SkyClan Apprentices' Den

[lone]

Originally Posted by Thistledawn

The apprentice huffed, unable to find a reason to smirk back at Foxpaw. He certainly was clever and had a quick tongue. She'd let him have that, at least. It seemed that confidence radiated off of the ginger tom most of the time he spoke, something that seemed to spark Cherrypaw's interest. She had also managed to take some of that confidence from Foxpaw from the looks of it. She didn't believe he was the kind of cat to be easily embarrassed or thrown off. A small smile rose from her face. It'd felt oddly satisfying to her that she had that impact on the tom.

Cherrypaw rolled her eyes at her companion. A cute badger, she thought to herself. She thought that she should have been upset with Foxpaw. No cat, especially not Cherrypaw, wanted to be compared that big and lumbering creature. She'd never seen one herself, of course. However, she'd heard stories from queens and elders. They were big, ugly creatures that were too strong for just one cat to take on. The white apprentice imagined them with long and yellow fangs sticking out from their lips accompanied by equally long claws that could easily pierce the pelt of any cat. The she-cat heard many things about badgers, but cute was never one of those things. To her, it was ridiculous to imagine. She barely could imagine it! A small giggle escaped from the white cat. "That's mouse-brained." She mumbled with half a smile. "If badgers are cute like me, then does that mean foxes are like you, Foxpaw?" Cherrypaw tried to joke, her eyes shining with amusement.

The ginger tom smirked at her when she giggled, guessing that he was winning her over. Perfect! Although, he hoped he wasn't winning her over too much - breaking another cat's heart was something that the tom had never done before, and he certainly wasn't planning on starting now. He would never want to intentionally cause a clanmate pain, after all. "Only if foxes are charming, handsome, and intelligent - then yes, I believe that does make foxes like me." He mewed, with another wink in Cherrypaw's direction. There were no other apprentices in the den right now to warn her of his flirtatious nature (not that she needed warning, she seemed to be figuring that out on her own) or to tell embarrassing stories of Foxpaw's past, for which he was very grateful.

He wouldn't want someone coming in now (like Redpaw, or Asterpaw, or Silverpaw) and telling a bunch of lies about him! Well, technically they were truths, but any embarrassing truth could just as easily be called a lie because no one would believe that he was telling the truth. They would think he was lying if he denied, and they would be right. But that wasn't the point! The point was, Foxpaw was alone with Cherrypaw, and he was glad for his uninteruppted flirting session. When he was done, Cherrypaw would think of him as handsome! That was the goal, anyways. He was fairly handsome, but most she cats were immune to his natural charms. Or, what he thought of as natural charms.

He really wasn't as much of a natural at flirting as he tried to make everyone believe, but that was what came with being like Foxpaw; he overexaggerated things. A lot. And made them seem much worse then they really were. "So, Cherrypaw... tell me about yourself? Is there anyone you're particuarly interested in at the moment?" And how can I make you like ME?

[Thistledawn]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

The ginger tom smirked at her when she giggled, guessing that he was winning her over. Perfect! Although, he hoped he wasn't winning her over too much - breaking another cat's heart was something that the tom had never done before, and he certainly wasn't planning on starting now. He would never want to intentionally cause a clanmate pain, after all. "Only if foxes are charming, handsome, and intelligent - then yes, I believe that does make foxes like me." He mewed, with another wink in Cherrypaw's direction. There were no other apprentices in the den right now to warn her of his flirtatious nature (not that she needed warning, she seemed to be figuring that out on her own) or to tell embarrassing stories of Foxpaw's past, for which he was very grateful.

He wouldn't want someone coming in now (like Redpaw, or Asterpaw, or Silverpaw) and telling a bunch of lies about him! Well, technically they were truths, but any embarrassing truth could just as easily be called a lie because no one would believe that he was telling the truth. They would think he was lying if he denied, and they would be right. But that wasn't the point! The point was, Foxpaw was alone with Cherrypaw, and he was glad for his uninteruppted flirting session. When he was done, Cherrypaw would think of him as handsome! That was the goal, anyways. He was fairly handsome, but most she cats were immune to his natural charms. Or, what he thought of as natural charms.

He really wasn't as much of a natural at flirting as he tried to make everyone believe, but that was what came with being like Foxpaw; he overexaggerated things. A lot. And made them seem much worse then they really were. "So, Cherrypaw... tell me about yourself? Is there anyone you're particuarly interested in at the moment?" And how can I make you like ME?

Cherrypaw pursed her lips at narrowed her eyes at Foxpaw. "I see you aren't afraid to toot your own horn." She teased. Though the white cat felt playfulness pass between the two apprentices, she doubted the ginger tom was entirely joking. She suspected that he was the kind of tom that knew exactly who he was. Even if he didn't truly think of himself in that way, Cherrypaw did. In the short time that they've been talking, clever and handsome were two words that popped into her head as she talked to the older tom. He was charming too, she guessed. She certainly was warming up to him, despite being in a foul mood when he first entered the den. It seemed that Foxpaw was easy for Cherrypaw to talk to. But then again, Cherrypaw never stopped talking, so it was easy for her to talk to any cat.

As the tom sent another wink towards Cherrypaw, she felt her eyes shift away from him for a moment. She wasn't exactly sure what a wink meant. Especially when it came from a cat she'd hardly talked to before. The white-she cat didn't want either of them getting ideas in their heads that weren't quite close to what was happening in reality. Foxpaw is being friendly, she told herself. The apprentice turned her eyes back towards the tom, not wanting to show any signs of herself being unsure. After all, was there really anything for her to be unsure about?

