How about a contest?

[.&&. Snowsong.]

Snowsong padded a step or so to her pile, and she bent over to pick up the fish. She flopped the largest one onto her back, and she turned her gaze to Risingdawn. She hadn't actually thought of a prize yet, and she was struggling to name one.

Snowsong padded a couple of steps toward camp before pausing and turning her gaze over her shoulder to Risingdawn. "Hm...How about you give me some more time? Or you could owe me something..." Her words were quite muffled from the fish in her jaws.

[♫.Starredmyst]

Risingdawn considered the idea, then nodded slowly. He was torn between relief at not having to do something ridiculous like Silverdust and a twinge of regret that their afternoon would end so quietly. It was the first time in ages that he'd actually felt comfortable around a she-cat -- his sister excepted, of course -- and even if it was a little difficult to keep small-talk going between the two of them he wasn't certain he wanted it over yet.

"Fine by me," he said around his fish, following Snowsong toward camp. "Either one, I mean. I suppose it's fair I do whatever you like. I mean..." He ducked his head, a little embarrassed, "you know, I hope nothing stupid. But...you know. Whenever you want to call up on what I owe, or if you think of something later..."

Wow. He was telling a cat he'd do whatever she wanted because of a contest. Because she wasn't automatically suggesting something clever, he was telling her to take her time with her torture. Was he pathetic or what?

[.&&. Snowsong.]

Snowsong's ears slightly flicked, and she slightly nodded her head. "Alright. I'll try to name my prize tonight or so." Her words were once again muffled, and she continued to pad toward camp. She was slower since there were six fish in her jaws, and one large one on her back.

(( Should we make a thread in camp or stay in this one? ))

[♫.Starredmyst]

Risingdawn nodded and started onward; he realized after a moment that Snowsong couldn't keep up, and fell back. "Here, let me take a fish or two," he offered politely.

OOc;{Umm, I'm running out of ideas for stuff for them to do. xD We can start one in camp or we can just let it go for now, or whatever...}

[.&&. Snowsong.]

Snowsong slightly nodded, and she shifted her jaws closer to Risingdawn so he would be able to take one. She felt slightly nervous, being up this close to him. Never before had this happened, and it was starting to make her wonder if something was wrong with her.

(( We could stay in this thread for now... ))

[♫.Starredmyst]

With some careful maneuvering of the fish already in his mouth and an awkward moment when he wasn't entirely certain how to grab hold of another fish without dropping the one he already had, Risingdawn managed to take hold of one of the Snowsong's fish. He could feel the warmth of her body, this close, and it sent an odd thrill through him.

She seemed tentative, though, and it was strange; he had never felt this unexplainable combination of nervousness and -- well -- ease with another cat. She was quiet, and with him being him that was a little awkward, but there was something about her that made him utterly certain he could trust her with almost anything. It was -- so strange. And yet, it seemed right, and he was slightly confused by Snowsong's attitude; as if she, too, was a little uncertain, wanted to get to know him yet was ready to pull away if something went wrong.

So, despite the polite distance he usually put between himself and others -- literally and metaphorically speaking -- Risingdawn stayed close to this she-cat he'd only just met, walking with his pelt close to hers rather than put space between them. It sent sort of giddiness through him, and he wondered if she would be offended by his, well, forwardness.

[.&&. Snowsong.]

Snowsong felt Risingdawn's body warmth as he managed to wrap his jaws, well half of his jaws, around a fish in her jaws. She swiftly clamped down slightly harder as he took a fish from her jaws. She felt slightly comfortable, yet slightly more nervous. She nearly dropped the fish in her jaws as he turned around and began to pad. The warmth of his body faded slightly, yet a different warmth was beginning to develop inside of her.

As Snowsong followed, she noticed that his pelt was close to hers than before. She had an urge to close the gap separated their pelts, but she resisted, somehow. She continued to pad by him, side by side, their pelts closer than she ever expected would happen to her, ever in her life.

