Private Thread Bold Steps, Bolder Asks

I’m still a Warrior no matter what you say!
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Boldclaw had been dozing lightly when he heard familiar pawsteps padding closer to the Elders’ Den. The tom’s heart swelled with joy and his tail began to twitch rhythmically at the tip in excitement. When Basilflame called out to him quietly, the cream coloured tom sat up almost enthusiastically, turning his eager blue gaze toward her with a small smile on his face. It was clear that smiling was not common to Boldclaw’s features, but it made him look far more pleasant than normal.

”I’m awake,” he meowed quietly back and pulled himself to his paws before walking over to join the she-cat. Hardly more than a moon ago, Boldclaw wouldn’t have cared about how loud he was when other elders were sleeping, but he had been growing closer to Basilflame. Ever since the she-cat had taken him out hunting that first time, they had made it somewhat of a routine thing whenever Basilflame had the time to spare. The outings made the pointed tom feel free and more like his old self, and this joy very quickly translated into feelings of affection for Basilflame. She had become a sort of light in his life, and as such, he had come to notice that it did seem to upset her if he was rude or obnoxious to Sunbear. While Boldclaw still had no particular like for the older she-cat, it did pain him to see Basilflame upset and thus he made an effort not to bother Sunbear.

The offer to simply go out and share-tongues surprised Boldclaw. He was more used to offers to hunt. “It’ll be fine,” he replied with some confusion. He wasn’t too worried about the weather since it had grown mildly cooler than it had been and besides, early mornings were definitely cool enough to not cause him to feel sleepy. Yet he couldn’t fathom why Basilflame was asking to share tongues privately rather than hunt. Still, curiosity got the better of him, and rather than enquire about her intention, he simply meowed, “Let’s go,” with a questioning look.

I’d rather bear the weight of others than let others carry pain alone.

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Basilflame noticed Boldclaw's confusion quickly but passed down to him, an encouraging and hopefully reassuring nod as she pressed her nose to his cheek briefly before making her way to the camp entrance. The aspect of kits made her heart swell still, she knew that she wouldn't go through with anything today, with either of the cats she chose, but she wanted to know what they would say to the idea, hopefully they would accept the offer when it truly came. Perhaps picking two sires had its perks, if one does not accept, the other may. A rose purr rose.

"If you'd like, we could hunt first then talk, after all, the dawn patrols are likely out by now, perhaps we could help add to the pile as well" She chirped softly as her tail vanished into the camp entrance and outside of the WindClan camp onto the open moor as sunrise slowly approached them. "But I will leave that up to you." She spoke fondly to him, a soft hum lacing beneath her purr. It warmed her throat as well as the warmth in her chest. It would be up to Boldclaw.

With a twitch of her tail, she took in a breath of the fresh, morning air, it smelt untouched by fresh scent markers left by the dawn patrol, they were still out, it seemed, only herbs and prey remained. What remained yet anyway. "Should we start? With whatever it is you wish to start with."

I’m still a Warrior no matter what you say!
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Boldclaw’s mouth twitched slightly into the tiniest of smiles for a mere heartbeat when he felt Basilflame’s nose against his cheek. He still wasn’t an overly emotional displaying tom when it came to positive feelings such as affection, yet the she-cat was slowly melting the ice around his heart, making him softer and more caring. His confusion deepened somewhat as the she-cat began to purr and he wondered what was going on in her head. The thoughts of others had always bamboozled the cream coloured tom, but a she-cat’s thoughts were even more baffling than a tom’s and he had long since decided not to even try to work them out.

“No we can talk first if you wish,” he replied gently. “But why travel to talk?” Boldclaw followed Basilflame with no complaint despite his confusion. With any other cat he would likely have snapped at them to say what they had to say exactly where they were, but with her… Well Boldclaw would never admit it, but Basilflame had wormed her way into his heart and mind and he was almost certain that he would do nearly anything for her. No matter how ridiculous the request. The pointed tom shuddered slightly at the thought of swimming the length of the river by the request of the pretty she-cat who had enamoured him so, yet he knew he would do so if she asked, although he wondered why he was thinking such thoughts too.

When Basilflame paused to offer Boldclaw to make his decision, he paused beside her and pulled in a deep breath of the fresh air of the moor so early in the morning. His heart thrummed inside his chest and the desire to run freely over the moor, chasing air-headed rabbits to their doom, almost overcame the pointed tom. As he turned his gaze toward Basilflame, however, his mind turned and he dipped his head to her. “Let’s discuss whatever it is that’s bothering you first,” he meowed plainly, no longer adhering to the need to be quiet now that they were out of the camp’s boundaries. “You won’t be able to focus on the prey half as well if there’s thoughts taking up your attention.” Boldclaw’s tone might have come across as completely dismissive and possibly even offensive to a cat who hadn’t come to learn that he was just completely and utterly tactless with the way that he spoke. Hopefully Basilflame had learned him well enough by now to know that he was being sincere in his desire to help her clear her thoughts.

