RiverClan Territory

[Brilliance]

Originally Posted by Mystical

Mudtuft purred in amusement the she-cat was certainly something. She was impressing. Mudtuft liked that. "You?" he chuckled. "Hardly." The tom was having the time of his life. He had made a mistake with Birchfur, which was the worst time of his life. Now that she was in ThunderClan, it was alright. Nothing like that was ever going to happen again. It wasn't the kits Mudtuft wanted, it was the joy of the flirt. It was fun when you stumbled upon she-cats, to flirt with them. Sure Chrysanthemumshade knew he was flirting, but that's one of the things he liked about her. She was more than a flirt to him. Well, sometimes. He smiled at her, and then, padded after her, making sure his tail brushed her flank.

Chrysanthemumshade shot the tom a smile. "You have been forewarned," she hummed. She told him she was untrainable, but he looked as if he held all the answers in the book. Like he had all the confidence in the world. Chrysanthemumshade hardly had confidence in herself. She was great at impressing other cats when needed, but warrior duties? That was a huge no-no for her. Hunting...extreme fighting. Oh no! At least, she was good at kit sitting, or messing with flowers and herbs. Oh, her flowers! Her sweet delicate little beauties...wasted away in a horrid storm. The tiny she cat almost felt herself ready to cry at that moment. Blinking her eyes, and huffing. She flinched at the tom's touch. "Uh-uh, keep your paws and tail to yourself, mister!" She scolded him, making sure to keep her head and tail held high to display her prideful nature. Sure, he was apart of that infamous family. Those judgmental cats. Chrysanthemumshade had a run in with the one who had...many, many mates. She just hoped she would never catch his eye, but it seemed that she did with the...younger brother. "This," she pointed out, mainly talking about herself. "Is off limits." She brushed past him, but she was ready for this unforgettable lesson with Mudtuft. It might be the most hilarious thing ever. Really.

[Tundra]

Shardkit squealed and began purring.

[Gone]

Originally Posted by Chameleon

(Is he flirting..lol)
Honeypaw nodded," Yeah, they do owe us, and we can't demand free hunting in there nasty swamp...like we'd want it, they'd be mad at that demand." She chuckled.

(He's trying XD)

Herringpaw smiled, it was rare to have someone agree with him. "Well... Aren't Shadowclanners mad at everything?" He asked, laughing a little, he gazed at her and then at what she had caught. "You hungry?" He asked.

[lone]

Originally Posted by lost

I love you.
He said it so easily, and as the words escaped him her heart nearly exploded and it was racing, as if trying to escape. She inhaled sharply, trying to gather her thoughts from those three words. She took in a deep breath, lashing her tail as twice.
"I love you too," she whispered the words, as if they would somehow ruin everything and tear them apart. But that's not what those words did, they brought two cats closer together and formed a tighter bond. They were meant to improve a relationship, not tear it apart. But ye, if said at the wrong time, those words would put a barrier between two cats that would be difficult to break down again.
Lostpaw's mind began to drift to random future events that they could share together. Perhaps, as warriors, they would become mates and then they would have kits. The she-cat couldn't imagine herself as a mother, but she knew someday it would be an exciting adventure that she would want to take. When she was younger she decided that she would either never be a mother, or she would be a better mother than her own. If she felt she couldn't be better, she would never have kits. She still had no idea if she could do it, and didn't want to overwork herself thinking about things that were far into the future.
There was no telling that they would end up having a future together. Anything could happen between now and then. It was a waiting game, and that was making the gray she-cat anxious.

She loved him too. Badgerpaw had suspected it, she had basically told him already, but... just hearing her say it was like having a powerful blow of reality dealt to him. But not in a bad way, in a good way. She loved him. The world kept moving on, time didn't pause, there was no explosion of amazement from around them, yet it felt like there was. Badgerpaw felt as though he were trapped in their own little world, own little bubble, and everything was perfect there. There were no problems. No pain. No heartbreak. The black and white tom could feel his heart swelling until it was at the point where it felt as though it might burst with the love coarsing through him for his best friend. He couldn't speak. Had they been older, been warriors, this would have been the time he would have asked her to be mates. Without a second thought. "Lostpaw..." Lostpaw.

