[Splash]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

Light green eyes met Crescentpool's own blue ones and lingered there for a moment. The RiverClan apprentice watched her, as though he were studying a foreign object. And, he might as well have been - from the way he was acting. Observing her as though she didn't have a mind of her own. Oh, Shadepaw... sometimes he could come across as quite rude. Getting to his paws, the fluffy black tom made his way across the clearing. Why did it have to be so blasted hot in green-leaf? Why couldn't it be nice, cold weather... the type of weather that the tom preferred? "Mind if I join you?" He asked, his green eyes watching her with a pleasant expression. When Shadepaw wanted to be, he could be quite charming. When he was... manipulative, that was. His voice was naturally smooth and elegant, and he almost had that type of air around him that seemed to scream sophistication.

"You're Crescentpool, aren't you? I believe I remember you from your warrior ceremony. You were absolutely stunning." It wasn't awkward, somehow, to be complimenting the black warrior on her appearance. Flirting was a common occurance around the Clans, and while Shadepaw might not be considered a flirt, he was considered almost polite. Sophisticated. Charming, even. Yes, he might have the traits that made a flirt a flirt, but all in all? He wasn't one. Shadepaw watched Crescentpool for any reaction, his light green eyes friendly although he was struggling to keep them that way. Shy cats had never been a real target for him. And from what he could tell, Crescentpool seemed antisocial and shy. Though, perhaps she could serve as some use after all... maybe. If he were lucky, she could. Even if it was only for his own amusement, Shadepaw got the feeling that he and the black cat were going to get along just fine.

That was, while his act was kept up. A cruel, manipulative tom and a shy she cat... what better opening for the stereotypical "toxic" relationships? Yet, the tom knew how these things ended. They always ended with the girl and guy ending up together. Well, that wasn't going to happen to him. No sir, Shadepaw was a cat who was forever alone. He remained alone because it kept him above the others. A mate was like a partner. And at the moment? He wasn't looking for one.

Crescentpool gazed back at the tom, her eyes slightly narrowed. She wanted to look away. She needed to look away, it felt like. But something stopped her, held her back, kept her head faced towards the tom and her eyes opened. She wasn't sure why, but it felt almost as if there would be some sort of consequence if she looked away. There was, sort of- she'd look weak, she'd be submitting to another. Although Crescentpool usually didn't care what others thought of her, she wouldn't have them thinking that she was fragile.

When the tom's expression became pleasant, a warning went off in her head, but she brushed it off. The tom didn't seem so intimidating now; he was just trying to be friendly. With this in mind, she nodded at his request. "Of course!" she purred, pushing away the feeling of unease deep within her. There was nothing wrong with the friendly tom, no matter what her gut instinct was. She could trust her clanmates.

"Yes, I'm Crescentpool," the turquoise-eyed warrior confirmed. Although she was put off by the tom's compliment, she managed a quiet murmur of thanks. Crescentpool wasn't used to being complemented. Due to her shy, quiet nature, she didn't really speak with others, so they didn't really speak with her, even more so because she was born in WindClan. Although she wasn't treated like an outsider, she wasn't treated quite the same as a RiverClan-born cat. Not that Crescentpool minded; peace, quiet, and solitude were some of her favorite things.

The jet-black she-cat pursed her lips. "I'm really sorry, but I don't think I know your name," she apoligized nervously. What if he was offended that Crescentpool didn't know him? What if he was mad? Please don't let him mind that I don't know his name, she prayed. The last thing Crescentpool needed was to drive cats away from her in anger.
@Lonestar23