the start of a new leaf {garnetflame} // ONLY

[lily ♫]

deputy. she'd never imagined herself in a million years being the deputy of her clan. she had never been one for aspiring to be something great, but under the leadership of pyrestar, she knew that the two of them would make vertigoclan into something great. her brightly colored red face cracked a smile, her green eyes bright as her fiery tabby bodice was carried by her paws closer and closer to the border that was adjacent to celestialclan land. she was drawn there by an invisible force, a bond, it seemed, with the land and what had happened on this spot, in the inbetween. drawn by the fear, the mystery, the very encounter she'd had nearly a moon ago with a tom who had left her wondering, smiling, and waiting on the edge for me. she clinged to those few moments they shared, patient for what might come for the two of them.

of course, a relationship across the border would be against the warrior code, but she had experienced firsthand what the drawbacks were to the code, what setbacks there were indeed. living outside of the clans had taught her more than just a few simple things. it had been an entirely new way of life, and now, as winter released its hold and transmorphed into spring, flamingarrow felt as if she waited up high on the wing, watching everything that was still yet to happen and the things she was yet to become. being young still, it felt right to dream and to keep her head held high, as if the stubborn girl would ever let anyone tell her what she could or couldn't do. smiling to herself, the female turned around, putting celestialclan behind her for a moment as she let her affectionate gaze fall upon the land she had grown up in.

its tall pine trees raised their branches high up to the clouds as if their needles and the very prey they held within them both on and off the ground were offerings to starclan and all of the fallen leaders, deputies, warriors, apprentices, kits, and medicine cats alike. the evergreen scent was deep within her pelt, something she would never shake, at least, willingly. her rough paw pads reflected on how the needles and rocky ground below her feet had treated her since birth. they were harsh and unforgiving, but a comfort to the often largely built she-cats and toms calling vertigoclan their home. it was the way it was supposed to be, and the ginger she-cat didn't disagree with anything her life had been so far. through the tragedies and sorrows and the highlights and dreams, she'd remained the same, if not a bit more prickly-furred and sharp-tongued at times, and never let any cat change her.

and now, as she sat near the border between the clan of the prettiest and proudest and the hardiest and sturdiest, flamingarrow let herself be reminded that nothing would ever change her. maliceclan, the wolf, even the death of the tom whose kits she bore and had watched die one by one had not shaken who flamingarrow was in her core, and finding herself yearning to be in the company of someone who had once lived in trenton and now resided with an enemy clan most certainly wasn't going to affect her either. she wasn't going to be a judge of anyone unless asked, and she would treat her clan as fairly as she could, teaching them things she had learned in maliceclan and things that she'd simply discovered on her own. now as the brown grass below her began to slowly live and thrive once more, she turned around once more, looking out into the hilly territory of celestialclan, hoping, waiting, and living once more to her fullest.

[LYNX ♥]