Foxpaw had caught the younger cat off guard with his question. She'd never been asked anything like that before. Well, some of the other female apprentices were gossiping about toms in the den once and had asked Cherrypaw simply because she was there, but they hadn't actually cared. It wasn't like she had a legitimate answer anyways. Cherrypaw was young, so no toms had any interest in her. Similarly, she hadn't really thought about them that much either. Not in a way that she imagined a future with them. She'd definitely watched as toms strolled by and thought they were attractive, but she never thought anything more than that. "Uh, well-" She struggled to choke out. She was trying hard to avoid Foxpaw's eyes. "I don't think so." Cherrypaw's pelt was scorching hot. Every hair from her ears to the tip of her tail burned. The white she-cat gulped. "But I guess there are some cute toms in camp." The blue-eyed cat glanced at the tom nervously. Her companion seemed to like her so far, and she didn't want something like this to make her look uncool. "What about you?" Cherrypaw began to swipe her paw over her ear as if that would shake away the attention that was on her.

[lone]

Originally Posted by Thistledawn

Cherrypaw pursed her lips at narrowed her eyes at Foxpaw. "I see you aren't afraid to toot your own horn." She teased. Though the white cat felt playfulness pass between the two apprentices, she doubted the ginger tom was entirely joking. She suspected that he was the kind of tom that knew exactly who he was. Even if he didn't truly think of himself in that way, Cherrypaw did. In the short time that they've been talking, clever and handsome were two words that popped into her head as she talked to the older tom. He was charming too, she guessed. She certainly was warming up to him, despite being in a foul mood when he first entered the den. It seemed that Foxpaw was easy for Cherrypaw to talk to. But then again, Cherrypaw never stopped talking, so it was easy for her to talk to any cat.

As the tom sent another wink towards Cherrypaw, she felt her eyes shift away from him for a moment. She wasn't exactly sure what a wink meant. Especially when it came from a cat she'd hardly talked to before. The white-she cat didn't want either of them getting ideas in their heads that weren't quite close to what was happening in reality. Foxpaw is being friendly, she told herself. The apprentice turned her eyes back towards the tom, not wanting to show any signs of herself being unsure. After all, was there really anything for her to be unsure about?

Foxpaw had caught the younger cat off guard with his question. She'd never been asked anything like that before. Well, some of the other female apprentices were gossiping about toms in the den once and had asked Cherrypaw simply because she was there, but they hadn't actually cared. It wasn't like she had a legitimate answer anyways. Cherrypaw was young, so no toms had any interest in her. Similarly, she hadn't really thought about them that much either. Not in a way that she imagined a future with them. She'd definitely watched as toms strolled by and thought they were attractive, but she never thought anything more than that. "Uh, well-" She struggled to choke out. She was trying hard to avoid Foxpaw's eyes. "I don't think so." Cherrypaw's pelt was scorching hot. Every hair from her ears to the tip of her tail burned. The white she-cat gulped. "But I guess there are some cute toms in camp." The blue-eyed cat glanced at the tom nervously. Her companion seemed to like her so far, and she didn't want something like this to make her look uncool. "What about you?" Cherrypaw began to swipe her paw over her ear as if that would shake away the attention that was on her.

Cute toms, huh? The ginger tom took a minute to think about a good response to that. Honestly, he was already jealous that she'd think of someone besides him; but oh well, at some point he would be the first cat to come to mind. Still, the fact that she was a little nervous... or seemed to be... was enough for him. Perhaps he had come to mind after all. "Aww, how cute. Got anyone particular in mind that you're thinking of, Cherrypaw?" Foxpaw's voice was basically nothing but slick, silky-smooth, and undeniably flirtatious in that moment. Here was the thing - for most of his younger moons, he had been ridiculed for flirting. Now that he had a she cat who actually seemed more interested, he was going to push that as far as he could. And as hard as he could. He would push it and push it until it seemed that trying was pointless. At her question, Foxpaw had to think a little harder.

Any she cats he was interested in, or thought they were cute, huh? That was a tough question to answer. There were a lot of cute she cats around camp, and Foxpaw had flirted with numerous ones. But, at the same time, he didn't want to go too far into that, just in case he would lose the she cat's interest. And that was the last thing he wanted; a flirt always wanted to keep their target's attention. Surely Cherrypaw wasn't that easily annoyed though, right? "Oh, I keep my options open, I suppose. There are some great she cats, but - I have to say - most have nothing on you." The tom purred, his tail twitching lightly. So far, Cherrypaw had swallowed everything he had said, and that made him pretty thrilled. He was glad to have someone who seemed to actually like him. Like, really like him. How incredible was that?! "So no need to be jealous, love." The tom purred, almost getting up in an attempt to further impress the white feline.

She was definitely pretty, and she had a nice personality... that was a good thing about pretty she cats, not all of them were all stuck up. Though she did seem like a princess to him. She had the attitude to be one, and the beauty to be one. Not to mention the poise to be a princess as well, which impressed Foxpaw quite a bit. He didn't see very many truly regal looking she cats around. Good thing Cherrypaw hadn't walked away yet, maybe she thought he was attractive? If that were true, Foxpaw would be praising StarClan for at last giving him one she cat who thought his flirting amounted to something. A lot of she cats didn't. They thought he was weird. Cherrypaw might have laughed at him earlier, but now she seemed a little more flustered and Foxpaw was taking that as progress.

[Thistledawn]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

Cute toms, huh? The ginger tom took a minute to think about a good response to that. Honestly, he was already jealous that she'd think of someone besides him; but oh well, at some point he would be the first cat to come to mind. Still, the fact that she was a little nervous... or seemed to be... was enough for him. Perhaps he had come to mind after all. "Aww, how cute. Got anyone particular in mind that you're thinking of, Cherrypaw?" Foxpaw's voice was basically nothing but slick, silky-smooth, and undeniably flirtatious in that moment. Here was the thing - for most of his younger moons, he had been ridiculed for flirting. Now that he had a she cat who actually seemed more interested, he was going to push that as far as he could. And as hard as he could. He would push it and push it until it seemed that trying was pointless. At her question, Foxpaw had to think a little harder.