[♫.Starredmyst]

Snowsong didn't try to pull away, and Riss was hard-put to veil his excitement. Not that he was entirely certain why he was excited -- but no matter. The moment seemed right to try a bit of conversation once more.

"So," he said, hoping he wasn't breaking the magic of the moment, "well, I'd really like to know a little more about you, Snowsong. I -- well -- there's really not that much to know about me; you've seen Silv, she's pretty much the only thing that makes my life interesting, and believe me, not in a good way. But you...you're something of an enigma, if you don't mind my saying it."

[.&&. Snowsong.]

Snowsong followed Risingdawn and listened as he spoke. But the last fraction of his words caused her paw-steps to cease and for her ears to prick up. She was making his life interesting? She felt slightly more nervous, never happened to her. She was speechless at the moment.

However, after a short moment, Snowsong regained her voice. She tried to speak with the fish in her jaws. "....I don't actually know what to mind...." About you... She was nearly taken aback by her thoughts, but she didn't actually show it. "But...How do I make your life..interesting..?

[♫.Starredmyst]

Riss was a little startled by Snowsong's response; he realized after a moment she'd taken his words a little differently than he'd meant to say them, and he flushed, stumbling over his words to try and correct the miscommunication.

"Oh -- I -- what I meant was -- it's not like, I mean..." He floundered, making matters worse, then managed to collect his tongue and his wits. "I wasn't saying...when I said my life wasn't interesting, I was just saying I was boring to talk with." He laughed uneasily, a little embarrassed. "What I meant to ask was, well, if you'd tell me a little about yourself, Snowsong."

[.&&. Snowsong.]

Snowsong held the urge to chuckle lightly at Risingdawn's slightly entertaining stumble of tongue. When he finished, she inwardly shrugged. Sure...Why not...? I mean, he's kind and all....And kinda cute, too... She was slightly taken aback by her last thoughts. She immediately shook it off and concentrated on now.

Hm...What to tell him... Snowsong hesitated for a short moment, not able to find the right words. She wasn't very good at conversations, as usual. "Er -- Well...." She nearly stuttered, and she struggled to hide her slight embarrassment. "You could say that I have a kind of boring life if you look at it closely....Hardly anything I do is humorous to others, so...." She still didn't know what to say.

Come on, suck up. You need to show him that you're not a klutz. Snowsong searched her mind for more words to keep the conversation going for another second or so. "And I suppose I'm kin of hard to be around...With all my solitariness and stuff..." Again, she was struggling with words and tone. Come on, concentrate....

[♫.Starredmyst]

Risingdawn's lips twitched. "I guess everyone kinda thinks they have a boring life, and wants to hear about everyone else's, huh," he remarked. Camp had come into sight, but he felt a sudden itching desire to be away from others. This was...something new, and he wasn't entirely certain he was ready to be swept away by the ocean of community after this -- well -- this perfect afternoon.

"Want to hang out here for a little bit?" the tom said impulsively, laying his fishes down. "I mean, it's not like anybody needs the fish straightaway, and it's kind of -- nice out here. We can watch the sun set."

There was another rock nearby, higher and rounder than the others; Riss carefully dug a shallow hole in its shadow, half burying his fish, then leaped to the top. He glanced down to see if Snowsong was following, then lay down, curling his tail around his paws.

"And I really don't think you're half as bad as you say you are, Snowsong," he went on; there was a sort of warm glow in his eyes, and he met Snowsong's hazel ones for the first time without feeling a shock at their piercing gaze. "Really. I mean -- it's not the ones who think the worst of themselves that are the worst, is it? It's like --" he faltered, then suddenly the words were rushing out of him, all the thoughts he hadn't dared believe in till he met this cat who needed to hear them more than he. "It's not the cats that get hurt that are the bad ones, it's the ones who hurt them. The cruel, the manipulative, the heartless -- StarClan curse it all, they're the ones I hate! I can't -- I could never think badly of someone who's not talkative or not good with other cats, because -- because they aren't evil because of that, they're just -- less -- not the same as another cat. Because they're -- Snowsong, it's because they're the same as me. And I know...I know I'm not alone."

