RiverClan Clearing

[lone]

Originally Posted by Fawn

With a big smile on her face, Tawnyflight purred, "I'm so glad you're well!" She couldn't be happier that she and the handsome tom had stayed so close throughout most of their apprenticeship. She knew he could've easily chosen someone else to be his best friend, and it meant a lot to the tawny molly that he chose her. She knew she must've been hard to deal with at first, but Thunderstorm stuck with her. She shook her thoughts of the past away briefly and answered his next question. "It's awesome!" She exclaimed, "No more training, and I can hunt on my own without my mentor looking over my shoulder!" She paused, realizing that she sounded a bit rude towards her former mentor - who, unfortunately, had been killed in a tree incident; Tawnyflighr was still sad and grieving, but she accepted it and would always remember her. Going back to her previous statement, she mewed, "I mean, I still love her, and she was the best mentor I could ask for. I just mean, it's nice being a warrior." She gave a small chuckle.

Originally Posted by Fawn

She felt her face heat up as she was told she looked good, and gave a small giggle as Thunderstorm stummbled over his words. "Th-Thanks, Thunder," she stammered out, hesitating before continuing to voice her own thoughts. "You don't look to bad yourself," she continued, recovering from her earlier stammering and pausing, though her nerves returned as she felt a spark when his tail flicked her. "We definitely have grown. Remember, I was a complete jerk before I met you, but you helped me change, Thunderstorm. You helped me see that I didn't have to be a jerk to others to feel better about myself, and I don't know how I could ever thank you enough." The new warrior mentally scolded herself for going on longer than needed. Tawnyflight had a returning crush on the tom, but she was quite oblivious, and didn't pay any mind to the tom's body language or the way he said things; therefore, she was painfully unaware of his returning feelings, and she was just as afraid that he'd find out and wouldn't feel the same, resulting in the possible end of their whole friendship. Sure, if he didn't feel the same way, the considerate tom would probably still be friends with her, but Tawnyflight was quite a paranoid cat. She shifted her weight from paw to paw, a habit of hers.

"I know exactly what you mean. I love my old mentor, but..." Thunderstorm shrugged before a smile broke out over his maw. For him, Tawnyflight would always be the same friend he had fallen for. She was a lot like Tigerpaw, but a lot different. She's like Squirrelpaw. Or Shypaw. The memory of the two other she cats had been coming back to him a lot recently. But they were all gone now, and there was nothing that Thunderstorm could do about it. And, Tawnyflight was at least three times the friend that they had been. For him, they had been... difficult to deal with at times. Though what was a friendship without struggles? And, he and Tawnyflight had had their fair share of struggles. From what he could remember, she had been... well... not the nicest cat when he had first met her. And he had missed Tigerpaw a lot more back then, but now - now the old cats just crossed his mind occasionally.
　
Of course Thunderstorm could never completely forget about them. They would always hold a certain special place in his heart, but he would try and keep that 'remembering them' to a minor extent. After all, Tawnyflight meant a lot more then they did. Being left was hard. Never easy. And the grey tom had found it difficult to say goodbye. So, of course he didn't want to have to say goodbye once more to a friend who meant more to him then anyone else.
　
Her words made his pelt heat up a little, and he found himself... wait... was he purring? No, no, no... that was not the right thing to do in this situation. Not at all... it couldn't be, it just couldn't. "I - uh - th-thank you," He managed to splutter out, his hues becoming sparking with surprise and his body language tensing up some while he tried to find a way to calm himself. There was one, of course, he was just... having trouble finding it. "I remember. I figured there had to be a way to get through to you - and I guess whatever I did worked, because look at us now, Tawnyflight." Moving over to her, he gently stayed there for a moment... hovering almost like a bird might, or a worried queen, but there was some sort of tension there. As though he were trying to find a way to get through something that was blocked. And he didn't know what to do about it. But he would keep trying... just like he always had.

