SkyClan Clearing

[lone]

Originally Posted by Doodle

Marblestrike groaned as soon as she noticed the tom approaching. Turning around was supposed to say 'stay away'. Did you not see that? She shifted back around to face Palmettoleaf as he sat down- right next to her. The molly not so subtly scooted away, wanting a bit more space. "Hello," she sighed at his cheerful expression. Was he one of those always happy cats? Because they were annoying and she wouldn't be able to tolerate him if that was the case. Maybe she should just walk away; that would certainly get her point across. That was also what she would do in any other situation, but as her blue eyes locked on his green ones, and as they shined oh-so-brightly, she found herself unable to move. She felt her eyes widen slightly out of her narrowed glare without her allowing it as she stared quite obviously at the tom. Finally, with a blink, she was able to tear her gaze away and looked out at the clearing. Her ears pinned back in anger, but this time with herself for looking like a doe-eyed she-cat. She didn't even like him! He just looked good, that was all.

The molly scoffed at her hypocritical thoughts. You of all cats should know not to act based on looks. Marblestrike turned back as the tom continued talking, an unattractive snort of amusement escaping her as she took in his tone. "The one and only," she replied sarcastically. Her tail flipped, but this time in a way to gesture to the other cat rather than out of irritation. "Yes, I knew your name was Palmettoleaf. Rather unique naming." She was actually being friendly- well, it was hard to tell with her bland voice that made her appear bored. But she was trying to be less grumpy, and she wasn't sure why. But then she caught sight of the tom looking her over and she shook her pelt self-consciously. Are there it goes, she thought. Another chance gone. It was typical for toms to look her over like this, something she was subjected to based off her very unique fur. Her mother had appropriately named her Marble, as her pelt resembled a marbled surface. A white coat was splattered with black and grays, making a beautiful pattern. Her big blue eyes popped out against her fur, bright against her gray scale fur.

Marblestrike's mother had always teasingly said that she would get all the toms, and she hadn't been wrong. That didn't mean that the molly enjoyed it, however. Quite the opposite- she hated it, and now at the first sign of this tom looking her over she considered leaving then and now. But, meeting his gaze once more, he still appeared friendly. There wasn't a trace of flirty attitude, at least not yet, so the molly tried to soothe herself. Gazing into his eyes proved to be dangerous for her, however, so she quickly looked away. She didn't really know what to say, so instead she laid in silence and went back to looking around the clearing, doing as much as she could to ignore the tom next to her. Still she couldn't help but feel as if Palmettoleaf was watching her, even if he wasn't, and moved around uncomfortably in her spot. Maybe she should just leave anyways, since it was starting to feel awkward between them- or maybe that was just her feeling this way? She settled on just waiting for the tom to do something rather than leaving just yet, surprising herself yet again. There were many circumstances like this where she had been long gone, so why not now? Not being able to answer these questions made her uneasy, so she tried not to think about it as she kept her attention ahead of her.

"I could say the same for you." There was a twinkle in Palmettoleaf's leafy green hues, his mixed fur partly sparkling, partly dulled as part of him was in the sun (namely his front paws, the tip of his muzzle and chest) and the rest was in the shade that Marblestrike herself stayed in. "Looks like your Mother knew what she was doing when she named you. And I'm pretty sure you weren't given the suffix 'strike' for your warm and friendly personality." He mewed, in a sarcastic tone of voice. Leaf-green eyes stared over the she cat again, as he tried to mentally figure her out. She was pretty. There were many pretty she cats in the clearing, and quite a few handsome toms - though he noticed none of them were approaching Marblestrike. If anything, they seemed to be going out of their way to stay out of her way. Or was that the other way around? Whether it was or not didn't matter.

What did matter was that Palmettoleaf was confused. So far she hadn't shown any truly aggressive tendencies, so how come everyone was struggling to stay out of her way? The tom was aware that she had somewhat of a... well... fierce reputation within the Clan. It had made the feline just the slightest bit nervous to approach her, but oh well! He had now, and she hadn't tried to bite his head off yet, so something must be going in his favor. Was it his charm? Palmettoleaf had always thought he had a natural charm to him - though not in the arrogant, flirtatious kind of way. It was more in the friendly way... he liked to think that he could attract other cats to him, just as friends, and soon he would have enough to be the most popular cat in the Clan! The tom's bright eyes settled on Marblestrike. Yeah, he had been right in saying that it wasn't for her warm and friendly personality.

