Live A Little {Masq only}

[Foxpaw]

Wildstorm padded back slowly and carefully, trying his best not to be seen. It wasn't an easy task, not with his particularly tall body, but at least his pelt was a dark, dark ginger unlike his brother's brighter pelt. It helped slightly. It wasn't that he cared if he got in trouble, but if he could get away with what he did, all the better. He had hunted over the border, where he was free game for any rogues, but he wasn't concerned. His clan needed prey, and he smelled a rabbit. Simple as that.

Now, he walked back to the SkyClan side of the territory, carefully burying the creature under a low overhang. That rabbit would do the clan good. Green eyes bright, he turned to look back in the direction that he came from. He couldn't imagine why the rogues were hunting in their territory if they had prey like that running around. A few scraggly birds? Was that really worth getting your eyes clawed off by cats like him? He snorted at the stupidity of rogues and trotted back towards the borders, hoping he would get lucky again.

[' ' Masq]

Orange-gold, like the sunrise; narrowed and angry like a raging storm. She crouched, hidden well in shadows around her, watching silently like a coiled serpent. She growled, low of course, so not to be heard by one of her very own clan mates, who seemed to be well aware of doing the wrong thing. She straightened herself up, stalking forward from the comfort of the shadows and lashed her tail, calico fur bristling.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Hawkflight hissed, claws partially unsheathed as always, though that wasn't her fault. It just seemed that her claws never would sheath themselves entirely, as if her paws just couldn't hold them. Her tail lashed angrily, the simple frustration clear on her face. "Don't you know how easily you can be attacked when you cross over into territory that is not of your clans'? Did you not learn anything as an apprentice?" The feline growled, her jet black pupils slit into near-needle size.

[Foxpaw]

Wildstorm turned to look at the SkyClan deputy, momentarily startled. However, his surprised transformed to amusement only a heart-beat later, a smirk forming on his handsome face. He pushed himself into languid stretch, green eyes looking her over with a lazy interest. "I do believe," he drawled,"that I was hunting for my clan. Since, ya know, some of them seem to be starving. I certainly wasn't going to pass up a meal for them." He shrugged off her concerns as easily as water gliding over a leaf. "What? Afraid I'll hurt myself, love?" He flashed a grin, teeth glistening in a way that wasn't meant to be menacing.

[' ' Masq]

A snort of mock amusement and a roll of her sunrise colored eyes portrayed her disinterest in the particular excuse. She chuckled, far from charmed or swayed by the attempted charm. Obviously far from swooning, she directed her eyes back to Wildstorm, her neck-fur still pretty prickled. "Honestly, Wildstorm, when it comes to trespassing, you just do not do it. You hunt in Skyclan's territory, and that territory alone. Would you like to be confined to camp and put on apprentice duties?" Hawkflight meowed, her calico fur deepened with a sheen even when she was angry. She smiled gently, as if she were softening for a moment, but lashed her tail once more, mostly out of habit.

She noted, to herself, how his charm and swagger could have fooled other she-cats, but she was far from interested, all the same. "And I do recall that I was given a warrior name, much like yourself. Therefore, that means you should use it, instead of love. That word is easily tossed around these moons." Hawkflight, appearing disgusted, scoffed.

[Foxpaw]

Rather than be put off or annoyed, the young tom's eyes glowed. He looked rather pleased with this turn of events. Looks like I got a live one... he thought rather cheerily. "Now, now, no need to be hasty, although it wouldn't be the first time I got punished..." he purred, hiding the last part under a cough. "After all, the rabbit I caught will feed a couple growling bellies tonight. So hold into your fur." He flashed another grin, green eyes still filled with amusement as he began digging the creature up, long red pelt burning wherever the patched of sunlight hit it.

At her next comment, he stopped in his digging, looking startled for a moment. "You sure are something, love," he said, a ghost of a smirk playing at his lips. "Ah here it is," he hummed, dragging the rather plump rabbit out of the hole. He laid it at her paws with a mock bow, a mischievous smile appearing for just a moment before he pulled himself up and began licking at his paw. "You wouldn't deny such a prize to your clanmates, would you?" He paused mid-lick to say it, eyes half-lidded and glinting with a challenge.

[' ' Masq]

She growled, her frustration boiling near-over the top of whatever kettle she contained it in within herself. "Even a kit understands that prey is killed to be eaten. Pick up your kill, and take it back to camp. There will be no wasting in Skyclan, especially from such careless flea-brains such as yourself." The bull-headed she-cat answered, her eyes flashing brilliantly in the sunlight. She turned, her tail flicking as she began her stroll back toward camp, smiling softly to herself. She rolled her eyes, again, at the word love. She never understood that word, and probably never would.

Hawkflight shook her finely-shaped head, sighing quietly so not to be heard. She didn't understand that audacity of some cats, primarily warriors that went through training and knew better than the actions they committed.

[Foxpaw]

"Wouldn't dream of it," Wildstorm mewed cooly. However, he buried the rabbit and trotted after her, his interest truly piqued in a way it never had been before. It almost scared him, but he shook it off carelessly, refusing to dwell on it too much, and trotted after the she-cat. He padded at her size, gazing at her with a curious, almost puzzled gaze, a slight flash of his true self shining through briefly. "Ya know," he drawled, eyes still fixed on her as he stepped over a root,"we'd catch much more prey together. I'm almost sure of it." And with that, just as quickly as he appeared, he melted back into the cat that he usually was. It almost frazzled him, how it had appeared without warning, something that only happened when he was with his brother.

