Elkstump was not a cat to be tussled with. Despite being short in comparison to the average cat, she was resilient, both physically and mentally. A hard shell to crack , and socially inept. She knew who every cat was, but seemed to like it when no-cat knew who SHE was. It wasn't hard to do, considering she spent most her days patrolling and hunting, working her tail off sunrise to sunset.

Today was no different, as Elkstump had spent all morning after the morning border patrol hunting. What if she didn't catch enough fish? What if a warrior went hungry, or a leader was angry with her lack of efforts. All irrational, but all of which drove her to hunt away her day.

Finally, after she had brought back enough prey to ease her tired mind for the first time that day, she had decided to settle and get something to eat. She was hard working, but not stupid. She knew she needed some food to function.

As she settled herself into a corner, slowly picking at the fish she had brought with her, she found her gaze wandering. Amongst all her wandering clanmates, apprentices playing, cats grooming each other and gossiping.. she picked out her mother, Ottersplash, and a ways off her father, russetstorm. She swore she saw one of her littermates too.. perhaps she should go talk to one of them..? Talk to someone..? No. None of them would have anything to say to her.

So, she continued to eat in the cold shady corner, as outwardly content as a lonely she-cat could possibly look.
@belloblossom

belloblossom — 02/25/2022

February 28, 2022

belloblossom — 02/28/2022
Proudheart may have had ninety-nine problems, but communication had never been one. And honestly, she didn't really have ninety-nine problems either. Proudheart didn't let things get under her fur - she oozed confidence and was determined to prove herself to herself that she could become the best warrior in RiverClan! She knew that she had some tough competition, of course. There was Bearjaw, her father (regardless of what anyone said, Bearjaw was her father and she'd bite the tail of any cat who said otherwise) and then you had Darktail, who they said rivaled Shadowstar in strength at one point. There were all the Wild cats in the Clan too, but their strength almost seemed to lie more in numbers and confusion than any physical prowess. Still, she was proud to have any cat in RiverClan as her Clanmate and she wanted to live up to their grand reputation.

Granted, she didn't know every cat like the back of her paw, but she made a point to know the strong ones, or those who came from good parentage, or... Proudheart gazed over at where Elkstump crouched away from the crowd... the pretty ones.

Proudheart had been on patrols with Elkstump before, hunting or fishing, even just border patrols, but she'd never really socialized with Elkstump. There was something about that brown tabby pelt, those bright gold eyes, her ears... being around her made Proudheart feel like she ought'to've been named Shyheart for she never seemed to work up the nerve to talk to the cat.

But prowling around her Clanmates wasn't her style. Proudheart wouldn't let herself be ruled by nervousness or fear of rejection! What was the worst that could happen?

The worst that could happen is that not only does Elkstump reject you, but she spreads your personal preference around camp and the whole Clan makes fun of you. She thought repressing a shudder.

No. No! She wouldn't be stalled like this. She was Proudheart for ForestClan's sake. She... she could do this.
[11:30 PM]
So, she walked right up the brown tabby she-cat, trying not to think how wobbly her legs felt or how unsteady her paws. She tried to look calm and collected, poised and graceful. Attractive and eye-catching.

"Hello Elkstump. May I join you?" @astralboy

astralboy — 02/28/2022
Elkstump had begun to enjoy her quiet meal, chattering away with herself about the plans for the rest of her evening. If she went out and basked before the sun dipped, she'd have time to fix up her nest.. yes, yes! It's all working out perfectly!

And, just as suddenly as she had decided on her afternoon plans, it was trashed. She wasn't about to complain, though, as she glanced up to see a she-cat, Proudheart, approaching her.. perhaps some cat was behind her? To her left, right? She glanced around in search of another target, to no avail. She had purposefully gone to seclusion, after all.. it was HER.

Before she had time to fully gather herself, the cat was standing before her. No cat in the clan could be unaware of how strong Proudheart was, in will that is. She openly expressed similar ideals as Elkstump, but never seemed to falter the say she had.. never seemed to pause in herself, and Elkstump surely couldn't say she'd caught her sulking in a corner, eating cold prey all alone.. either way, Proudheart was something Elkstump longed to be. The perfect version of the two. She always felt the same yanking in her chest, as her breath became short around her.. it had to be jealousy.