[217]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

"I know exactly what you mean. I love my old mentor, but..." Thunderstorm shrugged before a smile broke out over his maw. For him, Tawnyflight would always be the same friend he had fallen for. She was a lot like Tigerpaw, but a lot different. She's like Squirrelpaw. Or Shypaw. The memory of the two other she cats had been coming back to him a lot recently. But they were all gone now, and there was nothing that Thunderstorm could do about it. And, Tawnyflight was at least three times the friend that they had been. For him, they had been... difficult to deal with at times. Though what was a friendship without struggles? And, he and Tawnyflight had had their fair share of struggles. From what he could remember, she had been... well... not the nicest cat when he had first met her. And he had missed Tigerpaw a lot more back then, but now - now the old cats just crossed his mind occasionally.
　
Of course Thunderstorm could never completely forget about them. They would always hold a certain special place in his heart, but he would try and keep that 'remembering them' to a minor extent. After all, Tawnyflight meant a lot more then they did. Being left was hard. Never easy. And the grey tom had found it difficult to say goodbye. So, of course he didn't want to have to say goodbye once more to a friend who meant more to him then anyone else.
　
Her words made his pelt heat up a little, and he found himself... wait... was he purring? No, no, no... that was not the right thing to do in this situation. Not at all... it couldn't be, it just couldn't. "I - uh - th-thank you," He managed to splutter out, his hues becoming sparking with surprise and his body language tensing up some while he tried to find a way to calm himself. There was one, of course, he was just... having trouble finding it. "I remember. I figured there had to be a way to get through to you - and I guess whatever I did worked, because look at us now, Tawnyflight." Moving over to her, he gently stayed there for a moment... hovering almost like a bird might, or a worried queen, but there was some sort of tension there. As though he were trying to find a way to get through something that was blocked. And he didn't know what to do about it. But he would keep trying... just like he always had.

"Definitely. Like you said, we've grown a lot!" Tawnyflight watched as he moved towards her, and it felt as if he might've been made of fire, because the closer her was, the warmer Tawnyflight was. Having Thunderstorm so close made her consider pulling a bold move, though she quickly decided against it. The feeling as if she needed to know how he felt battled the thoughts of how it could end up; a classic battle of heart versus mind. She tried to clear her head, giving it a small shake. "I was a jerk before I met you, and I didn't have any friends. Not one. I was so unreasonable, too. I didn't want any, yet I got jealous when I saw others having fun with theirs. I just didn't want to let anyone in, because I was afraid of being hurt." Her heart won the fight, and she stepped closer to Thunderstorm, feeling her own pelt press against his. "Until you, Thunderstorm. You helped bring out the real me. You were always there for me. And I-" think I love you. She quickly put a stop to her rambling, cutting herself off as she realized she'd almost said that out loud.

She couldn't say that out loud. She took a step back, back to where she'd been before. "Sorry, I probably seemed a little invading." The tawny she-cat looked down at her paws, her actions catching up with her and feeling a wave of humiliation wash over her. "I just," she paused, closing her eyes for a moment, before opening them again, "wanted to say thank you. For sticking by my side for all those moons." She couldn't tell Thunderstorm that she believed she loved him, especially since she wasn't sure about how he felt towards her. Tawnyflight cleared her throat, feeling like she'd made things awkward, and now she didn't know how to fix it, scolding herself for rambling and nearly blurting something crucial out.

[Brilliance]

Originally Posted by Robin-chan

Sproutwhisker looked at his apprentice with a softened, gentle smile as she asked him a question regarding his first catch. It didn’t take him long at all to answer this time. “Of course. It felt amazing, Noirepaw.” The male purred, “I finally felt like a real clan cat and not just some weak kittypet.” He remembered the pride and amazement that flowed through him when he had first caught something without anyone aiding him. Noirepaw’s tone was full of excitement and pride, which made him remember his own tone. He remembered how his strict mentor wasn’t too impressed, but she was glad that someone like him could catch something on his own. Unlike Snowheart, Sproutwhisker was proud of Noirepaw and all the good work that she has done today in their lesson. “There is no feeling like catching your first piece of prey all on your own.” The male said to the younger cat, “This moment - it truly makes you feel like you belong here, doesn’t it?” He shook his head, knowing that some of his words were silly and mostly dreamy rambling that nobody really understood because, after all, he was just a kittypet in the end to some.

Her next question, though, stumped him for a moment. It was many moons ago since his first ever hunt and even though he remembered the feeling, it was sometimes difficult to remember certain details. “Hmm..” He hummed to himself, placing a paw gently on his chin, “My first catch..” It took him a moment or two of sorting through his memories, early ones with Riverclan that hadn’t been really thought about lately. Although, it finally came to him. “Ah, now I remember. I believe it was a vole, a plump one that was a good catch indeed, like any other, but it was my first ever food that I had caught and it made me proud - as you are right now.” Sproutwhisker enjoyed answering her questions, it made him feel like his past experiences were important and interesting to hear about. He could tell from the start that this young she-cat was one to ask many questions - curious, but not reckless. Asking questions was good, Ripplewhisker always said, always be curious, but don’t always expect an answer. His wise words always stuck with him until this very day as they always would until the end of his life.