"So, Marblestrike - got a lot of friends here? Or do you spend a lot of time alone?" The tom inquired, his expression as innocent as it got. From the way he had seen her before, he was guessing that the latter was the most likely answer. He guessed it was her own choice as well, although being an extrovert, why anyone would choose to spend time alone was beyond him. Though, she had her own likes and dislikes. And Palmettoleaf could respect that, definitely.

[Doodle]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

"I could say the same for you." There was a twinkle in Palmettoleaf's leafy green hues, his mixed fur partly sparkling, partly dulled as part of him was in the sun (namely his front paws, the tip of his muzzle and chest) and the rest was in the shade that Marblestrike herself stayed in. "Looks like your Mother knew what she was doing when she named you. And I'm pretty sure you weren't given the suffix 'strike' for your warm and friendly personality." He mewed, in a sarcastic tone of voice. Leaf-green eyes stared over the she cat again, as he tried to mentally figure her out. She was pretty. There were many pretty she cats in the clearing, and quite a few handsome toms - though he noticed none of them were approaching Marblestrike. If anything, they seemed to be going out of their way to stay out of her way. Or was that the other way around? Whether it was or not didn't matter.

What did matter was that Palmettoleaf was confused. So far she hadn't shown any truly aggressive tendencies, so how come everyone was struggling to stay out of her way? The tom was aware that she had somewhat of a... well... fierce reputation within the Clan. It had made the feline just the slightest bit nervous to approach her, but oh well! He had now, and she hadn't tried to bite his head off yet, so something must be going in his favor. Was it his charm? Palmettoleaf had always thought he had a natural charm to him - though not in the arrogant, flirtatious kind of way. It was more in the friendly way... he liked to think that he could attract other cats to him, just as friends, and soon he would have enough to be the most popular cat in the Clan! The tom's bright eyes settled on Marblestrike. Yeah, he had been right in saying that it wasn't for her warm and friendly personality.

"So, Marblestrike - got a lot of friends here? Or do you spend a lot of time alone?" The tom inquired, his expression as innocent as it got. From the way he had seen her before, he was guessing that the latter was the most likely answer. He guessed it was her own choice as well, although being an extrovert, why anyone would choose to spend time alone was beyond him. Though, she had her own likes and dislikes. And Palmettoleaf could respect that, definitely.

"That she did," Marblestrike agreed, a bit of surprise sparking her eyes as Palmettoleaf returned her sarcasm. Well then, he wasn't one of those ever-cheerful cats. At least that was a plus; she wouldn't have to suffer her way through this conversation. Well, hopefully she wouldn't. "No, 'strike' is because I was pretty much better at battle than my mentor." This may be a bit of an exaggeration, but the molly was pretty good at fighting and had picked up all the moves rather quickly. Unable to resist, she unsheathed her claw and nonchalantly inspected them. Really, she was waiting to see what the tom's reaction would be. He hadn't run of thus far, but would this do it? Or maybe he was more stubborn than a burr and wouldn't leave even if she did claw him. Lucky for Palmettoleaf, while she wasn't necessarily loyal or trusting to Skyclan she wouldn't attack her own clanmates- at least not without reason. She promptly put her claws away and instead tucked her paws under her chest.

The mottled cat noticed that her companion was eyeing the other cats in the clearing, most likely wondering why they were pretty much avoiding her at all costs. Had he noticed the apprentice basically run away from her either? A small chuckle escaped her as she realized that pretty much all the toms out at the moment had tried their luck with her, and had promptly ran away after suffering the brute of her aggression. Palmettoleaf was proving not to be the same as the rest, but then again she hadn't been quite so snappy and challenging with him yet. He hadn't been as outright flirty and obvious as the other toms, though, but they would wait and see if his attitude would change.