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[atrb=background,http://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv347/lovelywarriorlynx/garnetbone22.png] the weather was mild, soft. pleasant. he was content to wallow in it all day, as it was almost perfect for him what with his long, thick coat. it was hard to shed all of his winter coat before weather too warm to bear set in, so days like these where the sun only occasionally peeked out from behind the overcast ceiling above the forest were prime for the big fellow. in fact, he fought the urge to lounge in it all day long. it would have been easy, since he had already finished his dawn patrol and had no other set duties for the day. still, he would have been fairly upset to have wasted a day in his short life and so, with a great sigh, he sat up almost sullenly. as though making an excuse not to leave camp quite yet, the alabaster feline drew his forepaw over his ears idly, peering about casually until another sigh pushed its way out of his maw and he stood. he shook out his plush coat and trotted out of camp, dipping his head at the entrance gaurds in a friendly, distant manner. after his several moons living in this clan, he couldn't say he could even put a name to their faces. they were like ghosts around him sometimes, bumping into him without aplogizing, like they didn't even notice. it was truly the strangest feeling, to be an unknown in a family so close-knit as a clan. of course, garnetbone didn't always mind. actually, he rarely minded. after all this time he had learned to pay them little heed either. a bit of friendly small talk here and there to avoid awkward silences, of course, that was understandable, but effort past that? unlikely. he was really quite content in his tiny base of acquaintences, and was confident in the fact that those tiny sparks of friendships would only grow until they were all he really needed. the ebony visage of his newest friend, fatesong, appeared in his mind's eye immediately, as garnetbone thought there was no possible way they couldn't grow to be close when they shared such extensive common ground. different, but similar, which was all the comfort he needed. hallowstar, too, was a great strong fellow that the former rogue considered to be his friend. after all, no one had been more welcoming than the leader himself, and garnetbone remained ever faithful for that. last of all, but perhaps most important to the wandering tom, the light that shone from vertigoclan's territory into his dreams in what seemed to be every night. he couldn't shake her from his thoughts, as ridiculous as it sounded. he didn't know enough about her- perhaps that was the draw. a forbidden fruit is the sweetest, right? for some reason, garnetbone thought not. there was something else, aside from his sheer attraction to her compact brilliant scarlet form and blazing green eyes, there were secret under her skin he wanted to recover and polish. he wanted her trust, he wanted her to look at him with the same attraction with which he looked down upon her. the very thought of it squeezed his insides unbearably until he broke into an unsteady run, his long legs extending until they burned. he ignored the needles and pebbles snatching at his rough pads, pushed through the foliage clawing at his long pelt, and squinted against the now unfurling sunlight above. he wanted... something. he couldn't name it. not escape, no, just salvation. he couldn't trust how he felt, but for some reason his paws were shooting him straight for vertigoclan's border like an arrow anyway. he couldn't fight it- he didn't even try. how could he deny wanting to see the mysterious ginger tabby when it was all he ever thought about? he hated being fueled by emotions like this, but if he could just talk to her... he reached the border quickly, and just in time he slowed to a lope, then a creeping walk, gliding along the forest floor to the very spot they had first met, where the trees cleared away to a bright patch of sunshine between pine needles and leaves overlapping for once on the ground. inhaling deeply, garnetbone immediately scented all that encompassed vertigoclan- musk, ice, pine, stone. within the melody of odors that attacked him on sight lay a tapestry of smells only faintly familiar, but far more presise than those laid at the border line- warmth, female fur, excitement, water. it was her. it had to be. did she want to see him? was that why she lingered in this very fateful spot? garnetbone felt a shiver dance down his spine, a shock of fear and affection burning in his throat. he had to do it, he had to find out or he'd never live with the overflow of feelings he couldn't seem to shake. "flamingarrow?" he called out, though he remained safely on his own side of the border, he peered around the trees and took another step forth. at once, he caught sight of her brilliant fur, contrasting tremendously with her dull green and gray surroundings. "hello!" he chirped all of the sudden, jumping out of his hiding spot rather impulsively. he didn't have the time to second guess himself, he was happy to see her.

[lily ♫]

she was happy to see him, that was obvious from the expression on her face. the way her eyes lit up as he near shouted his hello from his own excitement. it was enough to cause her to giggle. that first moment when he'd called her name, she'd felt her heart begin to mess up. thump.. thump.. thump.. th-thump-ump. she dipped her head to him with respect, eyeing his silvery pale fur with her bright green eyes as they danced. "hello." she breathed back, smiling like she couldn't believe he was really there. while he fit right in, she stood out in the picturesque theme as if her pelt was really on fire, much like her name tried to suggest. her shyness from their last interaction came back and she looked down, peering at the soggy ground, still damp from the snowfall.

his crimson eyes were on her like a whole 'nother fire, blazing across her as her blush lit up her face beneath her flaming red fur. looking back at him, their eyes met, and a smile remained caught upon her maw. "how are you, garnetbone? are you ready for leafbare to turn into newleaf? i know i am." the deputy started, without faltering as she thought of what her clan might think of her standing at the edge of territory with a tom from another clan. it was different, though, in many ways, simply because flamingarrow wasn't exactly..normal and neither was he. he'd been a rogue before and she'd spent moons in a rogue clan. it was as if, in an unspoken, spiritual way, they'd been destined to meet each other.

his appearance mirrored that of the tom who had given to flamingarrow the life she lived in an alternate universe. one of blood, murder, and lust. what would have happened to her if maliceclan had not lost? would she still be there with them, learning their ways, destroying all that she had once stood for? blinking, she caught herself in the middle of her dark reverie, watching garnetbone closely. he was a handsome creature, most definitely, and the way he looked at flamingarrow was in a way she'd not seen anyone look at her in what seemed like a thousand lifetimes. had chasmriver even gazed at her like that? she didn't know, but somehow doubted it. 'no surprise there.' she thought to herself, wondering if she should let garnetbone know what had happened. if he'd still be visiting her if he knew she was the new vertigoclan deputy. she stood there, lost in her internal conflicts, waiting for what he might do or say, patient for once.