Elkstump quickly pawed at her ear, trying to compose herself. How long had she been sitting in silence, not answering?! "Yes, yes of course..! I am so sorry.. my mind must have drifted." She puffed her chest out, trying to appear larger than she was.. but no amount of squaring her shoulders and fluffing her tail would make her feel like she stood a chance beside Proudheart.. both physically and mentally.. heck you, short legged mother genes!
[11:45 PM]
@belloblossom

belloblossom — 02/28/2022
With Elkstump's silence, Proudheart felt her pelt begin to prickle with anxiety. Oh, ForestClan, help her seem composed on the outside! She smiled nervously - had she been too forward? Elkstump hadn't been eating around others - maybe she preferred the silence to conversation? Had Proudheart made some horrible error? Maybe she should've waited until they'd been assigned on a patrol together, but... how long until that came around? Her tail twitched from side to side as she fought down anxiety and then she let out a small sigh of relief when Elkstump finally spoke.

"Thank goodness." She replied. "I was beginning to fear I'd said something impolite." She admitted. One of the first things her mother, Lostpath, had taught her kits was emotional vulnerability and honesty. Pride, bravery, honesty and hope were values that her parents abided by and they'd blessed their kits with the names of such. While Proudheart may have been named for the confident aspect, she still tried to hold up to the other standards, though some days it was easier than others.

She sat down within a tail's reach of Elkstump and noticed the other she-cat bristling - oh, Proudheart had upset her! She knew it! What a fish-brain she felt like! A total trout-head! Curling her tail close to her and feeling small and shy, she tried to press forward. She was the one that started this interaction, after all.

"W-Well, you see, I... I just wanted to..." She scrambled for an excuse to want to hang out with Elkstump out of the blue, but the smooth sheen of her companion's pelt kept distracting her. How could a pelt express so many shades of brown? "-your pelt! I wanted to know how you got it to look so perfect and beautiful every day." She blurted and then snapped her mouth shut with a painful snap, her own fur warming at the words out of her mouth. @astralboy
March 1, 2022

astralboy — 03/01/2022
Elkstump swiftly realized she had, in fact, waited too long to reply, as the other she-cat expressed her worry. A prickle of guilt poked at her mind, as she glanced over Proudheart quickly. She looked so.. kind, despite all the toughness that comes with the life of a warrior. Her flopped ear just about reminded her of her own somewhatstumpy ears, and Elkstump couldn't help but stare at it for just a second too long.

She quickly drew her attention away, trying to remake some form of eye contact with Proudheart, who had started to look almost.. frightened.. nervous..? What was that gleam in her eye, the look on her face.. Elkstump couldn't place it, but couldn't help but worry.

The moment of silence that followed was almost more defeaning than the one before, considering this time around she was aware of it. She shuffled her paws, finally deciding to open her jaw and SAY something, when Proudheart best her to it. Oh.. she had come over here for somethi- HUH?! Her eyes widened, with her fur quickly flattening down. She was too shocked to keep up the effort of looking all big and tough. "Oh- oh, me? Uhm.. are, you sure..? Oh, that's stupid, of course you mean me.. you're talking to me.." she probably should have said that in her head, she thought.. "Well ah.. I did fall in the river a bit this morning, if that's an answer.." she lightly pawed at the ground, laughing softly. She had no idea what else to say! She felt as though her face was burning off!
[12:08 AM]
@belloblossom

belloblossom — 03/01/2022
Elkstump was staring at her - but not into her eyes, at her ears. No, not both of her ears, Proudheart knew immediately which one drew the gaze of other cats. She drew herself up and smiled - what Split had dubbed a warrior's blessing when she was merely a 'paw - had never been something she'd been ashamed of. Nor was her naturally narrowed gaze, another gift of Split's.

Eventually, golden eyes met the slanted duel-hued gaze of Proudheart. With one eye yellow and the other a chilling frost blue, Proudheart knew that she didn't make an easy cat to look at, but she refused to let anyone get her down about the way she looked. Her mother had thought Split beautiful for these features and so when Proudheart had been born with them, she bestowed many compliments of beauty onto her daughter, as well. Still... Proudheart had not been blind to the way other cats peered at her. Her indignation grew by the day any time she caught someone staring for whatever limit she deemed too long that particular day.

