Camp [♥x] {oh.how.boring}

[Battooth]

Maplestar flicked his ears to Jasmineleaf. "Yeah," he meowed, "I'm fine. We just had a little situation. A cat came stumbling in and needs some help. But I've got Ivorywing helping him in my den." Bear's health was not the only reason Maplestar was so distressed and beneath that, thoughtful. He wanted to know how the larger tabby knew his mother, and most of all, Maplestar wanted to know why Bear looked so much like him. The resemblance was uncanny. They both had tabby pelts, both had blue eyes, and were both fairly large. Sure, Bear was a bit bigger, and sure, Bear didn't have the supposed maple leaf on his chest, but they still seemed too alike.

[>>BLACKiE! ]}]

Mysticflight returned to the EarthClan Camp with a rather depressed looking Hailwind in tow. Mysticflight shook her head as she stole a glance at Hailwind. "Hailwind, it ain't all bad. Some days you're able to catch some prey while other days you jes' can't," she meowed, trying to comfort Hailwind.

Hailwind, feeling rather dejected, just gave a snort in reply. Suddenly, an unfamiliar smell floated to his nose. "I'll be back," Hailwind meowed to Mysticflight, following the trail of the scent. He followed it to Maplestar's den. Not wanting to go into his leader's den without permission, he stood at the entrance and looked in. He instantly recognized Ivorywing, but who was in there with her? Maplestar...? Instantly, fear passed through him. But wait. Something was... off.

Looking around the EarthClan Camp wildly, he spotted Maplestar outside of his den. Then who was this cat inside Maplestar's den with Ivorywing?

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[[:; [h] e a r t ::♥]]

"Alright", Wildpaw mewed, three words tingling on his tongue; i love you. He just had to tell her, or it'd come out at the wrong time. He leaned close to Lilacpaw and whispered in her ear, I love you, Lilacpaw. That's why I've been acting weird". Wildpaw quickly walked away, completely embarrassed and scared of what she would say. Would she forever think of him as just a friend? Or did she love him too?

Wildpaw's paws fel quickly onto the earth until he was inside the apprentices den. It felt good to be warm, and he sat down inside, waiting for Lilacpaw if she would come.

[frosty ♥]

Dovefeather stood beside Maplstar as he explained to Jasmineleaf and she quietly whispered into his ear once he finished speaking. “I hope Ivorywing can save Bear” she gazed into his own blue eyes with a flick of hope then changed to confusion. “Its peculiar how he knows your mother” she gave his ear a soothing lick for he looked rather distressed at the moment.

She wondered desperately why this cat knew so much and why he was here. An abnormal day it was for sure. Since when did strange cats come into camp and tell the leader that they know their mother then fall over to revile a missing eye? Either way another rush of pity for the hurt tomcat washed over her.

[>>BLACKiE! ]}]

Lilacpaw's head jerked up at Wildpaw's latter words, confusion passing through her eyes as she watched the tomcat apprentice pad away into the apprentice's den, leaving her side fairly cold now. Despite that fact, however, she felt a warm tingling pass through her. What had Wildpaw told her? Something to do with love?

Putting two together, Lilacpaw's mind soon entered the realization stage. Wildpaw said that he loved her. Love. Still, confusion flitted through Lilacpaw's mind and all of a sudden she became anxious. Love? Wildpaw, in love with... her? How could that be? Was this all just a joke or did he truly mean it? Suddenly, millions of thoughts poured into her mind like a heavy torrent.

Not knowing where else to get her answers from, Lilacpaw made her way to the apprentice's den, all the while thinking about Wildpaw. If his affection for her was true, then did she feel the same way? Did she? She did like Wildpaw; his hyperness matched hers and he was a good-natured tomcat, but did she really love him? Truly and honestly? Indeed, she had liked it when they had had their pelts brushing together lightly. But did she love him back?

Standing at the entrance of the apprentice's den, too anxious to go any further, Lilacpaw peered in. "Wildpaw?" she murmured softly, looking straight at the tomcat apprentice.

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[[:; [h] e a r t ::♥]]

"Yeah?" Wildpaw said in surprise to Lilacpaw. He didn't expect her to actually come. Maybe she did love him back? His heart lifted at the thought, but darkened as he saw the confused--not love-striken-- expression on her face. He walked up to her, his pelt brushing hers. "Are you alright?" He asked gently, concern for the she-cat in his amber eyes.

[>>BLACKiE! ]}]

Lilacpaw raised her gaze in a rather shy manner to meet Wildpaw's gaze as she tried to sort out her emotions. Did she like Wildpaw more then a friend? Once she said the words, those solemn words of promising her heart to him... She knew that there was no going back after that. Hesitation kept her words from coming out as she continued thinking, trying to figure out the final truth that she could listen to and say out loud to tell Wildpaw. It was as if all the hyperness from earlier had evaporated because of this situation. What was she supposed to say? If only this were just some little skit and she had the words to say right now right in front of her...