Any she cats he was interested in, or thought they were cute, huh? That was a tough question to answer. There were a lot of cute she cats around camp, and Foxpaw had flirted with numerous ones. But, at the same time, he didn't want to go too far into that, just in case he would lose the she cat's interest. And that was the last thing he wanted; a flirt always wanted to keep their target's attention. Surely Cherrypaw wasn't that easily annoyed though, right? "Oh, I keep my options open, I suppose. There are some great she cats, but - I have to say - most have nothing on you." The tom purred, his tail twitching lightly. So far, Cherrypaw had swallowed everything he had said, and that made him pretty thrilled. He was glad to have someone who seemed to actually like him. Like, really like him. How incredible was that?! "So no need to be jealous, love." The tom purred, almost getting up in an attempt to further impress the white feline.

She was definitely pretty, and she had a nice personality... that was a good thing about pretty she cats, not all of them were all stuck up. Though she did seem like a princess to him. She had the attitude to be one, and the beauty to be one. Not to mention the poise to be a princess as well, which impressed Foxpaw quite a bit. He didn't see very many truly regal looking she cats around. Good thing Cherrypaw hadn't walked away yet, maybe she thought he was attractive? If that were true, Foxpaw would be praising StarClan for at last giving him one she cat who thought his flirting amounted to something. A lot of she cats didn't. They thought he was weird. Cherrypaw might have laughed at him earlier, but now she seemed a little more flustered and Foxpaw was taking that as progress.

Foxpaw's moment of silence made Cherrypaw shift uncomfortably. I must've sounded seriously lame, she thought with a groan. Perhaps the older tom was only interested in talking to "popular" cats. The she-cat certainly was friendly, and she enjoyed making friends and spending her time with them, but she didn't consider herself popular. All the popular cats were always together and stayed together in groups. Cherrypaw never had that number of cats by her side at all times. She always thought that that was a good thing, however. She didn't want to be like every other cat. Cherrypaw was proud of who was (most of the time) and she didn't need any other cat to prove that. Though, another cat's approval of her always made her feel good.

A name? He wants a name? A little bit of panic began to bubble in the white cat's chest. She tried her hardest to suppress it by taking a big gulp, but that only made her cough. "No certain cat comes to mind," Cherrypaw told her companion, trying to sound as confident as she could. Her blue eyes began to roam the den, trying to look disinterested in what they were talking about. She wondered if she should have tried to manage a couple names of SkyClan toms to try and seem cooler to Foxpaw, but Cherrypaw didn't want to lie like that. It probably wouldn't get her anywhere anyways. With her luck, Foxpaw would know the tom that she named, or perhaps he'd ask to meet him, or ask about how they were getting along. Coming up with a believable lie good enough to pass by the older apprentice seemed impossible. "But I'm not sure I'd tell you even if I had a name. I wouldn't want to jinx my chances." A hint of amusement hung from the end of her sentence. Her tone was sweet, but should couldn't recreate the smoothness in Foxpaw's voice. She wondered if the ginger tom's tone and way of talking was natural, or if he'd grown into it.

Cherrypaw studied the tom's expression as she waited for an answer to her question. He seemed to be calculating his answer, though she wasn't quite sure why. What could he possibly have to hide? But the blue-eyed cat ignored her own observation. She'd probably imagined it. After all, her imagination often did get the best of her. Instead, the she-cat nodded her head and thought about her own answer. "We're both young, after all. No need to rush into any serious relationships." She meowed. "Right, Foxpaw?" Oddly enough, Cherrypaw didn't really like talking about other cats with Foxpaw. That confused her. The younger apprentice loved to talk and enjoyed her fair share of gossip every once in awhile. She liked knowing things about other cats. But, for whatever reason, Cherrypaw just didn't like topic of their current conversation. "Oh, I'm not jealous." The white cat mewed matter-of-factly. "Though, I do guess it's good to hear that I'm one of a kind." Purring, she smiled at the thought. Selfishly, she liked being singled out every once in awhile. Cherrypaw was beginning to feel like herself again. It seemed like her foul mood passed moons ago.

[lone]

Originally Posted by Thistledawn

Foxpaw's moment of silence made Cherrypaw shift uncomfortably. I must've sounded seriously lame, she thought with a groan. Perhaps the older tom was only interested in talking to "popular" cats. The she-cat certainly was friendly, and she enjoyed making friends and spending her time with them, but she didn't consider herself popular. All the popular cats were always together and stayed together in groups. Cherrypaw never had that number of cats by her side at all times. She always thought that that was a good thing, however. She didn't want to be like every other cat. Cherrypaw was proud of who was (most of the time) and she didn't need any other cat to prove that. Though, another cat's approval of her always made her feel good.

A name? He wants a name? A little bit of panic began to bubble in the white cat's chest. She tried her hardest to suppress it by taking a big gulp, but that only made her cough. "No certain cat comes to mind," Cherrypaw told her companion, trying to sound as confident as she could. Her blue eyes began to roam the den, trying to look disinterested in what they were talking about. She wondered if she should have tried to manage a couple names of SkyClan toms to try and seem cooler to Foxpaw, but Cherrypaw didn't want to lie like that. It probably wouldn't get her anywhere anyways. With her luck, Foxpaw would know the tom that she named, or perhaps he'd ask to meet him, or ask about how they were getting along. Coming up with a believable lie good enough to pass by the older apprentice seemed impossible. "But I'm not sure I'd tell you even if I had a name. I wouldn't want to jinx my chances." A hint of amusement hung from the end of her sentence. Her tone was sweet, but should couldn't recreate the smoothness in Foxpaw's voice. She wondered if the ginger tom's tone and way of talking was natural, or if he'd grown into it.

