[Insidious]

Phoenix

It often wasn't a good sign when being in your own camp was unbearable. There was purpose behind Darkice's strides toward the borders with TreeClan, wishing to put as much distance between himself and NightClan's camp as possible. He knew that she wouldn't think of looking for him near TreeClan, which was precisely why he had chosen it. Every once in a while he found himself checking over his shoulders, as if mildly expectant that the she-cat in question would be following at his heels. It wasn't that he didn't like her... it was that he had grown tired of how much she liked him. Tawnyheart was a perfect mate: her immense attraction for Darkice and overall appearance made up for where she lacked intelligence. At first, it had seemed like a wise choice on his part to try settling down, but so it seemed he had been wrong in choosing her in particular. Perhaps, he should have continued pursuing his life-long goal of settling down with Frogsplash? Lately he found himself contemplating this more and more frequently, but if she had liked him at all, he couldn't help but think he had unintentionally caused it to wash away with his having chosen another.

The dark furred tom's paws stopped just in time, looking down to see the line that marked an end to NightClan's territories and a beginning to TreeClan's. He sighed heavily, settling into a sit at the base of the borders, silver eyes contently skimming the lands that belonged to the opposed clan. All was peaceful, quiet. It was relaxing for the young warrior, knowing that he was alone with his thoughts – alone and far away from Tawnyheart. She didn't seem to get it. He had been pushing her away as of late, making it clear to anyone else other than her so it seemed that he was no longer interested. He had even went so far as to begin pursuing a naive RainClan apprentice as a potential love interest while still currently tied into a relationship with Tawnyheart. He nearly smirked at the thought of young Heronpaw, knowing all too well that his doings with her were far from being something he'd consider permanent. She had been nothing more than a rebound for Darkice; he had to make sure that he hadn't lost his charming touch while being stuck with Tawnyheart. But, it was apparently harder than Darkice had first anticipated to shake off a relationship once the connection was made. He had certainly learned from his mistake; he'd never allow himself to grow serious again until he was sure that it was what he wanted.

But then again... when was Darkice ever sure of what he wanted?

A scent wafted on the wind, it a semblance of TreeClan. The NightClan tom's nose wrinkled as it was inhaled, able to decipher that it was a her of TreeClan. Immediately, a grin plastered itself to his black furred jaw, his head inclining a touch as if such would aid in seeking her out amongst the brambles upon TreeClan's half of the border. He hadn't realized until now that he had approached the TreeClan-NightClan borders to not only escape Tawnyheart, but to push her away even more. Surely, she would be disgusted with him for having flirted with another not only once, but twice, and that pleased him more than she would ever know. It was with thoughts such as these in mind that Darkice waited in patient silence for the she-cat's arrival, being thoroughly eager to not only meet her, but see how she would handle the flirtatious charmer of NightClan.

[Phoenix]

Littlestep
you’re in the middle of the ride
everything will be just fine
everything will be alright

- - -

She wasn’t quite sure how she had found herself walking along the NightClan border, her well-intentioned hunting patrol devolving to little more than a pleasant walk in an area of conflict between the two clans. For all the hostility TreeClan felt toward NightClan for their hunting forays into their neighboring territory, none of it had left a physical mark on the landscape, and the trees remained as untouched as ever. With the coming of leaf-fall, lush green leaves had begun to give way to the luminescent, fiery tones that acted as one of the many markers of the changing season. Another, the cool, crisp air, which chased away the stifling humidity of green-leaf, made itself known in the breeze that blew through her striped fur, and she paused for a moment, enjoying the relaxing sensation. Part of her chastised herself for becoming so comfortable in a hostile area, but the weather was so nice that she couldn’t not relax.

Perhaps it was that mindset that allowed her to walk right by NightClan tom sitting on the border, his unassuming form blending in with the shadows around him.