The black-and-white warrior noticed right away her reaction when he mentioned hunting out in the water, her eyes and ears widening, her body barely shivering. You couldn’t notice it unless you paid sole attention to her, which he did and noticed. He then noticed how she seemed to say it over again, like she hadn’t heard it the first time. Sproutwhisker knew, right away, that something was not right. The mentor rested the tip of his tail on Noirepaw’s shoulder, as a sign of comfort from the tom-cat. He remembered back when he was given the idea of swimming and hunting around in water, it was no easy task and being a cat not born with Riverclan traits, it was something that was very challenging for him to learn and somewhat get the hang of.

“Noirepaw..” The young warrior spoke, his tone soft and comforting, “All you have to say is that you’d rather learn something else..” He saw her glance at him and then look away, clearly uncertain of her own words and fearful even, by his observing. He nodded shortly to her next words. “Yes, the water can be quite deep. I know that, but you don’t always have to go out into deep waters in order to hunt.” He attempted to reassure her and the fear that was in her expression and tone. “Let me show you that you can trust me, I can help you, okay?” Sproutwhisker said, “But, if you don’t want to, then we don’t have to - it’s your choice.”

The young apprentice twitched her nose, bringing her gaze up to stare at the dark pelted warrior. It was odd truly, that they both had dark colored fur, and that she just now noticed it. Though her fur was long and downy, and when the sun hit it just right, it made it glowed as if she always had been a dark brown cat. This was far from her worries, yet it came to her understanding that they connected in a way more than physical appearances displayed it, such as the color of their fur. Noirepaw stared into his gaze for a moment, and a soft smile curled into her maw. Her tail thumped slightly behind her. “I guess, I just never swam before, so it makes me shudder.” Which she proceeded to do just at the thought of it. “But...I suppose I should do it. After all, I'm a Riverclan cat. Swimming is mandatory for us--isn't it?” Indeed, she did trust her mentor. She couldn't wait for their next lesson so she could build up her skills. And, just because she caught her first prey, the black she cat knew she would be practicing her land hunting more just to get a lot better at it. She dreamed of catching bigger prey than a shrew. More like a bird--perhaps an eagle. Albeit, she might be dreaming too much.

Eagles were far out of her league. They would snatch her up in a heartbeat, and she would be a goner...a memory that not everyone would remember. For Noirepaw did not set any accomplishments yet that allowed her to be unforgettable, and that's what she aimed for. It wasn't such a terrible goal. This she was ambitious. She was easy to become inspired--and once she did, you best believe she was ready to make whatever she wanted to happen. Like swimming. The main thing for her is to get over her fears. Water was harmless, wasn't it? Yet it still made her shudder, so the she cat brushed the lesson away for the time being. “Can we do a history lesson?” She asked, tilting her head. Another thing she loved. History. Her curious nature loved learning much about the time before she was a twinkle in her mother’s eye. She wanted to know who was the first leader of Riverclan, what did they do, how did they love their life? She wanted to know about the battles and the history of Skyclan--how did they come out to be? She wondered how much did Sproutwhisker know since he were formally a kittypet. She almost doubted that he would know anything about Skyclan. Then again, she could be wrong and she was still learning much about her mentor.

“A vole sounds about delicious right now,” the she cat allowed herself to become comfortable. She was in a tensed state for no reason and she did not know why, but she thanked Starclan that she had such an understanding mentor. Some apprentices had horrible mentors while others acted indifferent towards their apprentices, but for Noirepaw? She felt that she had someone else to care about her well being and that he actually wanted her to become a great warrior. The small she cat licked her jaws, as if she could practically taste the small critter. “I figured that it would be a small rodent.” She cooed, confidently looking up and puffing out her chest as if she cracked an unsolved mystery that's been discarded for decades. “Have you...ever caught a fish before?” Noirepaw was still scared of the water, but she wanted to know more about her mentor’s experiences. Have he ever been deep underwater before? Or caught a fish within the middle of the river in his jaws? That's what she wished to accomplish. Then, maybe the water wouldn't be entirely frightful for her.