Cherrypaw studied the tom's expression as she waited for an answer to her question. He seemed to be calculating his answer, though she wasn't quite sure why. What could he possibly have to hide? But the blue-eyed cat ignored her own observation. She'd probably imagined it. After all, her imagination often did get the best of her. Instead, the she-cat nodded her head and thought about her own answer. "We're both young, after all. No need to rush into any serious relationships." She meowed. "Right, Foxpaw?" Oddly enough, Cherrypaw didn't really like talking about other cats with Foxpaw. That confused her. The younger apprentice loved to talk and enjoyed her fair share of gossip every once in awhile. She liked knowing things about other cats. But, for whatever reason, Cherrypaw just didn't like topic of their current conversation. "Oh, I'm not jealous." The white cat mewed matter-of-factly. "Though, I do guess it's good to hear that I'm one of a kind." Purring, she smiled at the thought. Selfishly, she liked being singled out every once in awhile. Cherrypaw was beginning to feel like herself again. It seemed like her foul mood passed moons ago.

If he could have, the ginger cat would have raised an eyebrow at her remark. Right... he had heard that one before. Shifting his weight so that he was sitting a little more comfortably, Foxpaw leaned forward in his nest. There was a hint of mischief twinkling in his eyes, and perhaps he was just a little more happy-looking then before. "Riiight. No name." Her next comment changed the smirking, mischievious expression into a happy one that made him look much younger. Foxpaw's green eyes lit up, sparkling in the way only a true smile could light them up, and it sounded like there was a purr rumbling in his throat as well. "You're a sassy one, aren't you? I like that." The cat mewed with a wink. Unsure as to whether Cherrypaw was still confused about whether he was flirting with her or not, the tom struggled to think of some way to make it clear that yes, he was, in fact, displaying interest in her and not just being a weirdo.

Not that he was... the tom considered himself to be quite good at flirting and convincing other cats of his interest, even when he wasn't all that interested. However, Foxpaw usually did have some amount of interest invested in a she cat he was flirting with - whether appearance-wise, or personality-wise, or maybe they were just sweet and he thought it would be cute to see them giggle and blush - in a way - and tease one another after he had come over. That never happened, though - it was a mere figment of his imagination. Yet Foxpaw continued trying, knowing that someday he would hit just the right line with just the right cat and then everyone would be really impressed. Yep, that was Foxpaw for you - daydreaming away. Perhaps that was why he struggled in the real world from time to time, he was too busy thinking about his fantasy life and fantasy world to wake up and pay attention to what was right in front of him.

Cherrypaw's last comment put an even bigger smile on the tom's maw, his eyes still sparkling with pleasure. Yet he wasn't purring, now... there was an almost hard, determined gleam in his eyes at the same time, a roguish appearance to his smile, like he was making a transition from kithood compliments to warrior compliments. He had seen the way that young warriors, middle-aged warriors tended to flirt with each other... even some older ones, though Foxpaw found that just a little weird. He had no doubt he would still be flirty when he was older, but he probably wouldn't be as bold as that. He would be more careful with his flirting at that age, just as he was now. The ginger tom leaned forward once more, this time looking more like he was about to entrust Cherrypaw with a secret that could potentially save the Clans. Not that they were in any danger at the moment, or at least, SkyClan wasn't as far as Foxpaw knew.

"Oh yes, you're one of a kind alright, Cherrypaw. And it's never too early to think about relationships - you and me, what do you say, love?" That one line in particular never worked. He'd tried it time and time again on so many cats, and most of them would either push him away or stammer around for a while, but never did he get a direct positive answer. Come to think of it, he'd never gotten even a stammered positive answer, it was always the sweeter cats who were hesitant to tell him "no," but had the idea in mind anyways.

[Thistledawn]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

If he could have, the ginger cat would have raised an eyebrow at her remark. Right... he had heard that one before. Shifting his weight so that he was sitting a little more comfortably, Foxpaw leaned forward in his nest. There was a hint of mischief twinkling in his eyes, and perhaps he was just a little more happy-looking then before. "Riiight. No name." Her next comment changed the smirking, mischievious expression into a happy one that made him look much younger. Foxpaw's green eyes lit up, sparkling in the way only a true smile could light them up, and it sounded like there was a purr rumbling in his throat as well. "You're a sassy one, aren't you? I like that." The cat mewed with a wink. Unsure as to whether Cherrypaw was still confused about whether he was flirting with her or not, the tom struggled to think of some way to make it clear that yes, he was, in fact, displaying interest in her and not just being a weirdo.

Not that he was... the tom considered himself to be quite good at flirting and convincing other cats of his interest, even when he wasn't all that interested. However, Foxpaw usually did have some amount of interest invested in a she cat he was flirting with - whether appearance-wise, or personality-wise, or maybe they were just sweet and he thought it would be cute to see them giggle and blush - in a way - and tease one another after he had come over. That never happened, though - it was a mere figment of his imagination. Yet Foxpaw continued trying, knowing that someday he would hit just the right line with just the right cat and then everyone would be really impressed. Yep, that was Foxpaw for you - daydreaming away. Perhaps that was why he struggled in the real world from time to time, he was too busy thinking about his fantasy life and fantasy world to wake up and pay attention to what was right in front of him.