His best friend. His love. The only cat Badgerpaw had ever had feelings for, and the only cat he ever would. It didn't matter that she was eyeless, it didn't matter that they had been separated before, because now she was here. And the two of them were happy. Truly happy. His yellow eyes flashed with all the separate emotions he was feeling - he was so happy. He felt loved, and he was feeling loved. It was so difficult for him to wrap his mind around this fact, but he knew that they were safe now. His heart was protected by the she cat who he called his best friend. And hers was protected by him. They would stay together forever, and they would always be best friends. Badgerpaw lightly touched his nose to her ear again and smiled. Just the fact that she didn't mind, that she might even like it, also gave him just the slightest thrill. I love you too. He wanted to replay that moment forever, just that one moment, and this one directly afterwards. They were perhaps the best moments of his life. And, things wouldn't change.

Love might change the way he felt about her, it might change their relationship, but who they were? Could it change that? The thought scared Badgerpaw, and he hoped that they wouldn't change too much. He liked who they were. He loved Lostpaw just the way she was, and he didn't want her to ever change. The tom's yellow eyes watched his friend and he breathed a sigh of relief as he played that moment once again.

I love you too.

[oats]

Originally Posted by Arié

Smokestep nodded slowly. He had a thought about how hard it was for himself to accept help and guessed it would only be harder for the she-cat. He shook his head to clear the thought and then shifted his position and slowly, gently started licking the she-cat's fur. He looked up at her and slowly meowed," It's brave that you accepted my offer of help." He let the comment stay in the air as he continued to help her with drying her fur.

Was it just them being their usual stubborn self, or was there just something about the larger, burlier tom that made Creekgaze sick? They couldn't tell, but the whole nice-guy charade made the smooth-furred feline want to throw up; they had a preference for those who were masculine, yes, but the ingenuine feeling attached to every word, every action Smokestep carried out left Creekgaze feeling uneasy.

They stared blankly ahead as his hooked tongue straightened the fur on their back, but their tail lashed. They were going to have to take it up a notch before they started, hell, disassociating or something. Creekgaze never really knew what would happen when they were at their worst-- their tactic of spitting venomous remarks had worked quite well thus far-- but to be frank, they weren't going to let themself reach that extreme. It was.. just... No.

Not in front of this fool. Never in front of someone like him. Their breath quickened as he spoke again-- this time, they failed to make out the words. He continued grooming once more, and Creekgaze found themself raking the ground, restless. They could practically feel frustration building inside them-- his tongue was too cold, the world too hot, and they themself were too small.

Kill me now, they inwardly grunted as Smokestep rasped along their spine again, too gentle to flinch away from, but too firm to shake off. The pair of them had lapsed into silence, and now-self conscious, Creek scuffed at their paws again, feeling quite like an awkward apprentice. Weakly, they tried, "I'm not a she-cat, for the record. If you couldn't tell, I mean." They looked away, involuntarily cringing. They hadn't had to say anything like this in, hell, moons. "I'm not-- I'm not interested. Or anything. Shut up."

[Arie]

Originally Posted by corgi

Was it just them being their usual stubborn self, or was there just something about the larger, burlier tom that made Creekgaze sick? They couldn't tell, but the whole nice-guy charade made the smooth-furred feline want to throw up; they had a preference for those who were masculine, yes, but the ingenuine feeling attached to every word, every action Smokestep carried out left Creekgaze feeling uneasy.

They stared blankly ahead as his hooked tongue straightened the fur on their back, but their tail lashed. They were going to have to take it up a notch before they started, hell, disassociating or something. Creekgaze never really knew what would happen when they were at their worst-- their tactic of spitting venomous remarks had worked quite well thus far-- but to be frank, they weren't going to let themself reach that extreme. It was.. just... No.

Not in front of this fool. Never in front of someone like him. Their breath quickened as he spoke again-- this time, they failed to make out the words. He continued grooming once more, and Creekgaze found themself raking the ground, restless. They could practically feel frustration building inside them-- his tongue was too cold, the world too hot, and they themself were too small.