[LYNX ♥]

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[atrb=background,http://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv347/lovelywarriorlynx/garnetbone22.png] it was simply magic, the look in her eyes. the one that set her apart from all the others he had looked upon, and he was almost taken aback by how her gaze filled him until his very heart was brimming. why? why was this happening? it was so untimely, so forbidden. but then, here she was. was she thinking of him when lulled by the darkness and warmth of clanmates in the warrior's den long after dusk's soft paws wrapped up the world, like he was of her? he didn't feel disloyal about it, even. was she wracked with guilt? what are you talking about, you great furball! right, yes, he needed to snap out of it. this was surely a coinsedence! how else would they have found each other in this exact moment in time? maybe starclan is real. he snorted at the thought, and cocked his head slightly, moving a bit cautiously forward now, and tentatively placed his forepaws over the border, knowing this time would be different from the last. this was premeditated, completely on purpose. but then, was it really his fault when she was drawing him to her like a magnet? a self-conscious grin flooded his visage, brightening all of his pallid features and making his scarlet gaze glitter happily. "hi," he repeated, for some reason so suddenly shy. "I'm glad I caught you here. I've been meaning to see you again." he meowed, was that too forward of him? no time to worry about it now, it had been said. garnetbone was suddenly aware of the fact that his entire large frame was placed squarely in vertigoclan's pine-studded territory, and he bit his lower lip lightly, gazing past her into the void of gloomy forest beyond. and there she was, willingly engaging him in conversation. something was going on here! he realized it in an instant of euphoria, forgetting all about the consequences that may have followed any sort of friendship forged-- all that mattered was that flamingarrow was here with him and she wanted to be. "yes! gosh, well.. you know I've got kind of long fur. summer's a little rough too but for the sake of all the starving and sick cats everywhere I can only hope it'll come infinitely faster!" he purred, collecting his wits about him enough to back up a step and sit, though he immediately regretted it when he thought he probably could have stepped forward instead and touched the she-cat's nose in a simple friendly gesture. but the moment passed, and all he could hope was that another opportunity would present itself, and soon! he grinned a bit disarmingly, and curled his tail about his forepaws, flicking his eyes up to her brilliant emeralds. "how did you find yourself out here-- all alone-- anyway?" he blurted out, wishing that it had sounded more subtle than it had, but the plainitive curiousity glowed in his vermillion eyes and he couldn't contain himself, of course he wanted to know the circumstances of their second meeting! "'cause, well, I mean.. I was kind of hoping I'd see you out here I guess.." he murmured as an afterthought, "I mean, just because our last meeting was sorta pleasant y'know?" he added quickly, knowing he was coming on too strong. she was probably used to this kind of behavior though, she'd catch him in a moment because surely all of the clans in her own clan were pining after her too. she was lovely! did she already have a mate? he wondered this all of the sudden, and his heart seemed to skip a beat. was he looking to be her mate? no! heavens no! garnetbone suddenly frowned, thoroughly confused by his own train of thought for the moment that he suddenly remembered whose company he was in and gave a start, shaking his head quickly to return his attention to the ginger female.

[lily ♫]

she couldn't contain her smile, almost laughing as he greeted her once more. "hi." she answered, letting out a light chuckle as she perked her ears, listening to him speak. she looked down as he told her that he'd wanted to see her again, her breath stopping as he was so forward. 'does he.. like me?' flamingarrow thought, glancing back up at him and smiling. 'aw, what the hell?' she added, gazing right into his crimson eyes with her own emerald ones. not once did her smile falter as he spoke of summer and sunshine and all things wonderful..er, well, you know, until he began speaking of starvation and sickness.

immediately, flamingarrow's face grew concerned, her head tilting just slightly, "is there not enough prey, then? and sickness, too?" she asked, her concern growing as she stared at him confusedly. "we haven't had much..problems here, really." the fire red female mumbled on, utterly lost in thought before blinking and giving her brightly colored head a shake and refocusing on the tom. with a laugh, she winked at him. "what, you want my secrets? are the camp's guards questioning you when you leave?" she teased him, playing with him a bit, even going so far as to poke at him lightly with her paw. "but uh..i..well, i've always went on walks alone. no one really questions me anymore." 'because i'm deputy now.' she told him, silently adding onto her statement in her mind, a frown overtaking her lovely face.

his goofy demeanor helped the frown disappear almost instantly, her sides shaking as she chuckled at him again, speaking up. "oh, everytime i get near the border i wonder if i'll end up seeing you! this time i got lucky and i did!" she announced with a laugh, smiling at him sweetly. "of course! it was pleasant, wasn't it? let's hope this one goes just as well, too. or perhaps even better, now that we're not utterly frightened of each other, right?" flamingarrow said, crouching down in the dampened grass, shaking her rear playfully. "make one wrong move, and i'll pounce!" she cried, trying to remove the sudden frown from his face. the flame colored female leaped, colliding with his snowy white body, sending them tumbling to the ground.

ooc: garnetflame song is chasing cars by snow patrol.

