Need Any Help? [Tagged]

[LazyKitt]

Twineheart

It was a fine day. The sun was shining warmly, and a cool breeze blew through the camp. The grass beneath Fallowpaw's paws was bright and healthy, and the forest was teeming with prey.

Fallowpaw sighed happily and reveled in the warmth in his brown tabby fur. The tom was trotting around, occasionally stopping to chat with some cat or another. He had made his rounds, asked everyone he could if they needed any help. Now, he just wanted to relax and have a good conversation with someone before he had to go off to train. It sure was nice to know that he could do something good for his Clan, and maybe become a good warrior. He relished in that thought for a moment, contentment washing over him.

Well, he had thought he had reached everyone.

Spotting a black form he didn't think he had assisted yet, he called out in his customary greeting as he ran over, "Hey! Need any help?"

[Twineheart]

LazyKitt
[Fallowpaw is gonna have to work hard to get Blackpaw to open up. She is a difficult gal lol]

Blackpaw had spent the morning on a very dull border patrol. The fact that she'd been woken up at the crack of dawn to attend such a patrol had set her mood, and not in a good way. So as soon as she was given the chance Blackpaw had slipped off back to the confines of camp. She might of stayed out and explored a bit on her own if it hadn't been for how hungry she was. Her belly had actually started to rumble a bit during the patrol making her flush slightly.

So now the lithe jet black feline lay within the camp clearing, a half eaten mouse clutched in her paws. She'd chosen a spot off to the side and slightly hidden. It wasn't uncommon for her to do this however. She just wasn't a social cat, and never had been. Most likely due to her upbringing by a very distant and none too loving mother. Whatever the case, Blackpaw was surprised when a voice reached her sensitive ears. Lifting her head from her mouse, she swallows her bite and stares into the eyes of a quickly approaching tom. Her gaze empty of emotion as she looked at him, slowly processing what he'd said. Puzzled she looks around wondering if he'd been speaking to someone behind her. but alas she was the only one there. Blinking her deep emerald gaze she shakes her skull. " I don't think I do, but thanks..." She says, she had a pretty voice. One that would be far prettier if it had emotion in it.

[LazyKitt]

Twineheart
((Sorry, been out of town!))

Fallowpaw stopped abruptly, nearly bowling over Blackpaw. He blinked in confusion at her reply. It wasn't unusual by any means, but the tone was more than strange to him. Gratitude was normal, and irritation a little more so, but he had never been subject to...emptiness. Maybe she had a belly-ache and didn't want to show it? Maybe she had gotten a tongue-lashing from her mentor, and now felt bad? The possibilities raced through his mind as they were wont to do, and he peered at her through narrow amber eyes.

"You sure?" he pressed, watching for some indication that she was lying, "I could help you out, you know. I wouldn't mind! Honest." He purred to prove his point, sitting down and curling his tail over his paws.

[Twineheart]

LazyKitt Sorry this is late!

Blackpaw's ears had flickered back some when Fallowpaw nearly trampled her. He muscles bunching as she prepares to be knocked over, but Fallowpaw manages to avoid colliding with Blackpaw. Much to her relief, and she relaxes again. Her narrow emerald gaze however never removes itsself from the tom before her. Her long skinny tail twitching back and forth behind her. Pricking up her pointy ears she listens to his next words, then hesitated.

Truth be told there was something she needed help with. but it wasn't in her nature to ask for help. Especially when being helped would mean close physical contact. " I guess there is something...." She says emotion still undetectable in her tone. Her eyes however betrayed her discomfort. Pausing she stares at Fallowpaw intensely before turning and pointing with her nose to her shoulder blades. Or what could be considered right between them and directly out of her reach. " I have this tick." She explains, tail flickering with discomfort. " And I cannot reach it to remove it." She admits, again discomfort showing in her gaze. Cause she knew asking for help meant close proximity to another. It made her tense, and to have completely forgotten her half eaten mouse. Oh suck it up, she thought gritting her teeth.

[LazyKitt]

Fallowpaw cheered internally. He knew she needed some kind of assistance! Most everyone does! "I'll go and get mouse bile," he told her before dashing off to the medicine cat. Soon he was walking back carefully with mouse bile-soaked moss at the end of a stick in his mouth. The odor was nigh unbearable, and he wrinkled his nose at the offensive smell. It was worth it though. Of course, he wished it smelled more like flowers and less like...that.

Tail held high, he walked straight up to Blackpaw, and said, words muffled by the stick, "I'll have to dab this on that tick!" He lifted a paw to part her fur and begin his unpleasant task. He was sure she would be thankful by the time it was over. Who wouldn't? Well, if he did it right. He hoped he didn't completely mess up such a simple task. That'd be just like him.