Marblestrike's eyes narrowed once more when the friendly tom's gaze fell on her. She found her fur bristling at his questions. "I have friends," she snapped indignantly. Well, namely two- her best friend, Blazingcomet, and her current apprentice, Bouncepaw. But she wouldn't admit to the number being so low, instead her chin was raised in defiance. "They're just not here right now. Besides, I prefer to be alone. Much better than dealing with everyone else." Her eyes glittered as her challenging gaze met Palmettoleaf, daring him to call her out on her rather unpopular ranking in the clan.

[lone]

Originally Posted by Doodle

"That she did," Marblestrike agreed, a bit of surprise sparking her eyes as Palmettoleaf returned her sarcasm. Well then, he wasn't one of those ever-cheerful cats. At least that was a plus; she wouldn't have to suffer her way through this conversation. Well, hopefully she wouldn't. "No, 'strike' is because I was pretty much better at battle than my mentor." This may be a bit of an exaggeration, but the molly was pretty good at fighting and had picked up all the moves rather quickly. Unable to resist, she unsheathed her claw and nonchalantly inspected them. Really, she was waiting to see what the tom's reaction would be. He hadn't run of thus far, but would this do it? Or maybe he was more stubborn than a burr and wouldn't leave even if she did claw him. Lucky for Palmettoleaf, while she wasn't necessarily loyal or trusting to Skyclan she wouldn't attack her own clanmates- at least not without reason. She promptly put her claws away and instead tucked her paws under her chest.

The mottled cat noticed that her companion was eyeing the other cats in the clearing, most likely wondering why they were pretty much avoiding her at all costs. Had he noticed the apprentice basically run away from her either? A small chuckle escaped her as she realized that pretty much all the toms out at the moment had tried their luck with her, and had promptly ran away after suffering the brute of her aggression. Palmettoleaf was proving not to be the same as the rest, but then again she hadn't been quite so snappy and challenging with him yet. He hadn't been as outright flirty and obvious as the other toms, though, but they would wait and see if his attitude would change.

Marblestrike's eyes narrowed once more when the friendly tom's gaze fell on her. She found her fur bristling at his questions. "I have friends," she snapped indignantly. Well, namely two- her best friend, Blazingcomet, and her current apprentice, Bouncepaw. But she wouldn't admit to the number being so low, instead her chin was raised in defiance. "They're just not here right now. Besides, I prefer to be alone. Much better than dealing with everyone else." Her eyes glittered as her challenging gaze met Palmettoleaf, daring him to call her out on her rather unpopular ranking in the clan.

"Really? Darn, and I could have sworn it was for your personality." Palmettoleaf's eyes still sparkled with amusement, although his voice was no longer sarcastic, it was playful and upbeat again. He had seen the surprise in her eyes - what, had she thought he couldn't make a sarcastic joke? Couldn't be just as playful as the next cat? No, Palmettoleaf was not always cheerful. Though he tried his best. It was easy to lose your temper with cats who kept pushing on certain things, or who never looked on the realistic side... something that he didn't like. Even though he did do his best to be optimistic, there were times when he was pretty sure he couldn't make another positive comment. A bright spark entered the tom's eyes and he glanced over Marblestrike with a smile on his maw.

Seeing her unsheath her claws, the tom shifted in an anxious manner. Would she really attack him? Her own clanmate? Here, in front of everyone, where he would be able to call for help and she could be exiled? Still, Palmettoleaf's smile faded and his leaf-green eyes snapped anxiously. "Better not attack me." The words were muttered under his breath, but the unspoken meaning hung in the air between them. All levels of pleasantness or friendliness seem to have faded beneath his worry, and his own claws unsheathed... he was ready to fight, to attack, to hurt another cat if needed. But no, Marblestrike was putting her claws away and had stopped striking fear into the heart of the young warrior. Palmettoleaf shot her a look that seemed to say 'seriously?' before his eyes resumed their previously friendly glance. He tried his best. But every once in a while, as Marblestrike had just seen, even his best didn't stop him from muttering something that was better left unsaid every once in a while. The feline glanced over at Marblestrike when she made her defensive comment and his eyes narrowed the slightest bit.