Further down the path, when the sensation of eyes on the back of her head caused her fur to prickle, she frowned and paused, mind catching up with what her eyes had seen. Abruptly she froze, simultaneously wondering how she could have missed a cat who was just sitting there and whirling around, her small figure turning on a dime. Instinct had her unsheathing her claws in case said cat had decided to take advantage of her lapse in attention, and it did not take long for green eyes to find the figure, watching him warily for any signs of hostility. To be fair, a small part of her mind conceded, he was a black cat sitting in black shadows.

Keeping a safe distance between herself and the tom, she flicked her gaze to the surrounding trees, wondering how many other NightClan cats were lurking on the border. It would be her luck if she had stumbled upon an invasion and nearly missed the only warning. However, the tom seemed to be alone and the invasion force nonexistent, though her confidence in her observation skills had lowered. ”Who are you?” She spoke finally, calling out to him. ”Why are you here?”

- - -

just do your best
do everything you can
and don’t you worry what the bitter hearts are gonna say

[Insidious]

Having found amusement in the she-cat's lack of observational skills, Darkice had went against his ordinary routine in favour of watching her in silence, waiting to see if she'd perhaps catch on. Thankfully, she had, the striped feline pivoting in a single notion, facing the black warrior with unsheathed claws and a narrowed, skeptical eye. Her tenseness didn't effect the young NightClan warrior in the slightest, the tom rising and approaching her – remaining on his side of the border – with eloquent strides. He kept that same charming, yet thoroughly entertained grin glued to his muzzle as the distance between the two warriors was diminished. He wished not to evade her space and put her even more on edge, this being why he paused at a distance that didn't allow striking range, having accustomed to a sit that mirrored his previous one, his thinly furred tail wrapping around his legs.

“So many questions.” Darkice chuckled, silver eyes content within the depths of her own green. His stance remained relaxed, betraying not a speck of tension as it did upon the she-cat's body. He hadn't originally been aiming to catch her off guard, but he didn't necessarily hold such against her, knowing all too well that his fur did little to stand out amidst the background. “But, rest assured, I have answers – I hate to see you so tense.” The tom's voice rumbled out in the form of a soft purr, shuffling in his seat so that he could manage a few whiskerlengths closer to her. “My name is Darkice, and I am here simply for the purpose of a stroll.”

He didn't think he was putting himself in any form of danger by so easily gifting her with the information she desired. After all, she had walked right passed him, caught up in some sort of oblivion to his presence. If she had possessed any hopes of coming off as threatening, she hadn't succeeded. “Your turn.” Darkice beckoned, rising from his seat once again – he thought he'd remained seated long enough to convince her that he had no wishes of quarreling – and walking towards the unidentified TreeClan warrior until his paws touched the border line. Silver eyes were alight with his usual spark of charisma, each word he offered to the striped she-cat preparing the both of them for the outburst of charm to follow. “Who are you? And why are you here?” For the purpose of embarrassing her even more than she perhaps already was, the black furred tom mirrored her defensive stance, only for it to vanish a moment later in favour of a smile decorating his muzzle, informing her that it was nothing surpassed plain, fun mockery.

[Phoenix]

Littlestep
you’re in the middle of the ride
everything will be just fine
everything will be alright

- - -

She blinked, taken aback by the disarming smile on his features where she had expected some form of hostility. Still alert, she watched warily as he steadily drew closer and told herself that if he took that one extra step and crossed the border, she would do something – whether that something was attack or flee, she could not be sure. In a belief only supported by her small size and lack of any bulk, she was not particularly fond of fighting and would avoid it whenever she could; however, she also could not let a NightClan cat, no matter how friendly he appeared, prance over into TreeClan territory without a second thought. Said tom seated himself and offered her a response to her questions that sounded just as comfortable and at ease as she was tense and alert. Perhaps she was spending too much time around the paranoid older warriors of the clan, but her intuition warned her away from the tom. She felt like there was something she was missing, and she really hoped it wasn’t that invasion force that she had only just managed to convince herself did not exist. Maybe the sensation had just been carried over from her initial oversight when it came to the tom – Darkice, she corrected herself a moment later, when he introduce himself.