[Captain]

Originally Posted by Constellation

The young apprentice twitched her nose, bringing her gaze up to stare at the dark pelted warrior. It was odd truly, that they both had dark colored fur, and that she just now noticed it. Though her fur was long and downy, and when the sun hit it just right, it made it glowed as if she always had been a dark brown cat. This was far from her worries, yet it came to her understanding that they connected in a way more than physical appearances displayed it, such as the color of their fur. Noirepaw stared into his gaze for a moment, and a soft smile curled into her maw. Her tail thumped slightly behind her. “I guess, I just never swam before, so it makes me shudder.” Which she proceeded to do just at the thought of it. “But...I suppose I should do it. After all, I'm a Riverclan cat. Swimming is mandatory for us--isn't it?” Indeed, she did trust her mentor. She couldn't wait for their next lesson so she could build up her skills. And, just because she caught her first prey, the black she cat knew she would be practicing her land hunting more just to get a lot better at it. She dreamed of catching bigger prey than a shrew. More like a bird--perhaps an eagle. Albeit, she might be dreaming too much.

Eagles were far out of her league. They would snatch her up in a heartbeat, and she would be a goner...a memory that not everyone would remember. For Noirepaw did not set any accomplishments yet that allowed her to be unforgettable, and that's what she aimed for. It wasn't such a terrible goal. This she was ambitious. She was easy to become inspired--and once she did, you best believe she was ready to make whatever she wanted to happen. Like swimming. The main thing for her is to get over her fears. Water was harmless, wasn't it? Yet it still made her shudder, so the she cat brushed the lesson away for the time being. “Can we do a history lesson?” She asked, tilting her head. Another thing she loved. History. Her curious nature loved learning much about the time before she was a twinkle in her mother’s eye. She wanted to know who was the first leader of Riverclan, what did they do, how did they love their life? She wanted to know about the battles and the history of Skyclan--how did they come out to be? She wondered how much did Sproutwhisker know since he were formally a kittypet. She almost doubted that he would know anything about Skyclan. Then again, she could be wrong and she was still learning much about her mentor.

“A vole sounds about delicious right now,” the she cat allowed herself to become comfortable. She was in a tensed state for no reason and she did not know why, but she thanked Starclan that she had such an understanding mentor. Some apprentices had horrible mentors while others acted indifferent towards their apprentices, but for Noirepaw? She felt that she had someone else to care about her well being and that he actually wanted her to become a great warrior. The small she cat licked her jaws, as if she could practically taste the small critter. “I figured that it would be a small rodent.” She cooed, confidently looking up and puffing out her chest as if she cracked an unsolved mystery that's been discarded for decades. “Have you...ever caught a fish before?” Noirepaw was still scared of the water, but she wanted to know more about her mentor’s experiences. Have he ever been deep underwater before? Or caught a fish within the middle of the river in his jaws? That's what she wished to accomplish. Then, maybe the water wouldn't be entirely frightful for her.

Sproutwhisker looked down at his apprentice with a softened, loving gaze and a certain understanding with his icy blue-hued eyes as she told him about swimming. A gentle smile crept onto his muzzle and the warrior rested his tail on her shoulder. “Another day, Noirepaw.” The tom-cat simple said to her with a quiet, sympathetic tone, “I will teach you to swim, because I have to, as your teacher and because you are Riverclan, but that does not mean that I force it upon you. I will teach you when I feel that you are ready for such a lesson. Understand?” Sproutwhisker knew from personal experience and the stories he had heard of cats drowning or getting horrible injuries by being swept away. He understood her fear of the water and they would face it someday, but not today. “Besides, there are many more things for you to be taught besides such.” He mentioned, a calming sigh escaping his parted jaws.