"You don't have to be defensive." His voice became stern, as though he were talking to a much younger cat then himself. And while that might not be necessarily true, he had found that that tone of voice could strengthen dependency. Did Palmettoleaf want her to be dependent on him? No. Did he want her to be nicer to him? That would be nice, so... yes. "And besides, if you really believe that junk about being alone being better, you're going to be sad when you're an elder. Or even an older warrior." Palmettoleaf added, a cautious gleam in his leafy eyes as he thought about the best way to approach this situation. Clearly Marblestrike was not too happy with him at the moment. So the best way to deal with things was to wait until it blew over. Bide his time until the moment when she would be a little friendlier to him once again.

[Doodle]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

"Really? Darn, and I could have sworn it was for your personality." Palmettoleaf's eyes still sparkled with amusement, although his voice was no longer sarcastic, it was playful and upbeat again. He had seen the surprise in her eyes - what, had she thought he couldn't make a sarcastic joke? Couldn't be just as playful as the next cat? No, Palmettoleaf was not always cheerful. Though he tried his best. It was easy to lose your temper with cats who kept pushing on certain things, or who never looked on the realistic side... something that he didn't like. Even though he did do his best to be optimistic, there were times when he was pretty sure he couldn't make another positive comment. A bright spark entered the tom's eyes and he glanced over Marblestrike with a smile on his maw.

Seeing her unsheath her claws, the tom shifted in an anxious manner. Would she really attack him? Her own clanmate? Here, in front of everyone, where he would be able to call for help and she could be exiled? Still, Palmettoleaf's smile faded and his leaf-green eyes snapped anxiously. "Better not attack me." The words were muttered under his breath, but the unspoken meaning hung in the air between them. All levels of pleasantness or friendliness seem to have faded beneath his worry, and his own claws unsheathed... he was ready to fight, to attack, to hurt another cat if needed. But no, Marblestrike was putting her claws away and had stopped striking fear into the heart of the young warrior. Palmettoleaf shot her a look that seemed to say 'seriously?' before his eyes resumed their previously friendly glance. He tried his best. But every once in a while, as Marblestrike had just seen, even his best didn't stop him from muttering something that was better left unsaid every once in a while. The feline glanced over at Marblestrike when she made her defensive comment and his eyes narrowed the slightest bit.

"You don't have to be defensive." His voice became stern, as though he were talking to a much younger cat then himself. And while that might not be necessarily true, he had found that that tone of voice could strengthen dependency. Did Palmettoleaf want her to be dependent on him? No. Did he want her to be nicer to him? That would be nice, so... yes. "And besides, if you really believe that junk about being alone being better, you're going to be sad when you're an elder. Or even an older warrior." Palmettoleaf added, a cautious gleam in his leafy eyes as he thought about the best way to approach this situation. Clearly Marblestrike was not too happy with him at the moment. So the best way to deal with things was to wait until it blew over. Bide his time until the moment when she would be a little friendlier to him once again.

"Really," Marblestrike insisted though she knew Palmettoleaf was asking in a playful manor. She surprised herself by almost smiling, just managing to keep it hidden. Normally when forced to converse with others, she didn't even have to fake a frown- it was just there naturally. Mostly because cats had a tendency to get on her nerves, a fact that the whole clan knew. But here she was, fighting a smile beside this tom. She gave the tom a more thoughtful look the next time she glanced his way and she found him already looking at her with a smile.

Weirdly enough, she was satisfied at the fact that the tom got a bit uneasy at her claws, and she took note of his own unsheathed paws. She picked up on his warning as well; while he came off as friendly, he definitely wasn't one of those too trusting cats. She had learned about both this tom and her own standing in one small gesture. It seemed that Palmettoleaf was a logical cat and was quick to react, both were qualities that Marblestrike viewed as important. He would actually have a chance at living as a loner. She also learned that he thought she'd be the type to attack her own clanmate- over literally nothing. The molly knew she was a grump, but seriously had she ever gone on a spree attacking others? She didn't think so, but it seemed that she wasn't put past this by others. Being as moody as she was apparently gave her the viewpoint that she would attack, and she wondered if others in the clan shared this as well. Did this mean her place in the clan was threatened as well? She hoped not; while she wan't loyal to Skyclan it was still safer than out by herself. The feline returned his look with a level gaze, her blue eyes not giving away the thoughts swirling behind them. She made no attempt to pass the move off as a joke. Sometimes it was good for others to be a bit wary of her; maybe this would keep any flirty thoughts he previously had out of his head. And maybe, just maybe, it meant he wouldn't approach her after this encounter. One less cat to worry about, right?