He stood right on the border, and figuring that he probably would have attacked her by now if he planned to, she sheathed her claws, heart thumping at the obvious risk that came with the action. At the very least, she tried reassuring herself, she was pretty fast, and she knew her own territory better than he did. If he made any move to attack, she could flee and run back to camp for help. He returned her questions and mirrored her stance, and she could feel herself flushing as she realized that her actions had been far from polite. Granted, he was from an enemy clan, but had she just taken all of NightClan’s reputation and applied it to this one cat? That wasn’t exceedingly fair, for perhaps Darkice was different than the rest. He had given up a perfectly good chance to attack her.

”Littlestep,” She responded simply, still far from the point where she would smile at him with the ease at which he seemed to constantly be grinning at her. That in itself struck her as slightly odd, though maybe that was just what he was like. Still, did anyone really smile that much at a stranger from a different clan and really mean it? ”I was taking a walk, too.” The awkwardness of the situation started to make itself known to her, and after taking a step closer, she lowered her haunches to the ground, sitting in a motion that was not nearly as fluid as his. It seemed evident that he planned on sticking around for a while, and she felt a little bad at the idea or simply abandoning him on the border when all he’d done so far was be kind, if not slightly unnerving. But conversing had never been one of her strong points, particularly with complete strangers with whom she wasn’t even sure she wanted to talk.

- - -

just do your best
do everything you can
and don’t you worry what the bitter hearts are gonna say

[Insidious]

The tom dipped his head, processing her answers and allowing them to fully sink in to his memory. Silver eyes skimmed the she-cat's body, as if doing so would permanently attach said name, Littlestep, to the striped warrior of TreeClan should their paths cross again. He observed the awkwardness of her sit, also mindful of the former tenseness beginning to leave her form as she did so. He was thoroughly pleased to see that she was willing to diminish with some of her barriers, especially given what was commonly expected of the relationship shared between the two clans. Despite TreeClan and NightClan having failed to settle upon agreements in the past, Darkice was far from the type to judge a book by its cover, or in this case a cat by its clan. This wasn't to say that he was fond of TreeClan (Ravenstar would have his hide if ever to hear such a thing), but for the time being, he cared not for such purposeless disputes with this striped she-cat.

If she would play nice, so would he.

“Well, Littlestep,” Darkice tested the she-cat's name on his tongue, a careful glance exchanged with the border his paws rested on before returning his attention to his current companion. “one as beautiful as yourself must not travel absent of company – though you stumbled upon myself, so I suppose such can be excused.” The tom-cat contemplated the risks behind crossing the border line to further progress into his deadly charms, the shifting of his weight upon seated haunches indicating, should Littlestep be one to take notice of what was indirect, that he could only wish this was neutral grounds so that there was no lines separating him from what it was he sought to achieve. Although Darkice wasn't necessarily certain of what it was he wished to achieve, he couldn't help but feel lowly of their borders for having come between it today.

“Why is it you're alone, anyway? No suitable toms in TreeClan?” The tom's ears pulled forward, his newly blank features giving way for a light tug at the corner of his lip – it was one of his more alluring expressions, one with which he did not dabble often. Light gray eyes batted, portraying him as being genuinely curious of the TreeClan toms and precisely why one failed to be in the company of one of their, perhaps, finer additions (though ever the shameless flirt, it was not difficult to be a finer addition).