Cherrypaw's last comment put an even bigger smile on the tom's maw, his eyes still sparkling with pleasure. Yet he wasn't purring, now... there was an almost hard, determined gleam in his eyes at the same time, a roguish appearance to his smile, like he was making a transition from kithood compliments to warrior compliments. He had seen the way that young warriors, middle-aged warriors tended to flirt with each other... even some older ones, though Foxpaw found that just a little weird. He had no doubt he would still be flirty when he was older, but he probably wouldn't be as bold as that. He would be more careful with his flirting at that age, just as he was now. The ginger tom leaned forward once more, this time looking more like he was about to entrust Cherrypaw with a secret that could potentially save the Clans. Not that they were in any danger at the moment, or at least, SkyClan wasn't as far as Foxpaw knew.

"Oh yes, you're one of a kind alright, Cherrypaw. And it's never too early to think about relationships - you and me, what do you say, love?" That one line in particular never worked. He'd tried it time and time again on so many cats, and most of them would either push him away or stammer around for a while, but never did he get a direct positive answer. Come to think of it, he'd never gotten even a stammered positive answer, it was always the sweeter cats who were hesitant to tell him "no," but had the idea in mind anyways.

The younger apprentice looked away, a hint of a smile remaining. Her blue eyes were nearly gleaming. She didn't have a witty response- or any response really. Cherrypaw felt a teasing tone sneak into the tom's voice. Normally she'd be upset. She hated being teased. But this felt playful and harmless. Anyways, the white cat was sassy, so she wouldn't be able to be mad at the ginger tom because he spoke the truth. She was beginning to catch onto how Foxpaw was acting. At the same time, she couldn't truly decide how she felt about it. Her mind was going back and forth. On one paw, she wanted to be annoyed with the older apprentice. Too easily had he slipped into his behavior with Cherrypaw. This was hardly a meeting fit for two cats who hardly knew each other. There were too many winks and purrs. At some moments, the she-cat wondered if Foxpaw had rehearsed his act. And the blue-eyed cat didn't like when Foxpaw assumed things about her. She wasn't jealous (her mother did always tell her jealousy would turn her fur green) and she didn't constantly need his attention like he seemed to think she did. Her tail twisted anxiously behind her. On the other paw, Cherrypaw didn't mind the flattery and compliments. Some of his words made her feel good and relatively important. After all, she was in the foulest of moods when Foxpaw first padded into the apprentice's den. She probably would still be in a foul mood had the ginger tom not started talking to her. That had to count for something. Perhaps StarClan had sent her a friend in her time of need. Foxpaw was unique and had made quite the first impression. Cherrypaw wouldn't mind getting to know him a little more at the very least. The she-cat was having conflicting thoughts, and she didn't know which thoughts she wanted to side with. She began to absentmindedly roll a twig back and forth with her paw. There were too many thoughts happening all at once.

When Cherrypaw looked back at the ginger tom, a gigantic smile had taken hold of him. In that moment, Cherrypaw thought she saw pure youth and energy beam from Foxpaw. She'd never seen quite a look like that. It was contagious. And much to the she-cat's surprise, she found herself purring at the tom's expression. It was. . . Charming was the word that came to mind. As the older cat leaned in, Cherrypaw found herself leaning forwards too, putting a lot of her weight on her front paws until she felt like she was going to fall out of her nest entirely. She stared into Foxpaw's eyes. There was a look in the tom's green eyes that the white cat just couldn't figure out. She squinted, wishing she knew him well enough to guess what he was thinking. Not too long after she leaned forward, Cherrypaw jumped back in surprise. Her body straightened and tensed instinctively. Her paws began to anxiously knead the material in her nest. The white cat's jaw fell nearly as far as the floor of the den. "Oh- Foxpaw. . ." She trailed off, unsure what to say. Cherrypaw felt body begin to retreat into itself as if it could just disappear that way.

[lone]

Originally Posted by Thistledawn

The younger apprentice looked away, a hint of a smile remaining. Her blue eyes were nearly gleaming. She didn't have a witty response- or any response really. Cherrypaw felt a teasing tone sneak into the tom's voice. Normally she'd be upset. She hated being teased. But this felt playful and harmless. Anyways, the white cat was sassy, so she wouldn't be able to be mad at the ginger tom because he spoke the truth. She was beginning to catch onto how Foxpaw was acting. At the same time, she couldn't truly decide how she felt about it. Her mind was going back and forth. On one paw, she wanted to be annoyed with the older apprentice. Too easily had he slipped into his behavior with Cherrypaw. This was hardly a meeting fit for two cats who hardly knew each other. There were too many winks and purrs. At some moments, the she-cat wondered if Foxpaw had rehearsed his act. And the blue-eyed cat didn't like when Foxpaw assumed things about her. She wasn't jealous (her mother did always tell her jealousy would turn her fur green) and she didn't constantly need his attention like he seemed to think she did. Her tail twisted anxiously behind her. On the other paw, Cherrypaw didn't mind the flattery and compliments. Some of his words made her feel good and relatively important. After all, she was in the foulest of moods when Foxpaw first padded into the apprentice's den. She probably would still be in a foul mood had the ginger tom not started talking to her. That had to count for something. Perhaps StarClan had sent her a friend in her time of need. Foxpaw was unique and had made quite the first impression. Cherrypaw wouldn't mind getting to know him a little more at the very least. The she-cat was having conflicting thoughts, and she didn't know which thoughts she wanted to side with. She began to absentmindedly roll a twig back and forth with her paw. There were too many thoughts happening all at once.