A huff escaped the molly and she rolled her eyes. "Last time I checked, you weren't my father or my mentor." Her eyes still sparked with anger, more so than before. Marblestrike didn't like to be treated like a kit, or looked down on by any cat in this clan. As far as she was concerned, she was better equipped for survival than any other one here and didn't need their advice. She would like to see them try to live by themselves, without the protection of their clanmates. Soon she found herself glaring daggers at Palmettoleaf. "Excuse me, but I didn't ask for your opinion," she snapped. "If I want to be alone then that's just what I'll do. It has nothing to do with believing anything, it's just what I prefer. Not every cat is the same, you know." The she-cat tried to reign her temper back in before she started shouting, but she had a short fuse that had just been lit. It was hard to take back the flame once developed, but she would try to do just that. Looking at the tom seemed to only anger her now, so she turned her head away to angrily stare off into the clearing instead as she tried to cool off.

[Fawn]

Originally Posted by Duskflight

@Raywood

It had been a while now, since Rabbitfluff had been safely returned to camp to begin his recovery process. And Grousestar had tried his best to check in as often as he could while not trying to bother, or annoy the other tom to the point where he was accidentally pushing him away. He hoped that he wasn't doing that, he truly did care for Rabbitfluff and enjoyed being able to talk to him when he could.
While the problems with the Syndicate seemed to have died down since they defeated them in battle a few moons ago, the brown tabby still had plenty on his mind, though they were more personal things. Recently, less than a week ago, he had agreed to let a warrior take a small group back to the old territory in order to find their mate who had accidentally been left behind during the move. It wasn't that that was bothering him, it was the hatred that that cat held towards him, and the guilt the clan leader felt for what happened to his son who incidentally was his previous apprentice. He had tried to apologize to him, and he had meant every word that he said to that tom, and yet it wasn't even close to being enough, in fact, Grousestar wasn't sure there was anything in the world he could do to appease Aspenflash now. If any cat knows Grousestar, they know that he wants to help cats, especially those of his clan, in any way he can. And to be told that he couldn't help? That there was no way to make amends of any sort? It ate at him.
And with that guilt came old memories, memories he didn't want to be reminded of. Memories that he still blamed himself for.
Slowly that guilt and the bottling of his emotions was eating at him, but he couldn't show it, no, not to his clan. He couldn't bring himself to do it. He needed to be a strong cat for Skyclan, a stable cat that they could look to because they needed a leader. He wasn't leader so that he could break down and cry in front of his clan, he wasn't leader so that he could show weakness, he was a leader because cat's needed someone strong to look to to keep going. That gave them hope and inspiration because that is what can make a clan great. So as much as the guilt ate at him, he bottled it up so that no one could see it.

Breathing out a soft breath, Grousestar found himself sitting up as opposed to previously laying down, his emerald eyes cloudy with thoughts.
What am I to do? Am I to just sit here and let it eat at me until I can't hide it any more? Am I to let it break me down and degrade me?
Gritting his teeth, the tom closed his eyes and gave his head a sharp shake.
That is not who I am.
Opening his eyes again, they seemed clearer.
Turning his head, he would survey the clearing, looking for his friend. Sure while he considered nearly everyone in Skyclan a friend, he meant his true friend. Rabbitfluff.

After he'd returned from camp, he hadn't expected anything to change. He thought he would wake up in the morning. Remember the incident. And then wish he could fall back asleep, being as unproductive as a warrior could be. He didn't know why Grousestar didn't exile him, really, when all he seemed to do was eat the fresh kill and never replenish it. For StarClan's sake, he didn't even have a good reason not to be active because while he had lost the entirety of his family, other warriors had been through the same. They weren't taking it nearly as hard as he was. What he hadn't expected after his return was how involved Grousestar was. Rabbitfluff knew the Clan leader was exceptionally caring and loved his Clan dearly, but to such an extent... it almost worried him. Fear of how Grousestar would react was the only reason he hadn't wandered off again.