[Phoenix]

Littlestep
you’re in the middle of the ride
everything will be just fine
everything will be alright

- - -

Is – Is he flirting with me? Her mind drew a blank as something like shock, albeit slightly pleasant shock, set in. This situation was entirely new, and while not exactly anxiety-inducing, she had no idea how to respond. He did know that cross-clan relationships were forbidden by the Warrior Code, right? And as always, she had no intention of shattering the rules by which all of them lived by – or should live by, at least. An ear flicked as an awkward smile crossed her lips; she didn’t want to just sit there and do nothing, regardless of how disarmed she was by his words and the threat that could be found in them if one looked close enough. That and the slight shifting of his weight caught her attention, snapping her mind out of the odd sensation it had fallen into. What did he mean that ‘one as beautiful as herself’ shouldn’t travel alone? There was little to worry about in the forest that every other warrior didn’t face; looks had little to do with anything. She couldn’t ignore the compliment in there, however, and in response to that, she offered an uncomfortable, ”Uhh thanks…?” Articulate, Littlestep.

It would be clear to him, of course, that while she might know enough to recognize when someone was flirting with her – especially when doing so that blatantly – she was inexperienced in the art herself. Uncertainty shadowed her every movement, and she ducked her head to lick her chest fur as an excuse to break eye contact for a moment as she wondered just what she was getting herself into by lingering any longer. He asked two more questions, appearing for all the world interested in her responses, and the combination of that and his charming expression, which she would appreciate more if she wasn’t currently floundering in an area where she lacked any expertise or experience at all, mostly managed to make her more uncomfortable.

”Well, I’m alone, or I was alone, because I felt like it, I guess.” She shrugged, overlooking his second question in favor of adding, ”I don’t know. No one else was there, so it was just me.” Whether or not there were any suitable toms in TreeClan had nothing to do with it, in her mind. Littlestep did not, nor was she about to, spend every waking moment thinking about felines of the opposite gender. She had her duties to attend to, and at this point in her life, those were more important than finding a mate.

- - -

just do your best
do everything you can
and don’t you worry what the bitter hearts are gonna say

[Insidious]

Littlestep's unbearably obvious element of awkwardness sparked a twinkle in the warrior's handsome gray stare, seemingly entertained by the lack of experience she had with something akin to flirting, he able to make this assumption and propose as it being true by simply observing her having broken eye contact in favour of licking her chest fur. “Believe me, I get it.” Darkice chuckled smoothly, noting how she had managed to disregard his question involving that of TreeClan's toms. If she didn't wish to speak on the behalf of such a thing, he would not push her to do so; elaborating on his part, however, did not seem entirely unfair.

Then again, he always had a habit of twisting a situation into his favour.

“Without company – and, from what I can decipher from what you said, having not been inclined to seek some out – and walking along your borders with NightClan...” The tom's eyes visibly narrowed, a half-smile spreading across his ebon jaw, the smug expression glued to his features enough to indicate that wherever he was going with this, it wasn't somewhere she'd like. “I get it, I really do. Some tastes simply can't be helped, though I can't say I blame you for having found yours in my clan.” A thoughtful twitch of his tail, followed by what could easily be labeled a cocky grin evolving from his half-smile broke what of the tom's subtlety remained in tact.

Silver eyes were content upon his striped companion, continuously skimming her facial features for a sign that she approved or disapproved of his proclamation. He had certainly jumped to conclusions: having taken her unspecific jumble of information and formulated it into something likely far off. But nevertheless, he was proud of his work. Ever the consistent flirt with a sparkle in his eye, he'd be recognizably taken aback should she leave today and manage to forget his name.

[Phoenix]

Littlestep
you’re in the middle of the ride
everything will be just fine
everything will be alright

- - -

Perhaps it was the way he started the sentence in that smooth tone that triggered something in her gut that told her that she would not particularly like where he was going with his words. The expression on his face, a smug quirk of the lips, as if he knew something she didn't, only proved to further this growing apprehension. As such, she watched him with an air of guarded uncertainty, not wanting to be outright rude and unpleasant but also no longer comfortable enough to lower her guard any further.

As it turned out, she was right to feel worried. He completely twisted her words into something new, something wholly unrelated to her walking alone on the border.