When Cherrypaw looked back at the ginger tom, a gigantic smile had taken hold of him. In that moment, Cherrypaw thought she saw pure youth and energy beam from Foxpaw. She'd never seen quite a look like that. It was contagious. And much to the she-cat's surprise, she found herself purring at the tom's expression. It was. . . Charming was the word that came to mind. As the older cat leaned in, Cherrypaw found herself leaning forwards too, putting a lot of her weight on her front paws until she felt like she was going to fall out of her nest entirely. She stared into Foxpaw's eyes. There was a look in the tom's green eyes that the white cat just couldn't figure out. She squinted, wishing she knew him well enough to guess what he was thinking. Not too long after she leaned forward, Cherrypaw jumped back in surprise. Her body straightened and tensed instinctively. Her paws began to anxiously knead the material in her nest. The white cat's jaw fell nearly as far as the floor of the den. "Oh- Foxpaw. . ." She trailed off, unsure what to say. Cherrypaw felt body begin to retreat into itself as if it could just disappear that way.

The ginger cat was used to being turned down. He had heard everything from "no way, buddy" to stammering "oh... err... well..." until eventually their weak argument had been boiled down to the fact that they just didn't want to spend time with him. Not that Foxpaw minded that much. He would just move on to the next she cat. He loved getting reactions, and if he wasn't getting any reaction at all, he would move on to someone that he thought he would get a better reaction out of. So of course Foxpaw couldn't have been more pleased with the partly horrified, partly embarrassed reaction that he got out of the she cat. She looked worried, like she couldn't believe that this was happening right now. "Don't worry, sweetheart. I'm used to being turned down," The tom mewed, an expression of flirtatious mischief on his features.

Foxpaw raised up in his nest until he was in a sitting position, his green eyes sparkling playfully as he gazed at Cherrypaw. Now the feline was taking in almost everything about the she cat. She had electric, sapphire-blue eyes that stood out against her fluffy white pelt. She looked like she had quite a soft pelt, which aroused Foxpaw's interest - he wondered what his ginger fur would look like mixed with hers. Of course, Cherrypaw was a little young to be thinking about all of this right now, so he couldn't quite blame her. "So, back to what you were saying about those cute toms - I wouldn't happen to be one of them, would I?" The feline asked, his voice genuinely curious even though he would have preferred to feign carelessness, acting like what she said didn't matter anything to him. Unfortunately Foxpaw just wasn't very good at that type of acting. He had too many feelings and emotions and liked being "out there" too much to trap himself in acting like he didn't care.

He did care. He cared about a lot of things, he had a lot at stake by putting himself in a position that showed how badly he wanted things, but it was too hard to pretend otherwise. He wondered where Silverpaw was - she would probably embarass him, even with a deeper voice and more charming mannerisms, he still was the same cat that she had met before. The same silly, flirty tom who had had no idea what he was doing. At least now the tom had some idea of what he was doing. He knew how to charm, he knew how to get inside a she cat's head (in a way), and he knew how to make himself seem "better" in a way. Perhaps he wasn't as good as he thought he was, but at least he was learning. Unlike Nightpaw - the apprentice's brother had only gotten more closed off and dark in the upcoming moons, grumbling and acting strangely and staying away from him like he had contracted the plague or something.

It wasn't too fun for Foxpaw, who was constantly wondering if there was a way to get the brother who had at least loved him. Even if other cats hadn't seen it, he had been a good cat. But now that tom was gone and Foxpaw wasn't sure what was left in place of him. Someone that the ginger cat wasn't too happy with, that was for sure. He was glad that Cherrypaw didn't have any knowledge of Nightpaw, because there was no doubt in his mind his (hopeful) relationship with her would be destroyed if that were to happen.

[Thistledawn]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

The ginger cat was used to being turned down. He had heard everything from "no way, buddy" to stammering "oh... err... well..." until eventually their weak argument had been boiled down to the fact that they just didn't want to spend time with him. Not that Foxpaw minded that much. He would just move on to the next she cat. He loved getting reactions, and if he wasn't getting any reaction at all, he would move on to someone that he thought he would get a better reaction out of. So of course Foxpaw couldn't have been more pleased with the partly horrified, partly embarrassed reaction that he got out of the she cat. She looked worried, like she couldn't believe that this was happening right now. "Don't worry, sweetheart. I'm used to being turned down," The tom mewed, an expression of flirtatious mischief on his features.

Foxpaw raised up in his nest until he was in a sitting position, his green eyes sparkling playfully as he gazed at Cherrypaw. Now the feline was taking in almost everything about the she cat. She had electric, sapphire-blue eyes that stood out against her fluffy white pelt. She looked like she had quite a soft pelt, which aroused Foxpaw's interest - he wondered what his ginger fur would look like mixed with hers. Of course, Cherrypaw was a little young to be thinking about all of this right now, so he couldn't quite blame her. "So, back to what you were saying about those cute toms - I wouldn't happen to be one of them, would I?" The feline asked, his voice genuinely curious even though he would have preferred to feign carelessness, acting like what she said didn't matter anything to him. Unfortunately Foxpaw just wasn't very good at that type of acting. He had too many feelings and emotions and liked being "out there" too much to trap himself in acting like he didn't care.

He did care. He cared about a lot of things, he had a lot at stake by putting himself in a position that showed how badly he wanted things, but it was too hard to pretend otherwise. He wondered where Silverpaw was - she would probably embarass him, even with a deeper voice and more charming mannerisms, he still was the same cat that she had met before. The same silly, flirty tom who had had no idea what he was doing. At least now the tom had some idea of what he was doing. He knew how to charm, he knew how to get inside a she cat's head (in a way), and he knew how to make himself seem "better" in a way. Perhaps he wasn't as good as he thought he was, but at least he was learning. Unlike Nightpaw - the apprentice's brother had only gotten more closed off and dark in the upcoming moons, grumbling and acting strangely and staying away from him like he had contracted the plague or something.