A couple moons had passed since the incident and the battle with the Syndicate, and although he was usually a pacifist unless the situation called for violence, the SkyClan win strangely brought comfort to him. He preferred to entertain the thought that he would no longer be bothered by Hannibal; perhaps he had even died in the fight. With Rabbitfluff's morale lowered and fighting skills sub par, he hadn't aided his fellow warriors and truthfully, he felt a pinch of regret over his recent behavior. It was ...inadequate and childish. He was better than this.

It left the young warrior uneasy, thinking about what he could be doing for his Clan but wasn't merely due to the fact he didn't feel mentally strong enough. Pathetic, he told himself, I need to pull my weight. No wonder his clanmates resented him, he thought and nearly choked at the revelation: he wasn't very kind, nor was he exactly useful. Worse yet, he felt as if he was letting down Grousestar personally, the one cat he almost.. maybe thought of as a companion.

Rabbitfluff shook himself from his daydreams and glanced around the clearing, heart in his throat as he noticed the very cat he'd been thinking about. It was now or never, Rabbitfluff told himself. Rising to his paws, the little feline padded over to him, feeling tongue-tied immediately. "..Good day," Rabbitfluff managed, wondering why he had to freeze up when he was around him. It was different from the conversations he had with other clanmates when he didn't care about the impression they walked away with; Grousestar's opinion mattered. "I've been wondering where you were, I thought you'd be coming around for your daily check in with me." It was sarcastic, yet oddly playful. Even so, Rabbitfluff could have cursed himself -- why was he like this? Clearing his throat, Rabbitfluff tried again, "I.. meant, what are you up to today, Grousestar?"

[Gusty]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

"That's right. No mates right now." What the orange tom had failed to mention was that he had a current interest - though he certainly wouldn't stop flirting for her, not until they were actually mates. Technically, he was still available! I'm doing nothing wrong. He told himself, eyes flashing as he searched Acornhaze's features for any sign that he had her hooked. She was smiling. She had moved closer to him. Yes. He had her hooked. Time to start reeling her in.

"I'm very lucky to have a pretty cat like you keeping me company, you know?" He purred, watching her with friendly eyes. She was attractive. He would give her that. And he wouldn't be flirting with her if she wasn't. "We're going to have to make sure we have another one of these little meetings," he purred in a way that would have most she cats in the Clan clambering over each other to get to him as he wrapped his tail tightly around her in an overprotective - claiming - manner. Oh, she should just love that.

"Ah, I would definitely appreciate another meeting after this one," the she-cat purred, not even trying to keep the eagerness out of her voice. All she thought of was meeting/meeting/meeting! and the fantasy of it all embraced her; she felt warm and small and loved again, like the joys of kithood.

[/I]Thank StarClan, I don't think that I've ever met someone so amazing in my life. What a blessing.[/I]

She graciously wrapped her tail back around his, feeling her chest grow warm with their combined body heat. "Not meeting again after today would be a shame- to just meet you today and then lose you so quickly.."

[lone]

Originally Posted by Gusty

"Ah, I would definitely appreciate another meeting after this one," the she-cat purred, not even trying to keep the eagerness out of her voice. All she thought of was meeting/meeting/meeting! and the fantasy of it all embraced her; she felt warm and small and loved again, like the joys of kithood.

[/I]Thank StarClan, I don't think that I've ever met someone so amazing in my life. What a blessing.[/I]

She graciously wrapped her tail back around his, feeling her chest grow warm with their combined body heat. "Not meeting again after today would be a shame- to just meet you today and then lose you so quickly.."

"I coudn't agree more," Blazingcomet purred with an intrigued glance down at Acornhaze. She was smaller then he was - but she was just the perfect size for this. He liked she cats who were on the smaller side, just because it was so much easier to wrap his tail around them. To feel their bodies growing warmer together from their combined heat, it was nice. "I'll be looking fowards to our meeting with every hour that passes."

Ugh, he sounded so cheesy. It was almost enough to make him disgusted with himself. But, he did have to admit it was nice having the feline beside him. Too bad her little heart would be broken. If only she knew his true intentions. Nope, he would let her find out the hard way. The hard way being when she found out his plans to make another cat his mate. His possible mate. Who knew where things with he and Drizzleshard would go?