[LYNX ♥]

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[atrb=background,http://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv347/lovelywarriorlynx/garnetbone22.png] he was tranfixed, held in place by the movements in her streamlined ginger features, deep veridian gaze flickering in that saptivating manner that she had. the one he had been waiting to see again, as the curiousity about her that dwelled inside of him flared up again. after all, he still couldn't wrap his mind around what exactly it was about this forbidden fruit that drew him to her so strongly. of course she was pretty, but it wasn't as though celestialclan was lacking in pretty lasses, he ran into those every day. this small, muscular female, he was sure, was brainwashing him. otherwise he wouldn't have been dragged as though by magnet-like forces to this very spot.... "oh, you know. nothing too severe," he backpedaled quickly, remembering with a jolt their different alliances and the fact that he probably ought to be more careful around here- he'd heard pyrestar was a bit abraisive about the other clans at times, and he didn't want to give vertigoclan any excuses to tear apart his home. "winter's just always hard, I think. I mean especially for clans. on my own I was usually fine but when there's so many cats in such a small area.. well, you're a clan cat. you know what I'm talking about. cold weather's rough for everyone!" he shrugged, more than happy to drop the subject when flamingarrow created a segue to a different topic. he figured avoiding words about their clans was probably in everyone's best interest anyhow, and craved more knowledge about his aquaintance rather than her clan, so he was delighted when she fell right into his 'trap,' willingly chatting away as if they were old friends- what an excellent feeling! he grinned and cocked his head, "no one cares where I go, I'm just a smelly old rogue anyway! they think I'm staging a betrayal no matter where I am, so I might as well flee to the border while I've got my chance!" he purred laughably, urging her to play along by curling his long white tail, "walking alone? a girl like you? I don't believe it!" garnetbone crowed, an appalled expression flooding his wide scarlet gaze, "I struggle to think that everyone's not competing for your time over there in vertigoland!" the big alabaster warrior shook out his coat and yelped indignantly, as if he were ever afraid of her! well, perhaps he was.. she was intimidating with that ever-present look in her eyes and knowing demeanor. now, though, she seemed so grounded-- he adored it, but he struggled to admit it. however, he didn't have a moment's notice to contemplate such things when she was suddenly spewing false threats and before he knew it, he was on his back with she atop of him, a playful light in her eyes as suddenly startled laughter erupted from garnetbone's mouth, his features crinkling into a jolly grin, shaking his head incredulously, as best as he could laying in the dirt. "gerroffa me you great lump!" he continued to laugh as he rolled over and, careful not to crush her much smaller form, ended up standing over top of her, having successfully flipped over the ginger female, "I'll show you pouncing!" he made as if to take a great bite into her flesh, but ended up only nibbling lightly on the tip of one of her ears before rolling once more, onto his own back again beside her, laughter still bubbling up inside of him.

[lily ♫]

frowning as he called himself a mean old rogue, she looked away into the distance for a moment, recollecting how poorly her clan had once treated her when she had come back home from maliceclan. of course, some had been absolutely delighted to see the young girl come home to them, but when flamingarrow decided to keep the name given to her by knife, she lost the respect of some of the older cats, and none of the younger ones really came running to interact with her. turning back to him with a sad light in her eyes, flamingarrow reluctantly let out a sigh.

"i wish i could tell you lovely stories about all my friends and family." she murmured quietly, growing distant for a moment. "but, alas, i cannot. my clan doesn't always respect me fully, you see, because i was abducted by a group of rogues when i was quite young. i learned their ways and i even earned my name then, and some of the clan folk still can't look at me the same." flamingarrow admitted, but a smile appeared across her brightly colored face. "i don't mind so much, though. i'm quite an independent girl." she assured him, flicking him lightly with her tail.

she giggled as they tumbled together, smacking him playfully with her paw as he called her a great lump before a bright laugh expelled itself from her open maw. "if i didn't know you were kidding, i'd have to kill ya for that comment, mister!" she teased, but she nearly leaped out of her own pelt as garnetbone nibbled on her ear. "hnnh." she purred, unable to resist the deep rumbling coming from her throat. "garnetbone, at least let me get to know you better first!" she playfully scolded, lying on her back and laughing as he joined her. she turned onto her side and looked into his crimson eyes, blinking before returning his captivated stare. "hi." she whispered shyly, watching him closely.