It wasn't too fun for Foxpaw, who was constantly wondering if there was a way to get the brother who had at least loved him. Even if other cats hadn't seen it, he had been a good cat. But now that tom was gone and Foxpaw wasn't sure what was left in place of him. Someone that the ginger cat wasn't too happy with, that was for sure. He was glad that Cherrypaw didn't have any knowledge of Nightpaw, because there was no doubt in his mind his (hopeful) relationship with her would be destroyed if that were to happen.

Sadness prickled at the younger apprentice's paws. Cherrypaw didn't want to let down Foxpaw. She'd just met him and she didn't want to ruin their friendship so soon. Foxpaw wasn't like other cats, so it was interesting to talk to him. The white she-cat was entertained by him at the very least. She didn't want to give that up. She didn't want to reject him so soon and so suddenly, but what choice was he giving her? Much to Cherrypaw's surprise, the ginger tom didn't seem all too upset. He was. . . entertained? Pleased? It was like he was feeling the opposite of what any normal cat was supposed to feel after being rejected. He'd called her sweetheart even still. Foxpaw's reaction was far too casual. The younger apprentice felt her emotions turning around once more. She wasn't even sure what she was feeling anymore. Angry? Confused? Worried? Hurt? Frustrated? Lied to? It felt like the other apprentice was playing games again. Cherrypaw squinted her blue eyes at him. What did he mean used to being turned down?

"For your information," The white she-cat was on the brink of seething, trying hard to keep her cool, but hardly doing so. "I hadn't turned you down. I'd hardly said anything." She stated matter-of-factly. Cherrypaw was going to let Foxpaw know she was right and he was wrong. What about exactly, Cherrypaw wasn't too sure, but she knew she was right. "And you don't get to change the topic so easily, Foxpaw. I don't like that." She huffed. "With all this flirting and name calling, I think you're trying to take advantage of me or something. It sounds like something you do a lot to lots of she-cats since you're 'used to being turned down.'" As soon as she'd said it, Cherrypaw wondered if the green-eyed tom had said that to make her feel bad. No matter why he said it, it seemed pretty dumb to her. If she thought honestly about it, it hurt her feelings. It was like Foxpaw had told her that there were more important cats in line before her.

Cherrypaw just wanted to claw Foxpaw's whiskers off. Instead, she just flexed her claws and lashed her white tail. He was too confusing and too much. The most annoying part was that Cherrypaw liked him despite how much he frustrated her. She thought that he was a good cat underneath all of the seemingly meaningless flirting that he did. She undeniably fell for his compliments multiple times, but he'd also taken it too far, and dug himself a hole right in front of Cherrypaw. The younger apprentice stared into Foxpaw's eyes, unsure if she wanted him to stay in that hole, or if she wanted him to find his way out of it.

[lone]

Originally Posted by Thistledawn

Sadness prickled at the younger apprentice's paws. Cherrypaw didn't want to let down Foxpaw. She'd just met him and she didn't want to ruin their friendship so soon. Foxpaw wasn't like other cats, so it was interesting to talk to him. The white she-cat was entertained by him at the very least. She didn't want to give that up. She didn't want to reject him so soon and so suddenly, but what choice was he giving her? Much to Cherrypaw's surprise, the ginger tom didn't seem all too upset. He was. . . entertained? Pleased? It was like he was feeling the opposite of what any normal cat was supposed to feel after being rejected. He'd called her sweetheart even still. Foxpaw's reaction was far too casual. The younger apprentice felt her emotions turning around once more. She wasn't even sure what she was feeling anymore. Angry? Confused? Worried? Hurt? Frustrated? Lied to? It felt like the other apprentice was playing games again. Cherrypaw squinted her blue eyes at him. What did he mean used to being turned down?

"For your information," The white she-cat was on the brink of seething, trying hard to keep her cool, but hardly doing so. "I hadn't turned you down. I'd hardly said anything." She stated matter-of-factly. Cherrypaw was going to let Foxpaw know she was right and he was wrong. What about exactly, Cherrypaw wasn't too sure, but she knew she was right. "And you don't get to change the topic so easily, Foxpaw. I don't like that." She huffed. "With all this flirting and name calling, I think you're trying to take advantage of me or something. It sounds like something you do a lot to lots of she-cats since you're 'used to being turned down.'" As soon as she'd said it, Cherrypaw wondered if the green-eyed tom had said that to make her feel bad. No matter why he said it, it seemed pretty dumb to her. If she thought honestly about it, it hurt her feelings. It was like Foxpaw had told her that there were more important cats in line before her.

Cherrypaw just wanted to claw Foxpaw's whiskers off. Instead, she just flexed her claws and lashed her white tail. He was too confusing and too much. The most annoying part was that Cherrypaw liked him despite how much he frustrated her. She thought that he was a good cat underneath all of the seemingly meaningless flirting that he did. She undeniably fell for his compliments multiple times, but he'd also taken it too far, and dug himself a hole right in front of Cherrypaw. The younger apprentice stared into Foxpaw's eyes, unsure if she wanted him to stay in that hole, or if she wanted him to find his way out of it.

The tom listened carefully to her words, his green eyes sparkling against his ginger coat, standing out there like two emeralds floating. Every time she finished a statement he would nod, or murmur an "I see" or "well," before she was done talking. When he was absolutely sure that she was finished, he straightened up a little in his nest, his posture becoming better and more rigid and he looked almost proper. "If you're done lecturing me about what I said, I have something else I would like to say." He mewed, sarcasm coming into his voice as he glanced across at her - almost through her, like she was no longer there. Though it was impossible to look through the she cat, she was hard to miss. Pretty white coat, pretty blue eyes, feisty but sweet... very much the type of she cat Foxpaw would love to spend more time with. Good thing he had caught her interest, her little lecture earlier had shown him that.