There was a few moments of silence between them and the mentor could tell that Noirepaw was lost in thought, she often was, from his perspective. There was nothing wrong with that and he was like that sometimes, lost in the memories of his past or just thinking about something like the questions that were never answered throughout life. The tom-cat could only hope that she wouldn’t get this way when she needed to focus, like her final assessment or even a battle against a rival clan. It was bound to happen someday and he would be there to guide her through it, like Ripplewhisker was for him until he passed on to the stars above. Noirepaw’s question stirred him from his thoughts and he looked to the small cat, another loving smile on his maw. “Of course, young one.” Sproutwhisker purred, a gentle breeze ruffling his fur as the day was slowly drawing to an end, “I know a perfect place to sit down and teach you about history.” The place was burned in the young warrior's mind and he made a mental note to take her there tomorrow morning at dawn - if she was willing. “I’ll teach you all that you wish to know tomorrow, after you’ve gotten a full night’s rest and a proper meal to fill your belly.” Sproutwhisker said, nodding, “That is all I ask from you and in return, I will tell you all that I know and have heard.” Her health and wellbeing came first in his mind and the tom-cat knew that it would be wrong to get too attached to this apprentice. For all he knew, she could have a family - ones that loved her so he wouldn’t have to. Sproutwhisker peered down at his paws and then at Noirepaw. Was he being too friendly and open around her for a mentor and apprentice bond?

A lighthearted chuckle came from him though as he pushed his worries away and went back to conversing with her. “Perhaps you should eat before you head off to the den for the night.” He suggested, smiling at the she-cat with a certain warmth and concern for her. Sproutwhisker needed to remind himself to stay professional and not get too soft with her, but he couldn’t help such things - he wasn’t a bad cat at heart. He loved to be friendly and open with others who accepted him. That was why he fell in love with Talonfang all those moons ago, she saw past his origins and loved his personality. The tom-cat smiled at the thought of sharing a nest with her tonight before going back out training again in the morning. Sproutwhisker glanced at Noirepaw with a smirk and a raise of an eyebrow as she confidently stated that she guessed his first prey. “It seems you have.” He said with a chuckle rumbling in his throat at her puffing out her chest like she had accomplished something great. He nodded to her next question, looking up at the setting sun with a warm smile, “Indeed, I have.” The male remarked, “I fell in love with my mate while catching fish by the riverside - maybe I’ll tell you the story someday if you’d like.” The tom-cat yawned and stretched out his front paws.

“I’m afraid that we’ll have to cut this conversation to a close for now.” He said, another quiet yawn escaping him, “It’s about time young cats like you should be nestled up in a warm moss nest, dreaming of becoming great warriors.” Sproutwhisker heaved himself to his paws and smiled at Noirepaw, “It’s time I turned into my nest too - I have a lovely lady waiting for her strong warrior.” He chuckled, looking to the Warrior’s Den and then back at his apprentice, “I’ll be up at dawn tomorrow, so whenever you are ready to head out, I’ll be waiting in the clearing, okay?” The tom-cat went forward and gave the apprentice a touch of his nose on her forehead, “Good night, Noirepaw. Sweet dreams to you.” Sproutwhisker murmured before dipping his head and heading off to the den to sleep for the night and be ready for more in the morning.

[ After your post, we can do a time-skip if you'd like. ^^ ]

[lone]

Originally Posted by Fawn

"Definitely. Like you said, we've grown a lot!" Tawnyflight watched as he moved towards her, and it felt as if he might've been made of fire, because the closer her was, the warmer Tawnyflight was. Having Thunderstorm so close made her consider pulling a bold move, though she quickly decided against it. The feeling as if she needed to know how he felt battled the thoughts of how it could end up; a classic battle of heart versus mind. She tried to clear her head, giving it a small shake. "I was a jerk before I met you, and I didn't have any friends. Not one. I was so unreasonable, too. I didn't want any, yet I got jealous when I saw others having fun with theirs. I just didn't want to let anyone in, because I was afraid of being hurt." Her heart won the fight, and she stepped closer to Thunderstorm, feeling her own pelt press against his. "Until you, Thunderstorm. You helped bring out the real me. You were always there for me. And I-" think I love you. She quickly put a stop to her rambling, cutting herself off as she realized she'd almost said that out loud.

Originally Posted by Fawn

She couldn't say that out loud. She took a step back, back to where she'd been before. "Sorry, I probably seemed a little invading." The tawny she-cat looked down at her paws, her actions catching up with her and feeling a wave of humiliation wash over her. "I just," she paused, closing her eyes for a moment, before opening them again, "wanted to say thank you. For sticking by my side for all those moons." She couldn't tell Thunderstorm that she believed she loved him, especially since she wasn't sure about how he felt towards her. Tawnyflight cleared her throat, feeling like she'd made things awkward, and now she didn't know how to fix it, scolding herself for rambling and nearly blurting something crucial out.

