[PRP] Kitty Love (Leafpaw/Twilightpaw)

[belloblossom]

Leafpaw was in love.

Well, as close to any love she'd experienced before, which wasn't any at all. If she'd spoken to an adult about it, they would've told her that it was her first crush wheich was less like a true love and more like playing around with the idea of being in love - and just applying it to a pretty face. She seemed to have some inkling that if she'd told an adult, like either of her parents, or her mentor, that they would try to talk her out of it, or worse, ridicule her for it. Leafpaw had grown up seeing how romantic her parents were with one another (and with the stories of how horrible eagles were) and she wanted to experience that for herself. She'd been excited to become an apprentice, but nothing was more exciting to her than the idea of finding a mate and being doted upon.

She'd wanted someone in MountainClan, like her parents. Sure, there were plenty cats that ended up pairing with loners, but she wanted someone who believed in SunClan from the start, who knew the way of life and was born into the Clan. She wanted someone traditional, someone handsome, someone who would treat her kindly and who others respected. Oh, and obviously they couldn't be in a committed relationship themselves. Leafpaw was NOT a den-wrecker!

It was little surprise when she ended up focusing her attentions on one of the senior warriors: Ashpelt. Sure, he'd had kits before and sure, one of his kits, Pigeonflght, was an old lady, but that just meant that Ashpelt had a lot of life experience! It didn't seem like he was courting anyone or had a mate, despite how handsome he was! His fur glistened in the sunlight AND the moonlight - how cool was that? He didn't seem to notice Leafpaw, ever, but she made an effort to put herself in his line of vision and whenever his eyes breezed over her, she felt so important! If a cat that experienced and mature was looking at her, even for the briefest of heartbeats, she had ot be important!


Leafpaw had to tell someone - someone who wouldn't judge her or try to talk her out of it, or if they did try, then someone she felt okay about pouncing on in the middle of a conversation. That ruled out most adults in the Clan - every adult she'd spoken with seemed to think they knew better than her because they were older than her. She'd never actually spoken to Ashpelt before, but she knew in her heart that he would never treat her that way.

It was a sibling that she needed and so one afternoon, when she'd finished her training, she lay in wait by the apprentices den for one of her siblings to pass by. Twilightpaw was the first cat she saw and she rushed up to him.
"Twilightpaw!" She mewed. "You gotta come with me to the uh... down by the ravine." She mewed. "We gotta talk. I've got news!" Her amber eyes glowed like little suns. "You're gonna wanna hear all about it and I have to tell it or I'll burst!" @NatiStorm

 

[NatiStorm]

Today was absolutely the worst day ever. Not only had Twilightpaw missed catching his prey, he had also messed up one of his mentor Softstep's catches too. The young tom was so embarrassed he could cry. Of course he already had cried about his bad day, but he felt like bursting into tears at the thought of facing that dwindling fresh kill pile. After a day like today, Twilightpaw was in need of two things; a distraction and some sympathetic affection. He knew that his mother would give him the affection later as she groomed him which left finding a distraction until then.

Luckily, just as he was making it back to the apprentice den after getting back to camp - and avoiding the fresh kill pile - Leafpaw rushed him asking to head out to talk. His sister's enthusiasm almost instantly lifted his spirit.

"Alright, Leafpaw, you've got me interested. Let's go to the ravine so you can tell me your news." He said with an amused purr. Yes, this was just the sort of distraction he needed to forget about his hunting blunder.
@belloblossom

 

[belloblossom]

Leafpaw grinned widely at Twilightpaw when he agreed to go with her and she sprinted off through the ravine, away from the dens of other cats that might try to overhear the two apprentices.
"This is a secret, okay?" She mewed to Twilightpaw over her shoulder. "So no telling anyone, not Goldenfreckle, or even Rushpaw or Mousepaw! Promise?" She mewed, staring him down until she was satisfied.

Ducking around a large stone, she shifted her weight from one side to the next with excitement before she finally blurted.
"I'm in love! I always knew I'd fall in love, just like Goldenfreckle and Flickerfly did - and just like they did, he's already in MountainClan." She mewed wistfully, before a thought struck her. "He might very well be the only eligible bachelor in the Clan, at this point. Everyone seems to pair up so quickly - but he was waiting for me, I just know it! Isn't it so romantic, Twilightpaw?" She sighed. "You'll never guess who it is, even if I ask you, I'm sure, so I'm just gonna tell you, okay? Remember, it's a secret, though, okay?" She purred and leaned in, brushing her muzzle against her brother's ear to whisper. "Ashpelt." Pulling away, she squealed with delight and circled twice in place, her energy threatening to overspill from her paws.

"He looks like he's got moonlit stripes, doesn't he? I mean, you've seen him - you must have seen him, right?" She mewed, whiskers twitching with delight. @NatiStorm

 

[NatiStorm]

Twilight shook his head and rolled his eyes dramatically as his sister took off down the ravine. Figuring she really must be excited about something to run off that fast the young tomcat picked up his pace and followed Leafpaw to a spot they wouldn't be heard.

"Yes, fine, I promise. Now out with it, what's the news?" Twilightpaw feigned impatience as Leafpaw bounced on her paws for a moment. Ugh, he hated suspense. Just when Twilightpaw was about to start harassing his sister for her secret she laid it out before him. Love? Already? He was about to tell Leafpaw she was being ridiculous when she named Ashpelt as her love.

"Wait, Ashpelt? But he's like, so old. I mean there's liking older cat's sure but that much older?" He couldn't hold back his incredulous look before he shook his head and signed. Leafpaw looked so happy talking about Ashpelt, who was he to take that from her or judge her for it? Though he might think it a bad match, Twilightpaw was determined to support his sister. "You're right about his stripes though, his fur is beautiful... So, how long have you two been talking to each other?"
@belloblossom

 

[belloblossom]

Leafpaw batted at Twilightpaw's look and comments on Ashpelt's age.
"He's mature!" She retorted. "He's dignified and experienced! You don't need to make it sound so weird! If I'd wanted judgement, I would've gone to Mom and Dad!" She calmed down when he mewed that he agreed with her assessment of his stripes and she smiled, sitting down and curling her tail over her front paws. "Yes, I am right." She mewed "Maybe if you're lucky, Twilightpaw, your stripes may turn grey one day and you might be as pretty as Ashpelt one day." She said at an attempt to sound soothing to her brother, but unbeknownst to Leafpaw, it only came across as condescending.

Shuffling her paws at her brother's next question, she sighed.
"I, uh, well... I haven't actually spoken to him yet." Jumping up to her paws, her tail shooting straight into the air, she acted defensively, ready to cut her brother off before actually giving him a chance to speak. "BUT! Buuuut I'm intending to! I've got it all worked out, Twilightpaw. I'm going to catch him at the fresh kill pile one of these nights, because everyone eats, obviously, and I'll ask him to sit with me and we can talk about all the real stuff that mates talk about." She smiled dreamily. "Can you imagine how jealous Mousepaw will be when I tell him I have a mate of my own? The first in the family and the earliest too - even Mom and Dad didn't get together that soon, though they really have ought to." She purred her delight.

"What about you, Twilightpaw? Are you looking at any she-cats in the Clan? You're lucky. There seem to be more options in she-cats than there do to be in tomcats right now. You've got your options open, as far as I can tell." She mewed to her brother, her eyes focused on him with interest. @NatiStorm