And, if you are, why do you want to hang out with me?

Eyes that were steady on the ground opened just a bit wider, a flash of wonder striking the darkness within her mind; hypocritical? She stared ahead, unmoving, frozen. How was she being hypocritical? She didn’t understand. She knew what it meant, surely – and yet here she was left for silent, unsure, not knowing how to respond because she was not being hypocritical. He had been using nicknames for a feline he barely knew; she had been referring to her grandmother by her official title, the way she always had. Even Dawnstar never found issue in her words that she knew, why would she find issue in it then? Because she advised him?

She pondered these thoughts; the of the world were rather peculiar, sometimes. Their words odd and their tendencies even odder. She never quite understood; it felt like they were a foreign element compared to her – or perhaps, she was the foreign element in a world where everyone understood the same things; and Grousepaw, he said that was his name, it appeared he had the worst of it. Opposing her every scarce word with another, finding ulterior motives where there are none. It was fascinating, almost, if it wasn’t equally a bother.
“...A fact. ..Respect.”
She finally stated, the vibrancy of her eyes lifting to glance at the taller one at her side.
“She is… My grandmama. My mama's… mama.”
That was truth; the words slipping from her tongue like a lullaby she told herself – the ties of family so easily frayed and broken, the fragile and yet so dear to her heart.

And there he smiled. Smiled at a wordless response just given; another sight, one so strange and peculiar and uncommon – how did one treat a smile? He ate, and Sleepypaw was left perplexed, unsure. She never quite spoke this lengthily with anyone; and she felt odd sitting the way she did while he stuffed his mouth with the prey at his paws. Anxiety told her it was poison, that he was poison to her mind but the calmer sense of her thoughts pushed the younger apprentice to lean down and take a deft bite of the not-poisoned prey he had brought her, eating in small, slow bites. And he spoke.

His words puzzled her once again; he seemed to do that a lot, an ill-at-ease feeling if anything. But the answer to his words were evident, if the implication was well-understood; she couldn’t get away with anything. Frankly, she could get away with less than the average cat. She couldn’t sully Miss Grandmama or mama’s name, yet was he implying she could do harm to their reputation without repercussion? She never considered it, because it held no truth. So she shook her head.
“Miss Grandmama doesn’t privilege.”


[ @redshiftreign – feel free to either leave it here or move it to a private thread if you’d like to continue this ! ]

https://i.postimg.cc/DZYdF4d3/gutspa...hot-header.png

ⵌ ➜ #GUTSPAW https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca88...1v-Epjd4UKQH54
˗ˏˋ ✮ it . teeth . bite . // fourteen moons ˎˊ˗　
small spiky-furred black tabby with striking icy blue eyes. has a huge fluffy tail & a few scars in the shapes of bite-marks - notch in left ear.

❝HIGH ACHIEVER, DON'T YOU SEE? BABY, NOTHING COMES FOR FREE !!❞

---

『 彡 ➜ @furrensic 』
Gutspaw made a small pleased hum as it finished braiding its left cheek fur. The asymmetrical look felt nice & it contained some of its fluff.

Its icy blue eyes drifted back up once Squirrelpa - rise spoke again. She only wanted to see what bite had been doing. Its eyebrows furrowed to form a crinkle in-between, disbelief and distrust evident in its narrowing eyes. Rarely, if ever, did its clanmates bothered to interact with them. Which was fine. Gutspaw enjoyed it that way. Too bothersome to upkeep friendships or rivalships. It stared for a long period of time, startling large eyes staring unblinking at her before finally saying, "..just redecorating my nest."

If it was not already on edge before, her second statement certainly made teeth tense in preparation. It was incredibly suspicious that Squirrelrise of all cats wanted to talk with teeth. It felt as if it was a trick waiting to explode up in its face but - well, this was Squirrel of all cats. If anyone lacked a mean bone in their body, it would be her. The apprentice supposed it made enough sense. She was Goopywhisker's friend. (Actually, maybe he was the one behind this. It would have to investigate later.)

Clearing its throat, ",, we already are talkin' but yeah sure, talk away, Squirrels. Not like I can stop you," Gutspaw finally mewed, surrendering to the meaningless interaction. After all, if it went sour bite could always walk away.

Though a beat, its eyes trailed down to Squirrelrise's round, long, and most of all - ridiculously fluffy cheeks. Seems like they had only gotten bigger as she gotten older. ,,, It clicked its tongue, gaze flickering towards the remainder of the fern it had gathered. hm.

Hmm.

"Yo, you should let me braid your er, " Gutspaw gestured to its own cheek fur. It was curious. And bored and out of things to braid. "cheek fluff." It paused. "If you want."

---

⸝⸝⊂➜﹒silk spinner ✮ kitty softpaws ✮ bewitched ⊃⸝⸝

❝THEY SAY I'M A CONTROL FREAK - DRIVEN BY A GREED TO SUCCEED !!❞