[' ' Masq]

She smirked, almost mischievously as she listened to the sound of his voice drawling out the words. She mock-pondered the thought of hunting with Wildstorm for a moment, as if to peak his interest a tad bit more. She turned her head, though not stopping her slow pad through the territory. "You know, darling, that sounds absolutely lovely. But I believe that you were doing so fabulously well on your own before I arrived." She purred, turning her attention back to the direction she was heading, which just so happened to be the direct opposite way of camp on purpose.

"Oh, but do feel free to continue hunting, Wildstorm. You've already upset someone once already, what will a few more times be?" Hawkflight purred once more, though her words dripped lightly with sarcasm. She flicked her tail tip, lightly touching the end of his nose before sneaking a teasing bound deeper into the forest.

[Foxpaw]

Wildstorm brightened, peeking for a moment. His vibrant green eyes were eager for a moment before narrowing suspiciously. He may not always act like the smartest cat, but he really was quite clever. He somehow doubted the she-cat's sudden change of heart. And rightfully so as he listened to the end of her little speech. Still, he wasn't to be discouraged. No, he liked the sound of her called him "darling" far too much, sarcasm or not. She had started something, and the fire in him blazed brightly.

With a slightly predatory look on his face, Wildstorm used his extra long legs to bound after the deputy. "Love, I promise that upsetting you was never my intentions," he purred teasingly, smirk ever-present on his face. He was certainly enjoying himself, and, although maybe it was just his mind playing tricks on him, she seemed to be enjoying herself too. Plus, he didn't have to worry about breaking her heart. Despite what a first glance might entail, he wasn't a mean cat, and he truly didn't like hurting other's feelings. Flirting was simply in his nature, almost a habit now.

[' ' Masq]

Hawkflight thought for a moment, the silence deafening the air around her. She hummed to herself in the process, then stopped on her paws, turned, and faced the tom that continued to pursue her. "I'm sorry love, but I still have to decline that oh so intriguing offer of yours. Maybe some other she-cat of your interest would jump in delight at your offer." The feline meowed, voice silky smooth in her response. She smiled, her sunrise colored eyes twinkling brightly. She looked him over, taking in the darkness of his fur and the green color of his eyes. She noted that he'd be a suitable court, but was barely of interest.

The she-cat purred softly, a habit she had only recently acquired. She was stubborn, of course, but that didn't block out her genuine sincereity that was hidden somewhere within her. She looked, more so because of her petite height, up to the tom, her tail swaying enticingly. "So, what do you say to turning your interest into someone who falls for your charm, darling?" She purred, flicking her ears.

[Foxpaw]

Wildstorm made a valiant attempt to step in front of her, head swooping down to look at the young she-cat. "And what if I don't want another she-cat?" he challenged, everything about him suddenly intense and sharp. The more he talked to her the more entangled he became. He hated it and loved it all at once. It was something different, something unique that he couldn't quite grasp as he could everything else. And this she-cat was more wild than she let on. He could tell in the way she purred, in the way her tail waved in the air. "What if I want you?" At this, he seemed to raise his eyebrow, tail waving anxiously.

[' ' Masq]

Now that took her by surprise, though didn't throw her completely off-guard. She beamed, laughing softly. "Now why would someone such as yourself want a little old gal like me, hm?" Hawkflight half-purred, drawing her nose inches awa from Wildstorm's. She dared direct her orange-gold eyes into his green ones, daring him to answer such a question. She tilted her head, only slightly, to one side so as to look curious. Her features softened a little as she pondered something.

"You could have just about any she-cat you wanted, but you waste your time on me. All those females just dying for your attention..." The she-cat whispered, turning her head to face the forest instead of her fellow clan-mate. She sighed, feeling like too much of a stubborn mouse-brain.

[Foxpaw]

Wildstorm had to shove down the deep purr that rumbled in his chest, and the odd rush of something that came over him upon the sudden realization that she was smiling, and he liked it. He thought about throwing one of his lines at her, this time maybe even meaning them, but immediately shook the idea off, slightly disgusted at his self. When she turned from him, he felt a slight stab of concern that he had somehow hurt her.

With an uncharacteristic tentativeness, he sat neatly, beside her, but not exactly side by side. "Well, where do you want me to start?" At first, his voice held his usual confidence, but his nervous laugh gave away something different. His voice dropped a few octaves when he next spoke. "You interest me and surprise me. All the others through themselves at my paws, one after another, all the same, never changing. You're... Unique, love. Special. Any cat could see that from a mile away," he murmured, not quite feeling like himself. So he flicked her ear with his tail. "Not to mention you've got quite the smile and quite the laugh," he mewed, a playful edge creeping into his tone.

[' ' Masq]

Hawkflight widened her eyes a bit, feeling at quite a loss for words. She'd never been told anything of the sort before, and it felt different. She wasn't sure, though, how well he meant it. She couldn't help but doubt the speech just a little bit, but something within her died to believe it. She'd tried so hard to be someone that impressed others and always did right, but she always found that pretty hard to do. Where as she watched him, so carefree and unafraid. She longed to be a cat like him, and turned her eyes to Wildstorm. "I'm hardly any of that.." She murmured, lowering her ears a little for the simple fact that she may be confident, but she never believed in herself.

[Foxpaw]

Surprise flashed across the young tom's face. He wasn't one to be serious, but an occasion such as this seemed to call for it. For whatever reason, she seemed honestly disbelieving, almost as if she had never gotten a compliment in her life. "How can you not see it?" he mewed, truly astonished. He touched his nose to her ear, green eyes focused solely on her. A sudden, horrible thought came to him that made him pull away, however. Was it him that she didn't believe? Did she think he was just twirling his words around her. "Believe me, love, I'm completely serious for once," he mewed hurriedly.