[ti]Private[/ti]Maybe It's the 'Nip

[sabs]

BRACKENFALL >>

    Tabby paws twitched nervously in the soft grass as the tom waited anxiously for the arrival of a certain she-cat. It had only been a couple heartbeats, but to Brackenfall it felt like moons had passed. Why was he so fidgety? Maybe it was the way her deep red fur glistened in the NewLeaf sun, or the soothing tone of her voice, or the...The tom shook his head. He didn't even know Cherrynose that well and he was already both infatuated and intrigued by her. There were not many times in his life that the deputy could recall feeling genuinely nervous or uncertain, but this was definitely one of those times. Honestly, he was even surprised by himself that he had the guts to invite her on a hunting trip with them. Oh StarClan let this go smoothly, he thought to himself. His gaze remained locked on the space between the field and the forest, waiting for his Clanmate to appear. 


cat

[cat]

-- Cherrynose
The sun blared as Cherrynose bounded through the grass, feeling the soft blades brush up against her belly. It hadn't been long since she'd seen Brackenfall but thoughts of him had already entered her head. Since they moved into Mothclan together, they had found more spare time to share tongues and shoot the breeze over small hunts and wandering walks. Cherrynose wondered why he'd go quiet for long periods of time and then return to the conversation like it was nothing, but then again she found herself doing it too -- she supposed that it was a good thing where silence could be comfortable between the two of them. With a quick leap, Cherrynose found herself at the edge of a small clearing, where the spring growth ran free and wild. From where she stood, a variety of herbs and wild grass scents filled her mouth as she tasted the air. She swiveled her ears for a moment and cocked her head, finally seeing a tom in the distance. Though he was strong and well-built, his demeanor seemed more meek than usual. She blinked, wondering if he was nervous -- what possibly for? They had been here so many times.

"Brackenfall!" she called with a loud meow, trotting towards him. Her tail brushed the ground as she ran up to meet him, touching her nose to his shoulder and offering a quick nudge. "Hey. What did you want to meet me here for?"

[sabs]

BRACKENFALL >>

    The tom's face quickly turned from that of anxiousness to delight as he saw the she-cat begin to prance toward him. All of his self doubt and fears melted away while he watched  Cherrynose's deep red fur contrast against the soft green grasses. A purr escaped the deputy's throat when he felt the gentle graze of her nose against his shoulder. He was grinning like a kit. "I uh, thought that a little hunting getaway would be exciting. You know, with all the tension from the gathering. Just something to keep our mind off things." His answer was half true, he was feeling pressured since the gathering a few days ago, especially since the entire time he could feel Owlstar's gaze burning into his pelt. He shook the unsavory thought away quickly. A much kinder, prettier she-cat was in his presence now, and he fully intended to make the most of it. "So, what'll it be on today's menu? Plump juicy squirrel or giant rabbit?" He chuckled, swiping his tail across her back and bounding away, deeper into the fields. 

[cat]

Cherrynose felt a wave of excitement course through her like electricity. It was always like this with Bracken; his face lighting up when he saw her in the distance had already made her day and she hadn’t even needed to try. His purr was rumbly and deep, warm and welcoming as she nosed his fur.

“You know I love those rabbits,” she meowed with a grin, matching his. “I can’t live without a challenge, you know.”

With that, she bounced to his side and cracked her jaw open to taste the air, but it felt stale of prey. She looked at him, dismayed.

“I dont smell anything nearby,” she meowed. Taking another moment, she swiveled and opened her mouth again— this time, picking up something that wasn’t prey, but was still interesting. Her ears perked. “Did you smell that already, Bracken? There’s something else here...?”

[sabs]

BRACKENFALL >>

    At the she-cats apparent concern, the tabby tom inhaled the NewLeaf air, smelling for any hint of prey. Everything seemed stale to him. Except...one thing stood out. It was sweet, and sharp, and close. Not prey, but...something else. He couldn't quite put his whisker on it. Without saying a word to his hunting companion, he began the slow trek towards the source of the smell. "I guess let's check it out." The deputy concluded after he was tail lengths away. As he got closer, it got stronger, almost luring him towards it like a bug to a light. 
    The mysterious smell led Brackenfall to a clearing of what looked like to be short grass. But it certainly was not grass. It seemed like a familiar smell, where had he scented it before? His eyes squinted in thought. Probably the medicine cat den, but he wasn't sure what it was used for. The tom sat back on his haunches and waited for Cherrynose to join him. Maybe she had a better idea of what was going on here.