Her words made Thunderstorm just a little uncomfortable. The way she was praising him made him feel like she thought... he could do anything. And he couldn't. Not even close. The idea that one of his friends might think so, and he would let them down by not being able to do everything stung. No, that wasn't possible... if she needed him, he could do whatever she wanted. He would do whatever she needed. He would be by her side whenever she called him. Whenever she'd fallen. As long as she didn't fight... he would make sure to hold onto her. He wouldn't let her fall again, he wouldn't run when she called him, and maybe even if she did fight him he would still hold on. He had the first time and they turned out pretty well. Who knew what the future held? Families? Seperate, or... if Thunderstorm was lucky... he would have a family with the gorgeous tawny cat.
　
The special tawny cat. She was the most unique he had met in a long time. "Tawn, I... uh... I'm really flattered you think that much of me, I - I'll try not to let you down." His thoughts then turned to her cut off statement. But she was beside him. Pressing her pelt against him. And his thoughts disappeared, everything seemed to go fuzzy and melty and warm, and Thunderstorm felt safe. Protected. Genuinely happy. "No! No, I -" liked it. Want you to come back. "-didn't mind," he finished, finding that the best option to use. "I want to say thank you to you too. For being a friend to me. For fixing my broken heart. And patching it up in a way that I'm absolutely sure I never would have been able to do on my own. And for making me see that I didn't need Tigerpaw, or Squirrelpaw, or Shypaw... I didn't need them, because I had you." It was all he could think of to say. A little over the top? Perhaps. But to him, it also felt just right.

[217]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

Her words made Thunderstorm just a little uncomfortable. The way she was praising him made him feel like she thought... he could do anything. And he couldn't. Not even close. The idea that one of his friends might think so, and he would let them down by not being able to do everything stung. No, that wasn't possible... if she needed him, he could do whatever she wanted. He would do whatever she needed. He would be by her side whenever she called him. Whenever she'd fallen. As long as she didn't fight... he would make sure to hold onto her. He wouldn't let her fall again, he wouldn't run when she called him, and maybe even if she did fight him he would still hold on. He had the first time and they turned out pretty well. Who knew what the future held? Families? Seperate, or... if Thunderstorm was lucky... he would have a family with the gorgeous tawny cat.
　
The special tawny cat. She was the most unique he had met in a long time. "Tawn, I... uh... I'm really flattered you think that much of me, I - I'll try not to let you down." His thoughts then turned to her cut off statement. But she was beside him. Pressing her pelt against him. And his thoughts disappeared, everything seemed to go fuzzy and melty and warm, and Thunderstorm felt safe. Protected. Genuinely happy. "No! No, I -" liked it. Want you to come back. "-didn't mind," he finished, finding that the best option to use. "I want to say thank you to you too. For being a friend to me. For fixing my broken heart. And patching it up in a way that I'm absolutely sure I never would have been able to do on my own. And for making me see that I didn't need Tigerpaw, or Squirrelpaw, or Shypaw... I didn't need them, because I had you." It was all he could think of to say. A little over the top? Perhaps. But to him, it also felt just right.

Bringing her gaze back to Thunderstorm from her seemingly interesting paws, Tawnyflight nearly let out a relieved sigh when he said he didn't mind. She was afraid he would've gotten annoyed or uncomfortable when she'd pressed pressed her pelt to his, which was a very affectionate gesture. "Thunderstorm," she began, "I know you aren't perfect. No one is. But still, you mean-" the world to me "-a lot to me, and even if we have our ups and downs, I don't have any plans on leaving. You were literally my first ever friend, and I hope that we stay close all our lives." She didn't say she hoped they'd stay friends, because that was a lie. She hoped to be something more, but there was no way she'd outwardly state that. No matter how much she wanted it. She couldn't risk the possibility of ruining how close they were if he didn't feel the same. Sure, they'd probably continue as friends, but she was scared it would be forever awkward between them.

Tawnyflight's bright green eyes widened as he returned the praise, and she smiled shyly; unlike the tawny she-cat, but she always felt different around Thunderstorm, which caused her to act differently from around others as well. "I-I can say the same about being flattered. I didn't realize I helped you that much... meant that much." Of course she knew she meant a lot to the tom, being his best friend, but the way he spoke to her about herself... it made her feel special. "I just... was returning the favor of all you've done for me, I suppose." She began her habit again, shifting most of her weight from one front paw to another. She did it because it made her feel as if she was doing something with her paws, and it wasn't just a nervous habit. She always did it when she was just standing or sitting there.