[Twineheart]

LazyKitt

" Mousebile?" Blackpaw had repeated. Having nearly forgotten about the nasty smelling stuff used to help remove stubborn ticks. Just the idea of the stuff made Blackpaw's nose wrinkle in disgust. but she had asked for this tom's assistance and she didn't want the tick stuck in her pelt any longer than need be. It was starting to become very sore and she wanted it out more than she cared about the fowl stench of mousebile. So Blackpaw watched as Fallowpaw pranced off after the mousebile and returned a short while later.

" Okay..." She says hesitantly, looking at his raised paw. She takes a breath and then relaxes her shoulders so he could reach over to rub the bile on the tick. The rest of her body however remaining tense, as the tom's paw came down and began to rub the fowl smelling stuff on between her shoulder blades. It takes all her self control not to bolt from beneath his touch, her tail held out straight with discomfort, her narrow gaze watching him from the corner of her eye. " So is it coming off?" She asks after a few moments. Impatience edging into her tone, as she waits frozen in place like a stiff piece of wood. She couldn't help it, being touched made her feel panicked, cornered. It made her chest tight, and her legs feeble. Oh pull yourself together! she thought blinking her eyes rapidly.

[LazyKitt]

Fallowpaw winced in response to the tone of her voice. Why was she so tense? Was she angry at him for something? He worked harder to get the tick off, relieved when it finally fell away from Blackpaw. He cautiously stepped away, wondering at her reaction. Looking down at her, he replied, "Yeah, it's off now. Are you okay? Did I do something wrong?" He pawed anxiously at the ground, wanting to get the mousebile off of his paws. Maybe that was agitating her. He thought he did what he was supposed to do...

"Do you want me to go and wash this stuff off?" he asked her hesitantly, watching for her reaction. He didn't want to make her too angry, if that's what was offending her. He rubbed more vigorously at the ground, hoping to scrub both the bile and the scent of it off of him.

[Twineheart]

LazyKitt
Blackpaw didn't hesitate to back away from the tom at his words. Relieved to no longer be in close contact she sits down, ignoring the soreness of where the tick used to be. That would go away in a bit now that the nasty blood sucker was off. The tightness in her chest slowly dissipates as she takes a deep breath, her body relaxing. Suddenly she realizes Fallowpaw was speaking and tilts her head, narrow gaze snapping to his anxious looking ones. " Oh no... no you did nothing wrong." She says, shaking her skull slightly her voice slightly less emotionless than before. Hinting at a softer tone than her normal one. Her eyes watching as he tried to remove the mousebile from his paws. At his next words she nods her head some. " Yeah but I'll come too." She decides, eyeing him some as she rose back to her paws, and started to pad from camp. Heading in the direction of the stream which broke off of the river and drained into the minnow pond. It was shallow and would allow them to wash their fur off without having to swim. She seemed to have recovered to her normal stoney composure now that she was no longer being touched. Her lithe black furred body moving with ease as she starts into the oak tree forest which Midnightclan called home.

[LazyKitt]

OOC: Gah, sorry for the lateness. I'm really busy right now. Not my best, either. ;-;

Fallowpaw cheered at the not-so-emotionless tone, and stopped his scrubbing motions. Well, she obviously wasn't nearly as cold-hearted as she made herself out to be. "Great!" he purred, glad that he hadn't...offended her or something. Can scents really be offensive? Or just unpleasant? He rolled it over in his mind for awhile, before just shrugging it off when she spoke again. When he registered her words, his eyes lit up. He wouldn't be alone in washing mouse bile off of his paws! He'd have someone to talk to while he performed the...unpleasant...task!

He bounced along beside her, jumping from side to side in his excitement. He recognized the path. He enjoyed going to the minnow pond to cool off after a good day's work. That reminded him! Who said they couldn't help out someone else while they were there? "Hey, hey, hey!" he began, "Wanna hunt for the Clan after I'm all good and clean?" He bounced up to her side gleefully, awaiting her response. A hunting partner would be nice!

[Twineheart]

LazyKitt No problems as you can probably tell I have been busy too lol :3


Blackpaw is a little off put by Fallowpaw's enthusiasm. She just simply didn't know what to do about it. He had just helped her but on the other hand she didn't really want him thinking they were buddies or something. but as she exited the camp and started walking she couldn't bring herself to scare the young tom off. So instead she focused on getting them to the stream where they could wash the fowl smelling mousebile off. He'd learn fast enough that she wasn't one of small talk... or much talk at all.

At the tom's next words, she blinks around at him. Her slender eyes surprised. " Hunt?" She repeats, careful to keep a good amount of distance between them so their fur wouldn't touch. She mulled the idea over in her head, looking into Fallowpaw's gleeful eyes. She opens her maw to say 'no thanks' but stops. " Well... I guess." She says at last, inclining her head to him a little. Looking ahead she could see the little stream which dumped into the minnow pond. Dashing forward swiftly she reaches the stream first, bending down she laps up some of the fresh water. Her narrow emerald eyes watching him carefully as she does so, skinny tail flickering behind her.