And he smiled then, because it was the thought that had been trying to fight its way out all night which he'd just spoken, and it was such a relief to finally understand why he didn't feel vulnerable whenever he spoke to this she-cat like with all the rest in the Clan.

"I -- I sound stupid, don't I?" he asked, embarrassed. "I didn't mean to -- rant like that. It's just...you're beautiful in your way, Snowsong, really, and it's so sad to see you put yourself down."

Thank you, Silverdust, for telling me this all that time ago. I didn't want to hear it and I still don't think I deserved to hear it, but this cat does and I want to tell it to her.

[.&&. Snowsong.]

Snowsong listened to Risingdawn without a word as he spoke, and she continued to pad on. When the Camp was visible in the distance, she slowed her pace. She then paused her steps as Risingdawn paused and laid his fish down, asking her if she wanted to stay out here. She didn't mind. In fact, she had to urge to avoid her Clan these days. "Why not? I don't mind..." Her tone was calm, and her voice was slightly muffled from the fish.

Snowsong padded after Risingdawn, and she awaited her turn as he buried his fish. She then padded to a spot next to the hole Risingdawn placed his fish in, and she dug her hole. She then placed her fish there and turned to watch Risingdawn as he climbed the rock. She remained on the ground, and she felt warm as Risingdawn and her gazes dug into each other. She noticed some warm glow in his eyes, but it felt as if her breath had all been swept away by his piercing pine green gaze.

However, Snowsong regained her voice and breath as Risingdawn began to rant. When he finished and smiled, she felt as if her heart was about to skip a beat. She held back a faint chuckle as Risingdawn stuttered about him sounding stupid. "No, you sound just like an individual warrior...A warrior speaking his opinion..." Her tone was the same.

Well, it was until Risingdawn said she was beautiful in her own way. She felt her fur get slightly hot, and she felt slightly warmer as he added that it was so sad to see her put herself down. "Well -- I -- Thank you, Risingdawn...You're attractive in your own way as well..."

[♫.Starredmyst]

Something wry and not entirely happy flickered in the back of Risingdawn's eyes as Snowsong spoke. He shrugged and smiled, thinly veiling an edge of bitter disbelief. She-cats didn't call him attractive and mean it.

"Thanks," he said, then couldn't help adding rather loftily, "but I don't believe in trading compliments. Makes them seem a little less than honest, sometimes."

He dropped Snowsong's gaze quickly and glanced out toward the sunset, wordlessly closing the subject before Snowsong could say anything further. The sun was beginning to set in all its glory, throwing golden light across the sand and streaking the clouds a rosy red. Risingdawn began to feel awkward again, and lay down on the rock with a wide yawn to cover his unease.

"Anyway," he said, a little more cheerfully, "you still haven't answered my question, Snowsong. I mean, everyone's got some good stories to tell, right? I could put you in a fit of laughter with some of the stupid things me and my sister have gotten into, but I'm not in the mood to humiliate myself tonight if I can help it. You sure you don't want to tell me something -- I don't know -- just something about yourself? What did you like to do as a kit and an apprentice?"

[.&&. Snowsong.]

Snowsong tuned her gaze to the sunset as Risingdawn closed the conversation. She enjoyed the beautiful sight of the departing sun. It made her wonder how it was like where the sun dipped into the Earth like that, and she wondered if it even existed. She laid onto her stomach and wrapped her tail over her paws.

Snowsong flinched slightly when Risingdawn asked her if she had something he didn't know. Of course. There were many things, but they were all torture to go through. She searched her mind desperately for words, and she felt body tense. However, she began to relax slightly, realizing that it wouldn't be too bad to hide some things from him.

Snowsong soon felt relived slightly as he asked what she liked to do when she was a kit or apprentice. "...Well -- I guess I liked to poke my head out of the nursery an gaze at the dawn, sunset, twilight, and midnight each day and night when I was a kit..." She then searched her mind for what she liked to do in her apprentice hood. "And I suppose I liked to get out of camp and follow my mentor's lead through new steps and territories when I was an apprentice..."