Kill me now, they inwardly grunted as Smokestep rasped along their spine again, too gentle to flinch away from, but too firm to shake off. The pair of them had lapsed into silence, and now-self conscious, Creek scuffed at their paws again, feeling quite like an awkward apprentice. Weakly, they tried, "I'm not a she-cat, for the record. If you couldn't tell, I mean." They looked away, involuntarily cringing. They hadn't had to say anything like this in, hell, moons. "I'm not-- I'm not interested. Or anything. Shut up."

Smokestep tipped his head. He hadn't made a gesture toward anything, yet the female said something. Still rasping his tongue gently over her spine he paused for a moment. "I didn't expect you too. This is just a friendly gesture." Though the male let out a low sigh. He knew it was too much to expect but from her expressions he couldn't help but adore her. Shaking his head shortly he shook off the thoughts. Feeling that her fur was nearly dry, he moved a step away seeing what the she-cat would do.

[Cosmo]

Originally Posted by Constellation

Chrysanthemumshade shot the tom a smile. "You have been forewarned," she hummed. She told him she was untrainable, but he looked as if he held all the answers in the book. Like he had all the confidence in the world. Chrysanthemumshade hardly had confidence in herself. She was great at impressing other cats when needed, but warrior duties? That was a huge no-no for her. Hunting...extreme fighting. Oh no! At least, she was good at kit sitting, or messing with flowers and herbs. Oh, her flowers! Her sweet delicate little beauties...wasted away in a horrid storm. The tiny she cat almost felt herself ready to cry at that moment. Blinking her eyes, and huffing. She flinched at the tom's touch. "Uh-uh, keep your paws and tail to yourself, mister!" She scolded him, making sure to keep her head and tail held high to display her prideful nature. Sure, he was apart of that infamous family. Those judgmental cats. Chrysanthemumshade had a run in with the one who had...many, many mates. She just hoped she would never catch his eye, but it seemed that she did with the...younger brother. "This," she pointed out, mainly talking about herself. "Is off limits." She brushed past him, but she was ready for this unforgettable lesson with Mudtuft. It might be the most hilarious thing ever. Really.

Mudtuft raised his eyebrows at her scolding. "Exactly when we're you given permission to scold me?" he asked. Though he was a flirt, a major one, he was loyal to his families beliefs. He was sure that meant she-cats weren't allowed to talk back to toms. It wasn't exactly talking back, so Mudtuft decided to go along with it, but in the future... Well, If it happened again, he was ready, and he wasn't going to cover up with his flirting. Well, if she talked back as in really talked back, as in, no excuses talked back. "This, Is off limits." he heard her say. The tom couldn't help but purr in amusement. Her being off limits? Wouldn't she have told him to leave by now? Especially when Mudtuft would probably not respect that? Because he liked her more than he liked his normal flirts, he decided to try and respect it. He couldn't make any promises though. That was also what he decided. No promises, but I'll try. That was exactly what he was going to do. Plus, if he was going to give her a "lesson", wouldn't he have to touch her with his tail tip to help her with her posture? That's what mentors did. He wasn't her mentor. But she had agreed to a "lesson", with him.

[oats]

Originally Posted by Arié

Smokestep tipped his head. He hadn't made a gesture toward anything, yet the female said something. Still rasping his tongue gently over her spine he paused for a moment. "I didn't expect you too. This is just a friendly gesture." Though the male let out a low sigh. He knew it was too much to expect but from her expressions he couldn't help but adore her. Shaking his head shortly he shook off the thoughts. Feeling that her fur was nearly dry, he moved a step away seeing what the she-cat would do.

It was almost as if the entirety of Shadowclan thought Creekgaze was going to just lay down and do whatever they wanted just because, what, they had a disability, that oh, they were too handsome to waste away just because they wanted to be special. They were, to cut a long story short, done with it, and their current predicament just reeked of everything they had been through before. The pale-eyed tabby stayed silent for a moment as the larger warrior withdrew, assessing the situation for about a millisecond.

And then, they spoke.