[LYNX ♥]

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[atrb=background,http://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv347/lovelywarriorlynx/garnetbone22.png] he blushed, his translucent fur practically glowing scarlet when flamingarrow cried out playfully, drawing a yelp from him as he quickly averted his gaze from her ginger form, "I- I didn't mean it like, you know! c'mon!" he moaned, thoroughly flustered. while the nibbling of ears was completely acceptable as a kitten tussling with one's friends, which was what he had been aiming for, he understood at once that there was indeed an entirely different context involved, and he only burned more furiously upon realizing this. his flattened ears were a soft pink now. "lands!" he huffed finally, glaring at her halfheartedly, for it wasn't an instant that passed before the tom's features broke again into a friendly grin, happy to see his newest friend so at ease around him, it looked as though she was just as content to be with him as he with she. he fought the urge to flop his tail atop her, as he wanted to avoid anymore awkward moment of tension, and so he kept his tail to himself, curled safely around his own leg as he rested his forepaws upon his barrel-shaped chest, whiskered stretched forth in a mirthful expression. "oh hello," he chirped, blinking his vermilion red eyes a bit sheepishly, wondering why they didn't spook her anymore. impulsively, he meowed, "I'm happy, are you happy? not that it's any of my business, but I'm curious. sometimes you look troubled to me. maybe I'm misreading you." the big white tom babbled, cutting himself short in the heartbeat he realized he wasn't really talking about anything at all, but instead just going on for his fear of silence. "sorry, I get annoying when I'm nervous. I'm a little nervous around you." he admitted easily, finding that getting these obsticles out of the way was the best plan of action, after all, he just wanted to be open with her. the only thing holding him back from telling her she was more beautiful than the most radiant sunset to him was the fact that this would most certainly scare her off, and he craved a bit more time with her, so he instead waited for her reaction to him, wondering faintly what she was like in her element, in the presence of others, what her favorite pastime was. "what's your favorite color? will you tell me a story about yourself?" garnetbone asked innocently, sounding more like a nosy kit than he had intended.

[lily ♫]

a giggle burst lightly from her scarlet maw, her emerald eyes glittering at the tom. "you're sort of adorable when you do that, y'now?" she teased him, taking her turn to blush. the way he had his paws up on his chest was quite comical, and flamingarrow appreciated being able to laugh so freely around him. it was as if being around him unlocked all of her pains and regrets, allowing doors containing new opportunities to open, showing her that there was a future, bright as can be.

pulled back from her reverie as his voice rumbled in her ears once more, she laughed. "of course i'm happy! here, right now? this is what i live for." flamingarrow admitted openly, grinning at him before catching what he actually meant. "well, yeah, i..i've had a rough life, but i haven't been entirely truthful. since i saw you last, pyrestar made me..deputy." the pretty tabby confessed, frowning for a moment. her eyes fell too, but then a smile began inching its way across face, before she began looking at him shyly once more. "but.. i don't want that to change anything, okay?"

she chuckled at how he was admitting to being nervous, shaking her head a bit at him, relaxing her entire body as the grass below her tickled at her sides and her stomach. turning her gaze back to his crimson one, she began speaking once more. "why are you nervous? i'm not that scary, am i?" she joked, though honestly, she wanted to know why he was nervous. then again, flamingarrow was also curious as to what he thought of her.

"color?" she asked him bewilderingly before cracking another smile. "you'll think i'm silly if i tell you!" she replied, though she rested her head back and looked at the pine trees in the distance as they raised their needle-filled branches up to the sky. lowering her voice, she spoke evenly, her voice faint and almost dreamlike. "my favorite color is the color of the evergreen pine needles as it clashes against the spring's brilliant blue sky." flamingarrow answered almost poetically, before continuing.