I’d rather bear the weight of others than let others carry pain alone.

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Basilflame nodded her head, of course, she would be off of her game with the thought of kits circling her mind, perhaps after she asked Boldclaw of the... massive favor that she wanted to ask of him. She wasn't sure how he was going to react, he was a little unpredictable in that way, but to Basilflame, it was more exciting than worrisome. So she glanced over to the tree on the wind hill, her eyes narrowed in a tempting sort of way and then she softened in encouragement, a very clear 'follow me.' look.

Once the pair were at the wind hill, Basilflame sat beneath the tree that was most notable there and tapped her tail beside her to invite Boldclaw to join her. "This might be something to sit for, if you wouldn't mind." She asked softly before taking a deep breath, in spite of her excitement, the question still wracked her nerves as she looked down at her ginger paws, the sun slowly rising ahead of them. the amber glow appearing gently over the horizon.

"Boldclaw, I wouldn't have expected you to know this, but after Aspenberry and Cedarpaw had gone missing, I felt almost like I've failed them, failed myself, WindClan even... but there was an idea that sparked a certain purpose in myself." She began, twitching the tip of her tail, was she talking too much about other cats? Should she just get to the point as to not waste Boldclaw's precious time? Probably. "What I'm trying to say, is that I've become attached to the idea of having kits. And I- uhm" 

Basilflame stammered for a second before regaining her composure with a soft chuckle, it was almost funny how awkward and nervous she had become so suddenly. "I was wondering if... if you'd like to sire them?" She glanced at Boldclaw, her hazel eyes almost glowing green in the oncoming sunlight. "Nothing has to happen today, I don't think I want anything to happen today, and you're allowed to say no, but, you're the first tom that came to mind, you as an option stuck for me." she added. in spite of Boldclaw's affliction, she saw improvement, and even if one of their kits had the same affliction to them, she would happily look upon that kit with the love that they deserved, much like Boldclaw.

I’m still a Warrior no matter what you say!
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Boldclaw gave Basilflame a quizzical look in response to the faces she was pulling at him in an effort to get him to follow. The clueless tom completely missed the fact that the she-cat was trying to be tempting and alluring. Still, he followed after her, unsure of what was going on and growing a little anxious as a result. His nervousness only grew more prominent when Basilflame told him to sit down. Worry flickered across the pointed tom’s face and he sat down somewhat awkwardly. “Is everything okay?” he meowed anxiously.

As Basilflame spoke, Boldclaw grew somewhat annoyed. Why should this pretty she-cat worry herself over the likes of Aspenberry or Cedarpaw? It was hardly her fault that they had gone and got themselves killed. Or whatever it was that had happened to the apprentice. Boldclaw admittedly hadn’t paid any attention to what was said about the apprentice, not seeing it as his business to be concerned with. But as Basilflame continued to speak the irritable tom went from annoyed to puzzled. “O-Okay?” he meowed in confusion in the moments after Basilflame had announced her desire but before she had finished the actual request. He was completely uncertain as to why the she-cat had felt the need to tell him, of all cats, about this plan and he gave her a look that clearly asked if she was okay or needed the medicine cat. As far as Boldclaw could figure in those brief moments before Basilflame let out a soft chuckle, it should have been some she-cat that she should have been talking to, not him.

All that confusion and uncertainty was completely wiped away with Basilflame’s actual question. Boldclaw’s eyes widened in shock and somewhat unintentionally, his lower jaw dropped open as he just stared at Basilflame in shock. She wanted him to sire a litter? “Uh… you… uh… what?!” the pointed tom finally stuttered out, still staring at the pretty she-cat in shock and incredulity. You want… me to sire your litter? Me? A-are you serious? I’m an elder… an-and what about my Sleepswoon? Rowanglade says it’s a family thing… that if I were to have kits they could inherit it? Surely… surely you don’t want your kits to suffer like I do?” Boldclaw’s head swirled with the shock of it all. He had never thought in a million seasons that anycat, not even Basilflame, would ask him this question. Certainly not since he was diagnosed with sleepswoon.

