Wasps in a Hail Storm [c]

Red was an ok color. He liked it, it was pretty, but it never sat right like blues, pinks, and his beloved purples did. But he would have to make due. He had given away all of his more beautiful colors to friends before they could wilt, but now deep into the middle of leaf-fall, any still living flowers with the vibrant colors he liked were few and far between. He would have to make due to fallen leaves and feathers now, both of which were elegantly weaved into his tail and chest fur. He had managed to cache a whole mouthful of robin feathers during breakfast, their red going perfectly with the yellows and oranges of the leaves he had found.

He had managed to carve a decent chunk of free time for himself, of which he fully intended to spend basking in the midday sun like a spoiled elder. He purred quietly to himself, splayed out on his side and practically melting into the warm rock he lounged on. The only thing that could make this better was if he had made a moss bed right there and had cats to feed him honey and sweets, but he supposed that was a bit extravagant even for him.

Wasppaw was gradually growing more and more tired of the life of being an apprentice, she had done all her chores for the day and needed a good spot to rest, though nearby she sees one of the apprentices has already spread themselves on, they were rather unique, as different colors are radiating off the tom as she approached. A familiarity washes over her, ah. Ma's Apprentice.

"Careful now, some cat might think a kittypet has snuck into the camp." She meows, tiredness and a bit of sass in her tone. "Just looking out for ya."

Hailpaw's eyes fluttered open to an interruption of his beauty sleep. Apparently, no cat realized how important that was. His gaze rested on the tabby she, raising a brow at her comment. He supposed he should be offended. A warrior rejected the soft life of a kittypet after all. However, kittypets were soft, carefree, and well groomed. She might as well have just called him pretty (which he already knew was true) and gotten things over with. But... perhaps he could have some fun with this.

"I dunno, just sounds like you're jealous. Are you a cranky kit because you didn't get your nap yet?" He rolled onto his back lazily, stretching out his limbs in a dramatic display. The leaves rustled in his pelt as he shifted, emphasizing his own sass he had placed before them. "Don't worry, I'll get enough sleep for the both of us, I know how to share." His tail flicked as snark dripped from his words. He always liked the chance to tease.

"Wow, I never heard of an apprentice that really likes to boast their nappings." She raises a brow, seeming to judge the cat up and down. "What did you share with the trees as well? 'kill off a few preys nearby and I might just give you a twig in the fur'?" She was indeed judging his decorations. "You are all so kind to the trees and bushes."

Hailpaw snickered. "Yup, sounds about like me, one of a kind. It just makes me special." He rolled back over on his paws, arching his back in one more theatrical stretch before fully rising to his paws. However, her more judgemental note about his adornments pricked under his pelt a bit harder than expected.

"These aren't just any twigs. A tree would be mousebrained to give these up willingly." The urge to adjust the leaves on his pelt grew, but he fought it off. His decorations were fine, it was Wasppaw who didn't appreciate them. "I wouldn't expect just anyone to be able to see how great these leaves are. Especially not from a nitwit like you." The tip of his tail flicked with irritation, but he had enough control to keep it from lashing.

Wasppaw merely rolls her eyes a little, but was somewhat giddy that she did get under his skin for a little while. Though the tom thinking that he was special makes her somewhat disappointed- no wait, he is rather special. "Give these up willingly? What did you fight a tree for it?" She didn't help hide a scoff as she looked at him incredulously. "what do these great leaves of you let you talk to starclan? Or perhaps wierd out the enemies that they get scared off?" She was laughing, laughing at his face.

Hailpaw's delicately groomed fur started to bristle, trying to hide the hurt behind his eyes. Was she laughing at him?! No one had ever laughed at him before. Even the apprentices in the gathering that teased him seemed more incredulous than anything. Clearly they just didn't understand the genius behind his decorations, but Wasppaw was mocking him!

His ears flattened to the back of his head, his lip twitching as it threatened to pull back into a snarl. However, he took a deep breath to keep himself composed. He was a civilized cat, he couldn't let her know she was burrowing into a soft spot. "No, but they make me prettier than you'll ever be. You spew so much foxdug from your maw that it's stained some of your fur. At least I have the courtesy to clean up and look nice for those I meet." He spat, his eyes narrowing in contempt.

Wasppaw ear flattens back slightly, more in the fact that he's spitting now. Really touched a soft spot there huh...

Though she seem to laugh. "Look nice? It looks like you ran through several bushes!" She cackled. "Well Foxdung seems to be very soft, I'm sure you can do much better than that." A cheeky smug across her face. Though she suppose if Hollypaw was here she would've totally fought him for calling her pelt foxdung, though she wasn't going to lie, the image of her spitting out actual foxdung does make her want to vomit. Though she tries to let herself ease, after all she has the... high ground, for now.