"I'm fine... I'm just... er... confused," Lilacpaw managed to get out, feeling akward around Wildpaw all of a sudden. As he touched his pelt lightly to hers, however, she couldn't help but thinking that the warmth that he gave her side was fairly... pleasing. A slight tint of affection lingered in her eyes, but she wasn't exactly sure that she felt it for real.

"I-I-I'm not sure yet how I feel about you, Wildpaw... I mean, I like you, but I'm just not... I don't know..." Lilacpaw trailed off, feeling helpless because of the fact that she didn't know what to say.

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[[:; [h] e a r t ::♥]]

Wildpaw was crestfallen, but he just gazed softly at the pretty apprentice. "It's alright. I...don't mind", he mewed shortly, although he wasn't angry at Lilacpaw. He looked away from the apprentice, and walked toward his bedding. He lay down on it, not going to sleep, but just laying there. He noted the fact that he could be being rude to Lilacpaw, but his mind was already filled with thoughts. Would Lilacpaw ever love him? Weren't they...meant for each other? He looked at Lilacpaw, then over to where her bedding was. He hadn't noted how close her bedding was to his until a while ago, when he started to fall in love with her.

[>>BLACKiE! ]}]

A mix between confusion and a small amount of hurt passed through Lilacpaw's eyes as she watched Wildpaw lay down on his bedding, partially ignoring her. She decided, however, to not let hurt feelings develop between them. Padding over to her bedding and dragging it next to Wildpaw's -- it only took a few steps to do so -- she settled down in her own pile of springy moss that acted as her place to sleep each night. She rasped her tongue lightly over his ear in order to attempt to banish any feelings that Wildpaw might have about her not liking him at all. In truth, she certainly liked Wildpaw... but did she love him?

"Wildpaw," she meowed, using the tomcat apprentice's name to adress him, like always. For a fleeting instant, her thoughts turned to her sister, Hazelpaw, and the tomcat apprentice Littlepaw. What was Hazelpaw currently feeling? Was she as confused as she was right now? "You're the kind of cat I'd easily learn to love. But I'm not exactly sure if I'm ready to pledge my love to you... just yet," she meowed, intently looking at the tomcat apprentice to make sure that he understood what she was saying -- if he was listening at all.

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[[:; [h] e a r t ::♥]]

"It's fine, Lilacpaw," Wildpaw mewed back at the apprentice, still shortly, although he didn't know why. Maybe he had hoped too much that Lilacpaw would return his feelings for her. "You can go, if you want to think about it", he mewed more gently to Lilacpaw.

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[Battooth]

Maplestar nodded absently to the she-cat. "I never knew my real mother," he meowed distractedly. "How in the name of StarClan does he know her?" Maplestar returned from his daze and spotted his deputy. "Hailwind!" the tabby leader meowed. "Don't look alarmed. It's Bear. He stumbled into camp and needed help."

--x

Spottedpelt had stopped grooming to look at Maplestar thoughtfully. Bear was too similar to Maplestar to not be related to him. Maplestar didn't know his parents. Could it mean that maybe Maplestar had relations outside of either Clan, or maybe even in SkyClan? Spottedpelt settled herself down a bit away from everyone else, crouched and compact.

[>>BLACKiE! ]}]

Hailwind looked at Maplestar, a reasonably dumb-founded expression written across his face as he looked at his leader. He knew that Maplestar was always a fair and just cat and most likely wouldn't kill if it wasn't needed, but who knew if this rogue was planning something dangerous that would destroy EarthClan? Doubt flickered across his face, but deputy duties called for him to not disagree with Maplestar. However, Hailwind still believed that he could ask Maplestar and attempt to advise him. "Maplestar," he began rather hesitantly as he adressed his leader, "are you sure about this cat?"

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[>>BLACKiE! ]}]

Lilacpaw looked at Wildpaw, concern for the tomcat apprentice showing in her eyes as she looked at him. What was she supposed to do now? Stay here? Do as he said? "All right," she meowed in a slightly dejected tone, standing up but making sure that her bedding was still placed in its position next to his. Perhaps she could go talk to oen of the warriors in the Camp that were experienced with love, or she could perhaps confide in her sister, Hazelpaw.

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[[:; [h] e a r t ::♥]]

Hazelpaw looked over at her sister, rather sad and confused. She walked over to her. "Are you alright?" She mewed, hoping thet her sister was, but knew that she wasn't. Hazelpaw looked her sister over with concerned emerald eyes.

[>>BLACKiE! ]}]

Lilacpaw wanted to respond to her sister that she was fine, but she knew that Hazelpaw knew anyway, even if she denied it. "Oh, Hazelpaw!" the blue-gray she-cat apprentice burst out suddenly. Pure confusion passed her eyes and tears threatened to trickle down. "I don't know what to do! I've spent the whole day with Wildpaw and I really like him and it was fun and..." Lilacpaw trailed off, trying to collect herself so that she didn't appear to be a maniacal cat. "He told me that he loved me and I was just so surprised and confused and now I don't know what to do!" she wailed.

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