Green eyes narrowed and an incredulous look found its way onto her features, jaw dropping slightly. His statement left her stunned; the assumption of both her motivations and her character left her speechless. Half-formed protests came to the forefront of her mind as she just looked at him for a good moment, trying to find any hint of a joke in his cocky grin. Upon unearthing no signs of insincerity in his words, disbelief flickered across her expression, and she finally found her voice again. ”No,” Littlestep corrected Darkice, voice firm and more than a little irritated. As if she hadn't made her point clear enough, she shook her head emphatically. ”I never said that my tastes lie in your clan."

Even if she was far from the most hostile cat in her clan, little of what she had seen of NightClan appealed to her. They lived in a swamp, surrounded by mud, and the scent of marshland mingled with pine trees, which might otherwise have been fairly pleasant, created a stench unforgettable for all the wrong reasons. Just like this tom, now that she thought about it. Before, she had not particularly minded him, even finding his flirtatious behavior somewhat flattering despite the way it made her flush. She had been willing to perhaps get to know him, but now that he had put words in her mouth that hadn’t even crossed her mind, she was far from impressed. "I wasn't walking along here in hopes of finding a tom. I was just walking."

- - -

just do your best
do everything you can
and don’t you worry what the bitter hearts are gonna say

[Insidious]

He hadn't been expecting the reaction he had received, though he couldn't say he had expected her to outright agree either. Nevertheless, his form did not shrink back in any way, shape or form at the biting remark offered, instead continuing to wear the same expression upon his black furred jaw, thoroughly entertained by the outburst he had provoked. THIS is why my interest doesn't lie in your clan... the words were on the tip of his tongue, though Darkice held them back, knowing all too well that, despite this she-cat's arising attitude toward him, he could never think of speaking so out of line to a she-cat. The young warrior's shoulders rose and fell, a smooth chuckle of pure amusement slipping, near inaudibly, through a sealed mouth. Silver eyes fluttered shut as he did so, sighing – almost contentedly, which surely wouldn't please Littlestep, likely having been aiming to alter his approach to their exchange – before once again looking upon the she-cat, finally feeling inclined to respond.

“Okay, okay, calm down.” Darkice's nose wrinkled upward, wearing a false apology upon his features as he continued to stare at the green-eyed TreeClanner before him. Of course, he'd never genuinely feel sorry for being who he was. Ever the flirtatious, egotistical warrior of NightClan, he was simply following in the footsteps of his classic routine. But Littlestep did not have to worry as much as it seemed she was, because even though he hadn't necessarily been joking in his statement, it wasn't like he possessed any actual interest in her. But then again... how she was supposed to know that? It wasn't like he made such a difference visible to every wandering eye. “If you were just walking, you were just walking. Fine.”

The tip of his ebony tail flicked, resting blissfully upon the forest floor before curling over his small paws. His gray eyes traveled just over the she-cat's head, seemingly taking interest in TreeClan's scenery. He, however, was quick to lose interest in such an action, returning his attention to the feline still remaining visibly tense, so it seemed. Darkice contemplated the chances of changing Littlestep's opinion of him, though he was quick to classify such as being a futile goal. She did not seemed pleased in the slightest, and if anything, all he had done was lessen her viewpoint of NightClan. Not that he had been originally aiming to leave today with Littlestep having been charmed into an unusual fondness of his clan, but he couldn't claim that such wouldn't have been a welcomed turn of events. “Look – Littlestep, isn't it? – it was all just fun and games. I didn't mean any of it.” The warrior shrugged his shoulders innocently, his ears pinning backward to only further aid in portraying himself as the harmless, ever-charming tom-cat of NightClan as he peered upon the she-cat with soft, gray eyes.

“Forgive me?”