Elkstump could look at Proudheart as long as she wanted, however. Proudheart just wasn't sure how to express such a sentiment into words. She settled in on listening to Elkstump's fur-care routine, which apparently seemed to include quite a lot of river water. Proudheart had been hoping that Elkstump would reveal that it was just a lot of effort in personal grooming, running her tongue over it enough times that it became soft and sleek at the same time. Proudheart had prepared a line like well, maybe I can get your help with mine sometime? you seem so talented with your tongue and I'd love to learn from you. or something along those lines.
[12:24 AM]
Alas, she'd been bamboozled and now she couldn't quite fathom what to say.
"Well, it seems like river water certainly works. Maybe I ought to take a dip myself some time, when I'm not out fishing." She mewed, but no - that didn't sound quite as daring. She was certain that if her brother Bravestep were in her stead, trying to flirt, he'd go about it with the right words exactly! Yet, neither Bravestep, Honestgaze nor Hopeblaze were in her place, Proudheart was.

And she'd been beating around the river bend long enough. She needed to be brave, to actually say what she was thinking and to... to ForestClan if she bungled up her words in the process!

"Of course I was talking to you, Elkstump! You're the prettiest she-cat I know! In RiverClan or... in all the Clans, I'm sure of it!" She mewed. "And-and- I didn't come here just to ask for your fur routine - I also... I want to know if you'll go out on a stroll with me tomorrow. I'm slotted for the dawn patrol, but maybe when I get back? We could... I could catch you something, or..." She waved a paw in front of her muzzle to wave away any further nerves. "We can do whatever you want to - I would just like to be there when we do it." @astralboy

astralboy — 03/01/2022
Elkstump could not believe the words that had just left her tongue. RIVER WATER? REALLY?! Was it true, that she had fallen into the river.. yes, but Proudheart shouldn't have known that! No cat should have! Oh you've truly made a fool of yourself. She was left in even more disbelief, though, as Proudheart didn't mock her at all, rather seeming to mention going for a swim herself. Even if it were in a joking manner.. it was a far better response than Elkstump was expecting. "If you're unlucky enough, it may just happen when you're fishing." She joked, tilting her head slightly.

At least a bit of the tension, in her mind, seemed to be fading. Of course, it was hard to be nervous, staring into the most mesmerizing- ahem, ah.. uhm.. intimidating eyes she'd ever seen.

She nearly flinched, when Proudheart suddenly exclaimed in protest to her stuttered comment, but held her ground. She didn't want to make Proudheart think of her as a coward, after all. She was expecting the sentence to stop after her name, a simple comment.. but on it went.

The prettiest she-cat.. in the clans? There was no way. Her ears began to burn hot as her face, and her tail wrapped itself tightly to her body. "W.. wow I.. thank you- uh.." she tried desperately to clear her throat. She felt as though she was floating, and suffocating, and also dead.. a lot of dead, but the most vibrant dead she could imagine, all at once. "A stroll, with you, Proudheart..? I.. well I'd be more than honoured..!" I'd be ecstatic! Delighted! Overwhelmed?! "I'm so sorry I'm.. so bad with words just.. you're so.. vibrant, y'know..? To spend time with the most.. beautifully unique cat to be? It would.. yeah.." Her voice trailed off as she eyed Proudheart once more. What was happening..?!

This proved indefinitely, Proudheart was quite simply the best version of a cat. So, why in all of forestclan was she talking to Elkstump?! A.. stump of a cat.
[12:38 AM]
@belloblossom

belloblossom — 03/01/2022
Proudheart had felt like worms had wiggled under her pelt with how unsettling the wait was, but then - there it was! A rush of cold relief rolled over her in waves.

"Oh... you didn't say no..." She ducked her head towards her chest and let out a rumbling purr. "Oh, ForestClan, I was so sure you'd think me too bold, too improper, too... but you're really up to it? I mean, you said you are, so I'm taking you at your word, but... oh, the relief." She mewed and raised her head to look at Elkstump. "What a world to live in, that we both think each other utterly beautiful." She purred. "Well, I won't keep you from your meal - but, know that I'm so excited for tomorrow. It can't come soon enough." She said hurriedly.

In the distance near the center of camp, she could hear her mother calling her name and she glanced over her shoulder. She was so eager to tell Lostpath the good news. Turning back to Elkstump, her tail waving in delight, she purred.
"See you tomorrow! I'll come get you after the dawn patrol gets back!" @astralboy (Fin~)