[Nico, nico, Ni!]

Originally Posted by Fenris

"Sure thing- do you want to bring along anyone else, then?" She seems cheery... "Or should we just go now?"
[ack, i have to go! i swear, every time i start something...]

Crystalstripe purred and started for the camp entrance."We can just leave now, I've been aching to get out of camp all day."

[lone]

Originally Posted by Fawn

Bringing her gaze back to Thunderstorm from her seemingly interesting paws, Tawnyflight nearly let out a relieved sigh when he said he didn't mind. She was afraid he would've gotten annoyed or uncomfortable when she'd pressed pressed her pelt to his, which was a very affectionate gesture. "Thunderstorm," she began, "I know you aren't perfect. No one is. But still, you mean-" the world to me "-a lot to me, and even if we have our ups and downs, I don't have any plans on leaving. You were literally my first ever friend, and I hope that we stay close all our lives." She didn't say she hoped they'd stay friends, because that was a lie. She hoped to be something more, but there was no way she'd outwardly state that. No matter how much she wanted it. She couldn't risk the possibility of ruining how close they were if he didn't feel the same. Sure, they'd probably continue as friends, but she was scared it would be forever awkward between them.

Originally Posted by Fawn

Tawnyflight's bright green eyes widened as he returned the praise, and she smiled shyly; unlike the tawny she-cat, but she always felt different around Thunderstorm, which caused her to act differently from around others as well. "I-I can say the same about being flattered. I didn't realize I helped you that much... meant that much." Of course she knew she meant a lot to the tom, being his best friend, but the way he spoke to her about herself... it made her feel special. "I just... was returning the favor of all you've done for me, I suppose." She began her habit again, shifting most of her weight from one front paw to another. She did it because it made her feel as if she was doing something with her paws, and it wasn't just a nervous habit. She always did it when she was just standing or sitting there.

Her praise surprised the grey tom. And he didn't know what to do about it. Did he... deserve this praise? He wished he could tell her the same. That she was his first ever friend. But he couldn't, and that frustrated him. She was the only friend he had remaining at the moment, something that also hurt... and Thunderstorm wasn't quite sure what had happened. What had happened to all the she cats that he remembered from the old days? To all the friends - and even enemies - that he had had in the old days? They had all died, or disappeared, and he wasn't sure why. What had happened. Why they had gone all of a sudden. And why had Tawnyflight stuck around? At least, at first... he still didn't know why she had put up with him. He was confident his cheerful, friendly manner had been irritating... and he wondered if it had fooled her, having currently had the broken heart he no longer sported.
　
Which he was glad of. All the cats he had known would always hold a special place in his heart and mind, but they were no longer the cats that he held true love for. Once upon a time, maybe, but that time was long over and Thunderstorm was glad of it. Perhaps it was better this way after all. "Well of course you did! You're my best friend, after all... and thank you so, so much for sticking with me. Pretty sure I must have annoyed you to death when we first met, huh? All that... cheerfulness," He purred with a short laugh. His tail twitched almost nervously as he spoke and he swallowed lightly, trying to figure out something else to say. Why was the tom suddenly out of subject material? Say something. You look like an idiot, she's going to hate you... oh StarClan, why couldn't this be someone like Shypaw or Squirrelpaw or even Tigerpaw? Then I wouldn't risk wrecking my relationship with Tawnyflight... and she's the best friend I've ever had.