"First off, I'm pretty sure that you were going to turn me down. Unless you've changed your mind and would like to spend some more time with me, hm, sweetheart?" The tom winked, a mischievious purr rumbling in his throat. But before she could say anything, he continued, determined to get all of his thoughts out before she could remark on him being anything else, or his habits being anything else. He was a good cat! He worked hard (sometimes), he didn't break hearts - or he didn't try to - and he was really interested in Cherrypaw! Foxpaw was pretty sure he could get her to crush on him, and then they really would get to be together, just like he said! "Second, I was just trying to make you feel more at ease, darling. You clearly were uncomfortable with the subject, so I was changing it for you. I believe the words you should say now are thank and you?"

The tom asked, a smirk coming over his maw as he leaned forward a little in his nest, his green eyes sparkling eagerly as he watched Cherrypaw. Again, he didn't leave much room before he finished his thoughts. "And finally, if I were trying to take advantage of you, you would be all over me right now. I can be VERY charming when want to be, love. You haven't even seen my best yet. I promise you you have my full attention, but I want you to like me for me, not because I charmed you into it." Lies, lies, and more lies. That was Foxpaw's best, and he was trying to charm her into liking him.

Not that she would ever need to know that. Foxpaw tended to be somewhat of a scandal, and while no one seemed threatened by that, it was still something that she cats in particular needed to watch out for when he was flirting with them.

[Thistledawn]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

The tom listened carefully to her words, his green eyes sparkling against his ginger coat, standing out there like two emeralds floating. Every time she finished a statement he would nod, or murmur an "I see" or "well," before she was done talking. When he was absolutely sure that she was finished, he straightened up a little in his nest, his posture becoming better and more rigid and he looked almost proper. "If you're done lecturing me about what I said, I have something else I would like to say." He mewed, sarcasm coming into his voice as he glanced across at her - almost through her, like she was no longer there. Though it was impossible to look through the she cat, she was hard to miss. Pretty white coat, pretty blue eyes, feisty but sweet... very much the type of she cat Foxpaw would love to spend more time with. Good thing he had caught her interest, her little lecture earlier had shown him that.

"First off, I'm pretty sure that you were going to turn me down. Unless you've changed your mind and would like to spend some more time with me, hm, sweetheart?" The tom winked, a mischievious purr rumbling in his throat. But before she could say anything, he continued, determined to get all of his thoughts out before she could remark on him being anything else, or his habits being anything else. He was a good cat! He worked hard (sometimes), he didn't break hearts - or he didn't try to - and he was really interested in Cherrypaw! Foxpaw was pretty sure he could get her to crush on him, and then they really would get to be together, just like he said! "Second, I was just trying to make you feel more at ease, darling. You clearly were uncomfortable with the subject, so I was changing it for you. I believe the words you should say now are thank and you?"

The tom asked, a smirk coming over his maw as he leaned forward a little in his nest, his green eyes sparkling eagerly as he watched Cherrypaw. Again, he didn't leave much room before he finished his thoughts. "And finally, if I were trying to take advantage of you, you would be all over me right now. I can be VERY charming when want to be, love. You haven't even seen my best yet. I promise you you have my full attention, but I want you to like me for me, not because I charmed you into it." Lies, lies, and more lies. That was Foxpaw's best, and he was trying to charm her into liking him.

Not that she would ever need to know that. Foxpaw tended to be somewhat of a scandal, and while no one seemed threatened by that, it was still something that she cats in particular needed to watch out for when he was flirting with them.

The apprentice felt exhausted from arguing with Foxpaw. It felt hopeless. Anytime she felt like she was winning, Foxpaw bounced right back, ready for more. If Cherrypaw wasn't so frustrated, she'd be impressed with Foxpaw's insistence. "Things aren't always so black and white. Perhaps I wouldn't have said yes or no. Maybe I would have chosen to get to know you better, but not like how you're thinking." Feeling rather daring, Cherrypaw flicked her tail tip across the tom's nose. As frustrated as she was getting with Foxpaw, she did want to talk to the ginger tom more. His first impression was quite unforgettable. "Second," she mewed, trying her best to mimic Foxpaw's voice when he'd said the word. "You don't need to do anything for me." Sass drove her voice. "I'm very capable of doing things for myself, changing the topic of conversation included." She'd almost ended with thank you very much, but that's exactly what the ginger tom had asked for. The older apprentice would have to try a little harder than that to get her to give in even just the smallest bit. And on that note. . . "I don't owe you any words." Cherrypaw declared. She perked up, trying so hard to make herself seem as big as the other apprentice. She tried to match his size by fluffing out her fur, but it still didn't make too much of a difference despite her effort. Maybe Foxpaw wouldn't treat her like she couldn't do anything if she wasn't so small. Small, small, small. That's all Cherrypaw was. Sure, it had its advantages, but no cat talked about its disadvantages too.

"Oh, sure." Cherrypaw rolled her blue eyes. "I don't see myself ever mooning over a cat like that. I have more class than other she-cats, if you haven't noticed." Her ego was growing by the heartbeat. But Foxpaw had stumped her for a moment. He wanted her to like her without him having to charm her. The younger apprentice pondered this. Those words would have been sweet coming from the mouth of any other tom. But this was Foxpaw. Sweet meant something else when talking about the ginger apprentice. Cherrypaw supposed that it was still sweet, just in a Foxpaw kind of way. "Well then?" She started. "If you want me to like you for you, then you better do some more talking. I hardly know anything about you."