And, if it didn't work out... here was a gorgeous, adoring, sweet feline that he was confident things would go well with. She might be a little clingy - but that could be resolved! Resolved very easily indeed.

Originally Posted by Doodle

"Really," Marblestrike insisted though she knew Palmettoleaf was asking in a playful manor. She surprised herself by almost smiling, just managing to keep it hidden. Normally when forced to converse with others, she didn't even have to fake a frown- it was just there naturally. Mostly because cats had a tendency to get on her nerves, a fact that the whole clan knew. But here she was, fighting a smile beside this tom. She gave the tom a more thoughtful look the next time she glanced his way and she found him already looking at her with a smile.

Weirdly enough, she was satisfied at the fact that the tom got a bit uneasy at her claws, and she took note of his own unsheathed paws. She picked up on his warning as well; while he came off as friendly, he definitely wasn't one of those too trusting cats. She had learned about both this tom and her own standing in one small gesture. It seemed that Palmettoleaf was a logical cat and was quick to react, both were qualities that Marblestrike viewed as important. He would actually have a chance at living as a loner. She also learned that he thought she'd be the type to attack her own clanmate- over literally nothing. The molly knew she was a grump, but seriously had she ever gone on a spree attacking others? She didn't think so, but it seemed that she wasn't put past this by others. Being as moody as she was apparently gave her the viewpoint that she would attack, and she wondered if others in the clan shared this as well. Did this mean her place in the clan was threatened as well? She hoped not; while she wan't loyal to Skyclan it was still safer than out by herself. The feline returned his look with a level gaze, her blue eyes not giving away the thoughts swirling behind them. She made no attempt to pass the move off as a joke. Sometimes it was good for others to be a bit wary of her; maybe this would keep any flirty thoughts he previously had out of his head. And maybe, just maybe, it meant he wouldn't approach her after this encounter. One less cat to worry about, right?

A huff escaped the molly and she rolled her eyes. "Last time I checked, you weren't my father or my mentor." Her eyes still sparked with anger, more so than before. Marblestrike didn't like to be treated like a kit, or looked down on by any cat in this clan. As far as she was concerned, she was better equipped for survival than any other one here and didn't need their advice. She would like to see them try to live by themselves, without the protection of their clanmates. Soon she found herself glaring daggers at Palmettoleaf. "Excuse me, but I didn't ask for your opinion," she snapped. "If I want to be alone then that's just what I'll do. It has nothing to do with believing anything, it's just what I prefer. Not every cat is the same, you know." The she-cat tried to reign her temper back in before she started shouting, but she had a short fuse that had just been lit. It was hard to take back the flame once developed, but she would try to do just that. Looking at the tom seemed to only anger her now, so she turned her head away to angrily stare off into the clearing instead as she tried to cool off.

"You never know," The tom's voice was light and teasing, and his eyes sparkled with an almost star-like appearance. "But you're right, I'm sorry. That was very inconsiderate of me." Palmettoleaf was normally one to be considerate. He tried his best, anyways... he had found that it gained him more friends then enemies, as a general rule. However that rule wasn't always followed and the multicolored tom had also found that some cats thought he was just being 'constantly cheerful' and that it was annoying for him to be doing such a thing. Bright eyes sparked again as she glared at him. His leafy-green hues remained calm... gentle... and sparking with that same life they had when he had first approached her. Honestly, that spark was there most of the time. It was a spark that he had held onto for most of his life. And he had no intention of letting it go now. The way she snapped at him made the tom flinch, and he drew back away from her... though he listened to her words as clearly as though she had been speaking right in his ear. And, moons of finely tuned hearing - to listen to the quietest of cats and to hear soft birdsong, or the gentle trickle of a creek or river, had left the tom with her voice ringing in his ears as though she had been speaking directly into them. "I suppose you're right. I've met a lot of different cats. Most of them are kinder and prefer company, but I guess you're different from them. Unique. Makes you feel special, doesn't it?" A bright spark of interest entered Palmettoleaf's eyes.

"You are, though. Everyone's special, Marblestrike - so yeah, you're right, not everyone's the same. You're different and unique and special."