"Mate," the enby began, pulling themself further away from Smokestep as soon as he moved, curling a lip over one of their fangs. "I don't think you're getting me. I am not female. I do not get why you're sighing as if this is one of the love stories your great-grandma told you as a kit. Whatever you call a friendly gesture feels more like harassment to me." They had lost attention as he had been grooming them before, and shook whatever water that still latched to them off. Creekgaze felt as if the message was not clear enough, but they weren't one to show open aggression... until now. Creekgaze puffed up their now-dry fur.

It was a long time since someone had done anything like this, and as they reached further monuments in their transition, they expected it to never happen again-- or so they had hoped. They raised a paw, claws still sheathed (but not for long), growing too defensive too quickly, and snarled, "I'm not entirely deaf. I think I can tell. We've only ever been on what, two patrols? Two? How many times have we spoken in the last moon? I think this is the one time we've had a conversation. Get real. I'm not-- I'm not having it."

[Arie]

Originally Posted by corgi

It was almost as if the entirety of Shadowclan thought Creekgaze was going to just lay down and do whatever they wanted just because, what, they had a disability, that oh, they were too pretty to waste away just because they wanted to be special. They were, to cut a long story short, done with it, and their current predicament just reeked of everything they had been through before. The pale-eyed tabby stayed silent for a moment as the larger warrior withdrew, assessing the situation for about a millisecond.

And then, they spoke.

"Mate," the enby began, pulling themself further away from Smokestep as soon as he moved, curling a lip over one of their fangs. "I don't think you're getting me. I am not female. I do not get why you're sighing as if this is one of the love stories your great-grandma told you as a kit. Whatever you call a friendly gesture feels more like harassment to me." They had lost attention as he had been grooming them before, and shook whatever water that still latched to them off. Creekgaze felt as if the message was not clear enough, but they weren't one to show open aggression... until now. Creekgaze puffed up their now-dry fur.

It was a long time since someone had done anything like this, and as they reached further monuments in their transition, they expected it to never happen again-- or so they had hoped. They raised a paw, claws still sheathed (but not for long), growing too defensive too quickly, and snarled, "I'm not entirely deaf. I think I can tell. We've only ever been on what, two patrols? Two? How many times have we spoken in the last moon? I think this is the one time we've had a conversation. Get real. I'm not-- I'm not having it."

Smokestep puffed up his fur. He had been keeping calm through the whole thing, now though, Creekgaze had managed to get under his fur. The proud smoke black cat moved so that he could look in her eyes. "Have I ever mentioned something that might show any affection toward you? I have shown what I would show every clanmate, loyalty when something happens to them. You fell into the river, the least I could do was to help you get your fur dry." Raising his head proudly he spun around and headed toward the bush of dry plants, tail shaking angrily.

[oats]

Originally Posted by Arié

Smokestep puffed up his fur. He had been keeping calm through the whole thing, now though, Creekgaze had managed to get under his fur. The proud smoke black cat moved so that he could look in her eyes. "Have I ever mentioned something that might show any affection toward you? I have shown what I would show every clanmate, loyalty when something happens to them. You fell into the river, the least I could do was to help you get your fur dry." Raising his head proudly he spun around and headed toward the bush of dry plants, tail shaking angrily.

They snorted, rolled their eyes. "Believe that, son. Please keep telling yourself that as if it's true. I may not be as old as you, but when you can't hear as well, you start to pay attention to things more: I don't care for your 'loyalty' or what you would do for another. I've fended for myself long enough," they said, looking down at him with an expression of disgust. "Save it for someone who actually wants it, dumbass. Coulda done it for one of the survivors of the flood, but oh no, senior warrior Smokestep's moral compass is well-tuned enough to want to help everyone."

Starclan, they hated do-gooders like this. There was always something just bubbling beneath the surface, and since most genuinely kind cats wouldn't just be lurking around another Clan's territory, it wasn't hard to land at the conclusion they already had. Loyalty was of worth, they figured, but Creekgaze was just too used to being left alone. They'd rather have Pinewhisker do something like this; someone they actually knew, instead of a relative stranger swooping right in and tenderly grooming them as if they had been together for about twelve moons. It was ridiculous, to be quite frank, and they figured they were justified in doing all this.

Snorting at their own comment, Creekgaze's tail lashed as he turned to flee. "Exactly," the colourpoint tabby smirked. "If you actually had something to defend yourself with, you wouldn't just leave."