[Phoenix]

Littlestep
you’re in the middle of the ride
everything will be just fine
everything will be alright

- - -

Perhaps it was her imagination, because it was gone almost as soon as she had seen it, but the NightClan tom seemed almost satisfied at her reaction. Green eyes narrowed further, and frustration welled up inside of her. Did he really— His placating words interrupted her irritated thought, and she forced the fur along her spine to lay flat as she tried to follow his directions. Not because he had told her to, of course, she told herself indignantly, but rather because it would only help her face the situation with a level head. Breathe in. Breathe out. Inhale. Exhale. Her features still held a thoroughly unamused expression, but the anger that had risen up so quickly inside of her thinned out.

Darkice was solely apologetic, remorse clear in his tone as he peered at her with an innocent look. Closing her eyes for a moment, Littlestep worked to sort out her thoughts. Part of her wanted to remain irked at him, at his audacity and the cocky air that seemed to lace every action he performed; it was far simpler that way. The apology, the tone with which he had asked for forgiveness – both echoed through her mind, quelling her ire and soothing her irritation. He had said that everything was just fun and games and claimed that he did not seriously believe that her tastes were such that they rested in a different clan. The part of her that did not cling to the anger slipping from her grasp wanted to believe him, to trust that it was all fun and games. She didn’t have to like him – in fact, she would probably try to avoid this NightClan tom – but she could at least give him the benefit of doubt. Right?

Because hiding her feelings had never been one of her strengths, her train of thought would have been clear to any observer. Another thought struck her as the seed of guilt he had planted in her mind took root, growing and spreading its limbs into the irritation that filled her mind. Had she been too quick to snap? If it had been all fun and games, then her vehement response was an overreaction. But if it hadn’t? She could never really know, Littlestep realized as she flicked her gaze over his gray eyes. Before she could change her mind, she ducked her head in a sharp nod. ”Yeah,” She spoke, somewhat awkward. ”Sorry. I didn’t realize.” Her tail twitched and she glanced away. ”You just really twisted my words around and I didn’t think it was funny.”

- - -

just do your best
do everything you can
and don’t you worry what the bitter hearts are gonna say

[Insidious]

Darkice

Genuinely understanding of the she-cat's statement, seemingly interested in what it was she had to say with the curious glint alight in his handsome eyes, he dipped his head in a nod that mirrored her own, heightening his false display of newly apt chivalry in hopes of sending her into an even more relaxed state. The conflict she felt in regards to his behavior was not lost upon him, the black tom-cat acknowledging the various methods in which he had perhaps ventured too far. He knew little of this she-cat, and had admittedly went farther than was natural for him upon a first encounter. But he knew better than to believe he had done so absent of a purpose, his mind fleetingly filling with thoughts of Tawnyheart. Resisting the urge to shudder at the image of her newly implanted into his mind, he instead grasped a hold of the present by fixating a warm, inviting stare on Littlestep. “Perhaps I had went a little too far, then – not everyone is entitled to share my sense of humour.” Skillfully, the tom baited the trap in more detail, a smile highlighting his features at the end of his sentence.

He planned on leaving Littlestep on a good note, or at least as good a note as he could manage. From what he was able to to decipher from her actions up until this point – the amount of effort it had taken her to merely accept his apology arising to the forefront of his mind – such would be easier said than done to accomplish to a level he was inclined to reach. He had left an impression, this much he was certain of, but he couldn't help but believe the impression was not necessarily one she would remember happily if to ever dig into the occurrences of this encounter on a later date. He supposed it wasn't of any true relevance that he be upon this she-cat's good side – the noted relationship shared between their two clans would likely do little to improve it – but it remained an instinct, of sorts, for him to at least try.

Therefore, perhaps it was in his best interest that he allow her to escape such a baffling situation and continue her walk in peace?

Darkice gestured to the right of Littlestep, black ears flicking backward as a sign of his own dismissal, should it be something she desired as he presumed it was. “I'm sure that I've taken up enough of your time as it is, Littlestep. If you wish to continue your walk now, I won't stop you.” The tom's stance straightened, inhaling a calming breath as he stared idly at her, awaiting the response he was expectant to receive.