"but, i have always been drawn to hues of red." she whispered, before realizing what she had said. her face flushed, glancing at him before smiling just as shyly as before. "a story? my stories are odd, just like me!" she cried with a laugh, continuing on without a hitch. "when i was little, about the age of an apprentice, i was told to help take care of one of the elders, poppyfur. she was a silly old thing, ornery as all get out. she even flirted with the youngest toms. she was so many things, but she didn't like me at all, especially when she was ill. i had to bring her moss filled with water all the time and change her bedding constantly since she couldn't leave the den to make dirt. it might have been one of the most disgusting moons of my life, but she became one of the closest things i ever had to family. aside from lilythorn, of course. she's nearly a sister to me."

sighing as she scooted closer to him, she turned her head to almost snuggle his silvery-white fur, pulling back to look at him before returning. "now you tell me a story, mine are horrid.

[/b]" she asked him, lazily flicking her tail this way and that.[/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote][/justify]

[LYNX ♥]

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[atrb=background,http://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv347/lovelywarriorlynx/garnetbone22.png] "ohmygosh stop," he laughed, shaking his head feebly, and a bit awkwardly as he lay upon the soft needle-laden earth, but his heart soared when she called him adorable. he couldn't help it! she wouldn't say something like that if she thought he was unadorable, and he had fully convinced himself there wasn't a lick of sarcasm in that statement. because, well, that would be rude and, looking upon the she-cat then, his obvious crush glowing in his berry-hued gaze, he didn't believe she could lie to him. there was something tangible there, he was doing a fine job of convincing himself of that when she made to reply, assuring him of her happiness. "this is what you live for? that's.... that's nice." the albino murmured resolutely, glad he could bring her such contentment, and in the same breath she flung a heavy bout of bittersweet news at him. bitter? why bitter? no just sweet, he scolded himself, reminding hisconscience there was nothing to be bitter about because she was just an inter-clan acquaintence. "that's, wow, I'm so proud! I mean I know I hardly really know you -yet- but deputy! gracious that's a big thing. a big happy thing! I'm so happy for you!" his excitement mounted as he went on, deciding at once that he truly was proud, and happy, and the dampening news didn't hinder her beauty to him in the slightest, nor did it quell the fire of intrigue he saw in her emerald eyes. now, of course, he would need to remember to be more cautious about what he mentioned as far as goings-on in celestialclan, and reminded himself not to let slip that hallowstar hadn't been seen in ages, and everything would be set. "anyway it wouldn't change a thing! what could possibly change? we're pals! pals can be in different clans and er- positions of power. we just won't talk about our clans. deal?" he was bobbing his head, whiskers swishing as he did so, and turned slightly to meet her eyes. "cause well, I hate to sound sappy but I guess I like where this is going, you know? I mean not that it's like going... anywhere. not like that. like.. um. nevermind. point is I would like to continue staying in touch with you! I think you're great. even if you are a bit scary," he retorted with a wink, charmed by her innocent tone. "pretty girls frighten me." he added fearlessly, though regretted it a heartbeat later. it was a genuine compliment though, it didn't have to be weird. right? he purred and curled his tail when she answered his silly question, but when she went on he hiccupped in surprise, "r-red? oh! yeah I'm... not very fond of red myself. maybe green." he chuckled, turning his entire frame in order to sprawl out on his side, facing her, eager for a tale of her life. he was disappointed she didn't reveal more, but still wasn't particularly surprised. slightly hurt that she didn't trust him with something deep and dark, since he felt like he'd spill his guts if she beckoned, but it made sense. she was just being logical. she was vertigoclan's deputy, after all. still, garnetbone let out a short bark of laughter, grinning after her, "elders, huh? yeah I've seen enough of 'em to make up for all my time alone just in the few moons I've been in the clan. can't live with em, can't live without em. er- a story from me? I don't know. it'll ruin your good mood." he mewed honestly, having forgotten that she would inevitably ask him to share in return. but in that same moment he decided that if she could tell an irrelevent tale, he could be just as offhanded. "I had a brother who used to follow me around, right? a scrawny little black furred scrap, but he was so sweet and eager. I was trying to teach him to hunt y'know, it's not hard once you get the hang of it of course but gosh was he struggling with his mouse-stalking crouch!" the tom purred, reminiscing on brother's lopsided skiphop he called a crouch, "once, he scented out a mouse not far from the city, or told me he did anyway, and wanted to show me he'd been practicing. so I watched him wobble-crawl-hobble all noisily through the leaves and stuff to where ever this 'mouse' was, and suddenly the fattest raccoon I've ever seen popped out all snarling, and whippin its claws around, foaming at the mouth n stuff, trying to get after my brother. well I mean if you think I had a shock you shoulda seen the look on his face! I don't think we've ever run so hard or had half a good of a laugh as that time," he purred, the excitement of the memory leaving his heart racing, or perhaps it was just remembering how close he was laying near flamingarrow. after that, he fell silent and gaze serenely into her beautiful features.

