evaporating. “Yes. Cats will die. After this battle, you and I, it is possible will never meet again. I hope you do okay. Are you preparing well?” Lioncry found that her motherly side was showing through, and it was because of that side of her that she had adopted two kit, Featherpaw and Smokeykit. “Sadly, no. Halite wants war, so it is war we will give them.” Lioncry murmured quietly.

[Tundra]

Goldenpaw blinked. "What do you mean, never meet again?" She mewed. Flicking her tail, she licked a paw and drew it over her ear. "And why does Halite want war?"

[lone]

Aww, so cute.

Gingerblossom was definitely an adorable feline. How had she escaped his gaze before? Oh well. Didn't matter, and he didn't care. Technically that was a lie; of course he cared! Why wouldn't he? If she had escaped his gaze, she clearly had some sort of magic. No one did that for very long, right? He would have noticed her sooner or later, even if he wasn't alone... she was pretty, after all. And while this was clearly going to be a challenge, Blazingcomet was certain he wouldn't get attached. After all... there were only a couple cats he'd been attached to. And she wouldn't be added to the list. Right? If he was careful and played his cards right at least, she wouldn't be.

If he wasn't? Well, things might get uncomfortable for them both. Her question had made him smile, and now he was actually going to answer it. "No, I don't have an apprentice. Yet, at least... I want one. It'd be nice to have a younger cat to train," He purred. Well at least they had some things in common. So far he hadn't found that many. But hey, opposites attracted, right? Hard-to-get or just plain oblivious meets flirty bad-- or was he a good?-- boy. Hmm, confusing. But a total sweetheart all the same... definitely, definitely. He was a good boy! Sometimes. A sweetheart? Maybe.

Her next question threw him even more off guard. What flower? Well... he supposed this wouldn't hurt. At least it was the smallest bit of progress, just a flicker of progress, but it was progress all the same. Thank goodness! He would hate it if he hadn't made any at all. "Uhh... f-flower?" Oops. He sounded stupid right then. Sighing, the tom looked down at the ground, feigning embarassment and innocence. Not to mention just the slightest bit of thoughtfulness, that drove she cats crazy. In his experience it did, at least. "Huh. Maybe a red one? Or a white one, those would both look pretty with your fur," He purred, his tone going into the smoothness that it always did when he was flirting.
Oh, he was going to have to watch himself with that, though. She didn't seem to appreciate his smooth tones too much. And really, who could blame her? He wasn't the smartest of cats when it came to reading body language. He'd missed it earlier. Thank goodness she'd lashed out, otherwise he would have gone on frustrating her. Huh, Blazingcomet wasn't really one to look for the good in life all the time... sure, some of the time he did, but that had been frightening! Maybe being around this cat was having a positive effect on him. "But yellow looks really nice with you too. Caught my attention." And there he went again. Did this tom ever learn? The answer to that would be no.

@RedHead