[217]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

Her praise surprised the grey tom. And he didn't know what to do about it. Did he... deserve this praise? He wished he could tell her the same. That she was his first ever friend. But he couldn't, and that frustrated him. She was the only friend he had remaining at the moment, something that also hurt... and Thunderstorm wasn't quite sure what had happened. What had happened to all the she cats that he remembered from the old days? To all the friends - and even enemies - that he had had in the old days? They had all died, or disappeared, and he wasn't sure why. What had happened. Why they had gone all of a sudden. And why had Tawnyflight stuck around? At least, at first... he still didn't know why she had put up with him. He was confident his cheerful, friendly manner had been irritating... and he wondered if it had fooled her, having currently had the broken heart he no longer sported.
　
Which he was glad of. All the cats he had known would always hold a special place in his heart and mind, but they were no longer the cats that he held true love for. Once upon a time, maybe, but that time was long over and Thunderstorm was glad of it. Perhaps it was better this way after all. "Well of course you did! You're my best friend, after all... and thank you so, so much for sticking with me. Pretty sure I must have annoyed you to death when we first met, huh? All that... cheerfulness," He purred with a short laugh. His tail twitched almost nervously as he spoke and he swallowed lightly, trying to figure out something else to say. Why was the tom suddenly out of subject material? Say something. You look like an idiot, she's going to hate you... oh StarClan, why couldn't this be someone like Shypaw or Squirrelpaw or even Tigerpaw? Then I wouldn't risk wrecking my relationship with Tawnyflight... and she's the best friend I've ever had.

Tawnyflight laughed a little. "Maybe," she mewed, "but probably because, when we first met, everything annoyed me. Now I find it just making me happy." You make me happy. "Your cheer gives me cheer!" She didn't know what to say anymore. She didn't know what to talk about. Come on, the tawny she-cat thought, you can come up with something. She felt like she could talk about nearly anything with him, but she just couldn't come up with anything. She wished she could work up the courage to tell the tom how she felt. And maybe she could, if she didn't have thoughts of rejection and ruining their closeness plaguing her mind. If she could just rid herself of those thoughts for a minute or two, she could work up the nerve to tell him how she felt.

Maybe it would be easier to ask him how he felt about her. But, she thought, that would be putting him on the spot. That's not fair. The new warrior sighed, simply trying to come up with something to continue the conversation. "I'm just glad we're finally warriors," she finally spoke, "Even though we have new responsibilities, there's still more freedom than being an apprentice. Plus, no more checking the elders for ticks. I love their stories, but tick searching is definitely not fun. We've got to go hunting together sometime, or maybe on a patrol! Or even just a walk during our free time would work, just looking around at everything. It'd be fun." Anything's fun when I'm with you.

[lone]

Originally Posted by Fawn

Tawnyflight laughed a little. "Maybe," she mewed, "but probably because, when we first met, everything annoyed me. Now I find it just making me happy." You make me happy. "Your cheer gives me cheer!" She didn't know what to say anymore. She didn't know what to talk about. Come on, the tawny she-cat thought, you can come up with something. She felt like she could talk about nearly anything with him, but she just couldn't come up with anything. She wished she could work up the courage to tell the tom how she felt. And maybe she could, if she didn't have thoughts of rejection and ruining their closeness plaguing her mind. If she could just rid herself of those thoughts for a minute or two, she could work up the nerve to tell him how she felt.

Originally Posted by Fawn

Maybe it would be easier to ask him how he felt about her. But, she thought, that would be putting him on the spot. That's not fair. The new warrior sighed, simply trying to come up with something to continue the conversation. "I'm just glad we're finally warriors," she finally spoke, "Even though we have new responsibilities, there's still more freedom than being an apprentice. Plus, no more checking the elders for ticks. I love their stories, but tick searching is definitely not fun. We've got to go hunting together sometime, or maybe on a patrol! Or even just a walk during our free time would work, just looking around at everything. It'd be fun." Anything's fun when I'm with you.

A nervous laugh escaped the tom's maw at her words. He felt flattered, really. But... what was he supposed to say? What was he supposed to do? See, Thunderstorm was suddenly realizing that he was running out of things to say to his best friend. Normally this would be the time when he suggested hunting or taking a walk, which would open up new subject matter, but this time he just stood still. Frozen. His hues still sparkling, but they seemed duller in color for a moment. His normally bright and happy features were serious just for a second before he sighed and shifted his weight. He needed to tell her. Just to get it off his chest, and rejection... maybe it wouldn't hurt as bad this time.
　
Maybe this time he would be safe. The other three times hadn't been as bad - well, the first hadn't. The others? Each was a little more harrowing then the last, and this very last confession was going to be rough. If Tawnyflight rejected him? Thunderstorm wasn't going to have anything else to do with love. This was his very last love... his last confession... his last chance. He was still a young warrior, yet Thunderstorm felt like this was the last chance he would ever get. "Tawnyflight, I... there's... I n-need to..." He stammered, his words jumbled and confusing as he tried to sort them out. This had to work. It just had to.
　

"I... I love you."