He wasn't trying to flirt with her, although again, it might have come across that way. Despite what Palmettoleaf wanted his tone to sound like, it had a way of switching around and sounding quite strange. Flirty sometimes. Sometimes it sounded pleasant and friendly and kind. The type of thing that the tom liked his voice to sound like. It made other cats feel comfortable around him. Although it seemed no matter how hard he tried, Marblestrike wasn't going to like him. Why? What had he done? Maybe his little speech on uniqueness had thrown her off. Maybe his nervous anger earlier had thrown things out of whack. Either way, the way Palmettoleaf was wired, he really wanted her to be his friend. Realistically there wasn't a large chance of that happening. Realistically it could hurt... very much... to try. But, realistically... if he were to succeed, she was a valuable ally to have. A valuable friend. Palmettoleaf tended to think in terms of friendship, really. An extroverted cat like himself? Yes, he really liked his friends. The tom took a quick glance over in Marblestrike's direction to see that she was looking away from him. Whoops. Probably not a good sign if he wanted her to be his friend.

Although who knew? Some friendships started through the two cats hating each other! So if this were going to work... maybe, maybe the tom had a chance. He could always dream, anyways. Right now his dream was to get Marblestrike to see that he wasn't a bad cat. To get her to at least partly like him. To get her to... be his friend, or at least friendly towards him. He could do this. After all, how much bad could it possibly do?

[Lilac]

Originally Posted by Raven & Co

Petalpaw smiled and gazed at Dawnpaw, nodding, she honestly didn't care about Dawnpaw, she gave him a nod afterwards, she was still thinking if they were truly going out hunting, because if it truly was that, they sure would've done it more than only today... She gazed in his eyes and neared him more, grinning. "Whenever you're ready, Bouncey." She mewed softly. The calico couldn't help but smile as she gazed at him, she didn't know what it was about him, HIM only, he always brought a smile on her maw, even if his ideas were sometimes stupid, she was there to listen to them, it was pretty dumb to leave at night, at the mercy of every predator, but she would do it, to be with he only cat she considered herself close to.

Warmly, he returned the smile. No one besides her made him feel this way. A way he couldn't exactly describe. A way he liked.

Wanting to be able to leave as soon as possible, he looked towards Dawnpaw. She looked preoccupied, and she probably wouldn't notice them slip out. He felt even happier when he saw her joy at talking with Sunpaw. Then he saw his oppurtunity.

"Looks like she's distracted. Do you want to slip out now?" He asked.

[Lilac]

Originally Posted by Little Bird

The toms expression, calm and plain, stayed put. "What do you want to do?" he asked, his words only showing that he was asking a question. Sunpaw was aware that he had just repeated her question. He didn't acre. If he hurt her feelings but not answering her question he would. Dawnpaw was a nice cat. Sunpaw loved her like he loved his sister.

Dawnpaw looked at him fondly. A sparkle grew in her eyes. "You can pick. Whatever you want to do, I'll do it.," She said. "And whatever you pick to do,I'll enjoy it." She meant every word she said as she said it. "So what do you want to do?" She asked.

[Gone]

Originally Posted by LelliNicole.zob

Warmly, he returned the smile. No one besides her made him feel this way. A way he couldn't exactly describe. A way he liked.

Wanting to be able to leave as soon as possible, he looked towards Dawnpaw. She looked preoccupied, and she probably wouldn't notice them slip out. He felt even happier when he saw her joy at talking with Sunpaw. Then he saw his oppurtunity.

"Looks like she's distracted. Do you want to slip out now?" He asked.

Petalpaw met his gaze, happy to see him return the smile, she winked and gave him a nod. "Well, if you can follow, that is~" She purred and quickly pressed their muzzles together, kissing him in a way before running her tail under his chin before she darted out of the clearing, giggling. "Come on now!" She called as she dissapeared out of sight, in all honesty, she had warmed up to the tom and... Maybe it was a reason why she was so flirty around him, unlike around others, with him... Everything felt so right, she didn't know what it was about him, yes, he could be an idiot sometimes, but it was funny as hell when he acted like one, she sighed dreamily as she just kept on going.