[nyme]

IN A DREAM YOU SAW A WAY TO SURVIVE
AND YOU WERE FULL OF JOY

── ⋅ ⋅ ── ❊ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──

GOLDENPAW . 6 MOONS . HE/SHE/THEY . THUNDERCLAN

"Wuh-huh-hoahhh, that sounds kinda miserable, buddy." Goldenpaw remarks blithely. "C'mon. Y'don't even have, like, an eensy-weensy preference for either-or? What's Bumblestar an' Spiderthroat gotta do with you enjoyin' your life? It's the same stuff you're gonna be stuck with 'til you aren't anymore. Might as well pick favorites to pass the time without goin' bonkers."

Goldenpaw bobs happily after Morningpaw. Happily, because they refuse to do this any other way. That is a deliberate choice being made here—so, too, is the careful gaze being trained on Morningpaw. An unseen hole is being stared right into him by olive eyes belying how sickly fascinated Goldenpaw is. This guy. Usually you can act all dumbsilly and cats'll at least start bonding out of pity, but Morningpaw's proving to be made of colder stuff than all that. They wonder if they'll have to change things up drastically in order to get though to him...?

Goldenpaw hopes not. Dumbsilly is like a security blanket at this point. An unserious world has very few sharp edges to have to worry about. Yet here they are, trying to make a friend out of a cat with more points than a porcupine. Goldenpaw hopes he's still just working the wake-up crankies out of his system.

"Hey, by the by, I'm sorry. I think maybe that sounded like I was judgin' you, or like, gettin' all condescending with you 'cause of your disposition. That's not the case. I'm going to be friends with you, just so you know." Might as well try honesty. Goldenpaw's just sat there, all slouched and lax, clearly more worried about their own agenda than any kind of battle practice. Their feathery ginger tail is twitching erratically, beating the ground with a gentle tap-tap-tap. It's a similar noise to the wheels turning in their head. "Begin? Oh, yeah, sure, I guess it's time we did that. Hey so, this ain't any of my business in the least but I GOTTA ask, what are your parents li—AH!"

Goldenpaw isn't ready even a little bit, so Morningpaw's got the advantage of more experience, clearer focus, and the benefit of attacking an opponent who's thoroughly unprepared. Goldenpaw goes bouncing across the ground like a tumbleweed before squirming in outrage as their face and ears are pawed at. The best they can think to retaliate with is a frantic attempt at rabbitkicking out at Morningpaw with their hind feet (at the amateur expense of rolling to expose their belly in order to do so). It's both a shot at landing a hit, any hit, and trying to force some distance between Morningpaw and themself.

Goldenpaw's instantly ashamed at what a poor start they're off to; Morningpaw's finally smiling about something. Maybe this is the angle, then. They've got to figure out how to give him a good fight.

@Oliver ; MORNINGPAW