He was already getting too vulgar for his tastes. He was a better cat than to swear and curse his way out of an issue, yet... Why was she getting under his skin so much? He placed a paw on his tail to still its agitated tapping, the leaves within it rustling like a rattlesnake's and making his anger too obvious.

"I'm not sure why I'm subjecting myself to your rabbit-brained opinions. You've already been shown to have a terrible case of brain rot if you can't understand basic decorations. The rest of the clan likes them, so it must just be an issue with your eyes only." He huffed, glancing away to try and find an excuse to escape. A patrol about to leave that would accept a tag-along, a different group of apprentices he could talk to, something. However, his own foggy sight didn't allow for quick identification. It was partially why he liked to decorate those he was fond of, the pops of color against naturally colored pelts made them just that much easier to find.

"You flatter me." She merely answers sarcastically, herself stretching right next to him (the audacity!). Though she noticed him looking elsewhere realized that her time is growing short along with her entertainment. "Oh? Name a few~" Though if anything, she did feel a slightest bit of flattery, that he thinks her opinion on the matter was for consideration.

Hailpaw huffed a breathy laugh. "Just a few? You should have seen the crowd I got when I started sharing my flowers!" He raised his head in pride, a grin spreading across his features as he regained some confidence. "Driftpaw, Pidgeonsun, Oliverain, I even got Newtspring just to name a few, there were more in that group." Hailpaw purred, his words saturated with arrogance.

"I even had a few cats at the gathering sing my praises. I'd have to think if an entire clan worth of cats disagrees with you, you must either be bee-brained or too insecure to admit you're wrong. However, I'll just assume you're both, you know, just to up my chances of being right." He twisted to fully face the tabby molly. "Or, maybe my earlier assumption of jealousy spawned all this nonsense? If you wanted me to decorate you, you could have just asked, no need to be shy. Though, I'm not sure how many flowers it would take to get... that looking nice." The tom gestured loosely at her face, a coy giggle accompanying his words. Having been reminded just how many cats agreed with him, suddenly Wasppaw's words didn't sting as much as they did before.

Hmm... Newtspring, of course. Though with the sudden amount of confidence picked up by the apprentice took her by surprise. Her ears flatten as she took one step back from the sudden confident boost. She suppose it is a kudos to him. Much to her disappoointment that her fun has ended. "Hmph-!? Shy!?" She scowled. Never had someone called her shy before even as an insult. Though it certainly did poke a hole in her slight facade. "Too insecure!? I'm waltzing around all bee-brained and vomiting fox-dung as you so put it! YOU'RE the one who is more insecure! Trying to pretend to look and be better than everything else when without these stupid twigs you're just a stupid, white, Tom!" She snaps, taking a step forward, even if he doesn't take a step back.

Hailpaw raised a foreleg as the she-cat approached his personal space, but forced himself to plant it back on the floor and hold his ground. He held his head high, his tail flicking behind him as he tried to put on a brave face. He hated how accurate she was in that statement. He hated a lot of things about her, her tone, her attitude, how she decided to ruin a perfectly good nap just to insult him. Yet, she wasn't stupid apparently, which he loathed most of all.

"At least I don't barge into other cat's days to feel better! Dressing up and pretending doesn't ruin anyone else's time! I can even make it fun, get other cats into it, make them feel better! All you do is scream and cry and make other cats miserable!" He hissed, his hackles rising as he spoke. "So even if I was insecure," he added quickly, noticing his slip up, "I don't really have to pretend to be better than you, do I?"

A turn the she-cat didn't see, something personal being punctured up as she stand nose to nose with the tom. What started out as a fun little play around with the tom is starting to get loud, and hurtful. "Yeah, well!" She spat back, "I wouldn't targeted you if you weren't just sitting around lazing in the sun doing absolutely nothing!"

Hailpaw rolled his eyes. "I guess cats are never allowed to take a break? You're wasting your time and breath talking to some cat who doesn't care, fighting about a bunch of leaves when you could be hunting, but you're not, are you? Are you a lazy kittypet too?"

He stood to his paws, taking a few steps closer to the apprentice den. "Anyway, I'm going to find some cat who actually appreciates me, I pray to Starclan that you might be able to do the same." He called over his shoulder, his tail flicking to graze under Wasppaw's chin as he attempted to take his leave. His earlier behavior was... abhorrent. He needed to remove himself from the situation before he devolved any further.