[lily ♫]

"never~!" she teased, butting him lightly with the top of her head, emerald lights glittering as a smile continued gracing her pretty features. sheepishly, she looked away from him, cheeks growing warm beneath her scarlet pelt before flamingarrow met his crimson eyes once more. "thank you. i-i'm just the...right cat..for pyrestar..right..now." the ginger femme tried to explain why she'd received the position, struggling as she did so. she'd not dare ask herself if she deserved it; that was her bobtail calico leader's choice, not hers. through her humbleness, she felt she deserved the role more than others, but it'd been a genuine surprise to flamingarrow.

as garnetbone took off in another direction - talking of their clans, now - her mouth formed a slight 'o' before she began speaking again. "oh! of course not! deal of course - pal." she tacked on the last word with a devilish grin, flashing her bright ivory fangs to the albino boy, her giddiness rising as she did so. it was so fun, so real, so right with him. everything was easy - there was never a second thought. everything was new, fresh, simple! flamingarrow told herself that she'd always remember this simplicity, knowing that she'd desperately long for it someday when she was the one sleeping in the leader's den, that lovely hollowed and hallowed place. "flamingstar. now that sounds downright odd, doesn't it?" she joked, laughter following the statement before she looked curiously to the tom, listening to his words.

the veritogclan gal giggled, her heart light. "you talk too much." flamingarrow teased once more, pressing her nose to his. "stop worrying, alright? nothing's going to change!" she told him, while also reassuring herself. life would remain this way until she had served her clan for all her days, dying happily surrounding by her clanmates, most of which that would only remember her for her glory, not for her so-called 'fame.' shaking her head at his comment, she rolled her eyes in a grand manner, making it obvious that she was only teasing him as she did so. "i'm pretty frightening then, aren't i?" was her retort, her grin remaining across her face. "good thing toms don't frighten me, right?"

she frowned deeply at him when he said he'd ruin her mood with a story, and she pouted for a moment. "awh, no you won't! if anything, i'm the one with the darker past, garnetbone." flamingarrow assured him, keeping a conflicted expression on her pretty face before listening intently to his story. she watched his expressions, the way his eyes danced, even looked at his body language as he told it, her body shaking with laughter by the time he finished. "raccoons; can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em." she replied with a wink, mimicking him and flashing a smile to the tom.

relaxing for a moment, she let her head lull back, eyes focusing on the sky above with its clouds and streaks of blue, allowing a content sigh to escape from her maw as she did so. "this is nice." she murmured, raising her brows and glancing back to where he laid. without another thought, she focused back on the skyline, a short, silent prayer sent to starclan that she wouldn't regret her next story.

"i had a mate once, you know. i'd had a crush on him for almost my entire apprenticeship, and when i came home to vertigoclan after i was taken, things just...clicked. we got in trouble, had our names taken away, and we got close again. i didn't think i'd get pregnant like that. and..just like that..he left." she paused, drawing in a deep breath. "one by one, i watched my kits die. phloxkit, seedkit, silhouettekit, blazekit...and then finally, heatpaw. and, after i'd lost all of them, i lost chasmriver's sister, and then finally, he was gone too." she finished, turning to look at garnetbone once more, her eyes sad, but a small smile present upon her tabby maw. "so you see, being so incredibly happy now - well - sometimes it all just feels like a dream. so, thank you, garnetbone. i appreciate it." her grin reappeared as she drew closer to him, her contentment still present, her own sort of dampening to her mood having disappeared.

[LYNX ♥]