Despite his outburst of shock, the sturdy tom couldn’t help but feel warmth fill his heart at the idea of being a father. He knew some toms would help look after their litters if the queen was comfortable with informing the clan of the parentage. After all, his own father had helped rear him in the days where his mother was just too tired to care for him. He still wondered if that sleepiness wasn’t due to sleepswoon, although Rowanglade had told him his condition hadn’t actually been seen in the clans for a very long time. Maybe that was why Basilflame was asking him? If it hadn’t been seen in a long time before him, then surely it wouldn’t be until a long time after him that another case would appear? Boldclaw shook shook his head as though shaking off water, throwing the thoughts away.

“I… I mean… yes, if you’re sure you want me to sire your litter, I will, of course I will!” he finally meowed aloud. How could he deny such a request knowing that most toms were never asked, and his condition was supposed to mean he really would never be asked? It had to be a sign from Starclan. One to remind him that they loved him. Suddenly the idea of a kit inheriting his condition but becoming a great medicine cat because they remembered Starclan’s words in those sudden dreams, made Boldclaw grin from ear to ear like a kit himself. Maybe he wasn’t meant to be the one who became a significant character in the tales the elders told. Maybe he was supposed to sire that cat. To pass on his sleepswoon so that they could meet with Starclan to share tongues far more easily. Boldclaw’s chest puffed out with pride and he hoped his shock hadn’t caused Basilflame to change her mind.

I’d rather bear the weight of others than let others carry pain alone.

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At Boldclaw's stammering, Basilflame hesitated, had she blindsided him this terribly? Has he wanted to refuse? Oh Stars what had she just done? But then, Basilflame's eyes softened. "I'd love for one of the kits to be like you. With a push from a clanmate, you've held confidence and determination and loyalty. With your Sleepswoon or without it, I would have asked you anyway. I look up to you Boldclaw, I have since I was a kit. I know this is sudden but I'd mean a lot if you-" she paused her words abruptly... did he... say yes?!

A loud purr rose in her throat, before she could even rethink the action, she nuzzled close to Boldclaw and pressed herself against him, a purr rising and rumbling loud in her throat as she let herself melt into his pelt. "Thank you, Boldclaw." She stated, her voice was warm, grateful, as grateful as he had been when she had gone out of her way to take him out of camp for the first time in quite a few moons. Boldclaw had just agreed to be a part of a cause that Basilflame had sought after for quite a while, in the back of her mind at least. "This means more to me than you think it does." She purred warmly, curling her flame-coated tail around Boldclaw and embracing the pointed tom.

She hadn't originally planned to asked him this early into the outing, but things simply played out that way, and she liked to think that she had StarClan's paws playing a part in pushing her to ask him, if StarClan truly did speak to Boldclaw in his dreams, they were on their side, at least now. "I'm not trying to rush into baring them right now, but I'll let you know when I want to carry these kits. But you should know that this means a lot to me and that I'll be in your debt for this, Boldclaw." She spoke softly before giving the pointed tom's creamy chest fur a few gentle licks. She shut her eyes for a moment, thinking of the possibilities, both good an bad, she had thought of them, of course, and all of them seemed worth the sacrifice. Thank you, Boldclaw.

I’m still a Warrior no matter what you say!
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Warmth filled Boldclaw’s heart as Basilflame explained that she would love for one of her kits to be just like him. He truthfully didn’t think any cat liked him all that much since he was retired to the elder’s den. Recently he’d even begun to question whether they had ever liked him. Basilflame, however, was proof that they did and some still do, and the cream coloured tom took comfort in that.

Shock rippled through the pointed tom as Basilflame became highly affectionate, rubbing on him. Boldclaw stiffened slightly, but made no effort to pull away or reject the she-cat’s affections. It was more that he simply didn’t know how to reciprocate more than anything. As such, when the flame point she-cat curled her tail around him, Boldclaw responded by awkwardly turning his head and giving Basilflame’s forehead a couple of quick licks like he had once seen his own parents do. “No, of course not,” Boldclaw meowed awkwardly, embarrassment flickering through him and warming his cheeks and ears. He hadn’t thought she meant to do the actions involved in making kits that day. It hadn’t even crossed his mind, so when Basilflame spoke to reassure she simply caused him to feel even more awkward and embarrassed.

The feel of Basilflame leaning against Boldclaw soothed his heart and he couldn’t help but think that he could get used to this kind of affection. After all, his sire, Lichenstorm, hadn’t been afraid to be affectionate with his dam, Lilacwing, and Boldclaw still viewed the long passed tom as one of Windclan’s greatest former warriors. When the flame point she-cat licked his chest, Boldclaw closed his eyes for a moment, relaxing somewhat from his usually stiff demeanor, before leaning his head down to press his nose against Basilflame’s head. A gentle action that twolegs would view as him ‘kissing’ her on the head, but to the seal-pointed tom, he was simply enjoying the smell and feel of her fur for a moment.