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[atrb=background,http://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv347/lovelywarriorlynx/garnetbone22.png] you're perfect he wanted to tell her, her brilliant veridian eyes glittering like dew-splashed meadows in a way that made his heart all a-flutter. how stupid, how wonderful, he didn't even know what to feel if only because he was scared, but sure as anything he knew flamingarrow was someone truly special, and someone he wanted in his life. he wanted to parade her around and show her to his clanmates and tell them 'hey look, look, aren't you dazzled yet? don't you want her for your own? too bad!' not a particularly plausible wish, but something foolish he yearned for all of the sudden nevertheless, looking fondly at her as she struggled to grasp her own prestigeous rank, and he shook his head, "no no I can see why you got the job, don't try an explain," he purred, his grin still quite congratulatory-- he wanted to bring her a present to celebrate, but he couldn't think of anything at the time. perhaps later. the tom thought, knowing she'd appreciate the concept any time. she was already bounding on though, and his neck was devloping aches that would bother him in the night, so he slowly pushed himself up, blood pumping as he looked down at her there on the ground, he scarlet form sprawled so carelessly next to where he had been lying, and he could imagine them for a moment lying together there from someone else's point of view. it struck him and the image that formed in his mind's eye burned an imprint into his eyelids when he blinked. how could he keep lying to himself? he wanted to be with her for more time than he had and the reasons that came to his mind were more complicated than he had first accepted. he desperately wanted her to feel the same, but didn't want to rush her. still, the sun was moving too fast through the cerulean sea above, and they both had obligations elsewhere. the thought of going back to celestialclan stung, so he pushed it away for the time being and returned to her company. "flamingstar? sounds brilliant to me!" garnetbone crowed, curling his tail thoughtfully, "accurate, anyway. I can imagine the stars in the sky being little silver balls of fire, can't yo- oh!" the celestialclan warrior yelped in shock, feeling her cool nose pressed against his in a heartbeat, the close contact more than he expected from her in a million moons, play it cool, doofus! he chuckled nervously, "yeah you know just a bad habit of mine... talking." he meant to make it into a joke by blabbing as usual, but for once he was at a loss for words, though she went on, he was lost in the dust of their rapidly blossoming friendship. he broke into a sudden laughter after his story as well though, joining her melodious chuckles, "oh shut up!" he chortled playfully, scrunching up his nose at her incessant teasing, but he was soaking it in anyway. "this is nice." he agreed after a drawn-out pause in their conversation, one he was confortable with, the time he was spending with her wasn't forced unlike so much social interaction he encountered, and he relished her ability to let a silence stay silent, and after his brief concurrence where the quiet lapsed over them again, he could tell she was ready to speak, and pricked his ears attentively. a mate. clan cats made it all sound so official. did it really have to be so... concrete? couldn't two cats just be happy until they weren't anymore, and move on? no labels, no judgements passed. he silently cursed whichever forsaken clan founder it had been who decided that 'mates' were an eternal, all-consuming disease. he was still listening though, and suffered a short shock when she mentioned kits. for some reason, he couldn't picture her with a tom (besides himself) and certainly couldn't see her surrounded by a bunch of squealing kittens, each one begging for her undying attention while their father skulked around with other she-cats. his heart melted. chasmriver. hm. "oh." the albino murmured, at a loss. though he had been standing, he needed her closer, and suspected she required the same. he stepped to her other side and curled up around her, his bigger frame wrapping up hers quite securely. it was strangely intimate, but so was the information she just shared. he didn't want to try and compete with her story or anything of the like so he simply whispered, "you're welcome I think," and rested his nose in her scruff.

[lily ♫]

"oh no, it might prompt you to go off rambling again." she teased, shooting him a mock look of annoyance before grinning once more. "i may be flamingstar someday. who knows what'll end up happening?" she pondered aloud, before garnetbone was running off figuratively in another direction. when he seemed to apologize for his own flaws, she frowned. "oh, it's not all that bad. makes me seem a bit quiet, though." was her retort as she poked fun at herself for once. "but if you didn't talk, i'd think you didn't like me or something!" she told him, pouting for a few heartbeats, her emerald eyes alight.

giggling, a snort interrupted her laughter as he told her to shut up. "oh, hush, you!" flamingarrow cried, pulling herself up from the ground and into a sitting position, rolling her eyes at him jokingly. "it is." she agreed, looking away from him shyly, the summer's gentle breeze pushing the humid air again st their already ruffled pelts. a few needles stuck here and there in her pelt, giving her an odd appearance, but the deputy was anything but normal. and then, as he approached her, curled around her, trying to soothe her with his actions rater his words, her heart melted. "you're too good for me, you know that?" she whispered, pressing into him.

staying there would have been the best thing that day, but the sun's bright rays illuminated them from above, having nearly reached sun-high already. frowning slightly, she looked to him and sighed. "my clan will be looking for me soon." she murmured, shrugging a bit. "i better go." the orange tabby meowed reluctantly, pulling away from him, disentangling herself from him. a hopeful smile crossed her maw, staying there as she gazed at him longingly. "i'll see you again; i know i will."