Bramblepaw could hear the murmurs of his IceClan clanmates around him, muttering some words he couldn't catch, and others that just made him sigh again and again. Of course, whenever Goldenleap was around being lazy, someone just had to say something. It wasn't enough that the warrior was just there, clear enough to see, but to also draw attention to the cat with the apparent lowest amount of energy? After hearing enough bad comments for most of his life, as IceClan was a pretty small clan, Bramblepaw was thoroughly annoyed.

The magpie was finished, and the dark brown tabby's firefly eyes glanced once more to the warrior. Why didn't he try harder to protect his image and reputation? It just didn't make any sense. For Bramblepaw, his entire life was dedicated to painting himself as a great cat, and that wasn't an easy task at all. He couldn't relate, or even slightly understand the warrior called Goldenleap.

Honestly, Goldenleap was probably just a burden, wasn't he? If Bramblepaw was leader, he would've driven him out ages ago, or punished him harshly.

Don't worry, Goldenleap. The apprentice sneered to himself mentally, standing up and disposing of his lunch, before starting to pad his way towards the lazy cat. At least someone cares about you a bit-- meet the kind Bramblepaw!

Yes, there was something amusing in the fact that perhaps one of the only nice cats to Goldenleap was a fictional character.

"Hey, uhm." Once he was close enough, Bramblepaw started to talk, making sure he looked a little awkward and a little sincere. "Goldenleap? Do you maybe want to go hunting with me?"

The kind Bramblepaw would of course try to pull the lazy warrior off his rump to try and help!

Even with the realization this energy could be put to so many other things. But well, who doesn't respect someone like me?


Goldenleap

Bramblepaw wished he could throw this pathetic scrap off a mountain. All the rumors and comments about Goldenleap were confirmed true in his mind, even if this slight interaction hardly proved anything but that he was tired. Here he was, trying to lend a paw, and was oh so rudely told to piss off in the least amount of respect possible.

But, the dark tabby tom took the smallest of breaths to calm himself. He didn't show a hint of his anger or disapproval. Instead, he reformed the image of awkward Bramblepaw into one of hurt and near defeat. As if someone had kicked his favorite toy into a bottomless gorge.

"B-but...." he stuttered quietly, golden eyes dropping to his paws. He dragged a claw against the dirt, before shooting a quick look over his shoulder as his other clanmates, and then returning his attention onto the warrior. Drawing a little closer, Bramblepaw started to whisper like the concerned and caring apprentice he was. "Cats are talking bad about you. I-I thought maybe we could go hunting, and then they'd... I-I mean, I know you like to sleep, Goldenleap. But maybe they'd be nicer if... well, it was just...."

Now he was looking like a kicked puppy, ears drawn back and lightly scuffing up the dirt with his right paw. "It was a dumb thought, I'm sorry. But we could... If I ask loud enough and we just leave, they'll believe us. And you don't actually have to hunt with me. We can go find a nice place to relax, if you want. They wouldn't know any better. B-but maybe that's a dumb thought, too, sorry...."

Oh come on, you ungrateful burden! Bramblepaw snarled in his head, wishing he was strong enough and bold enough to teach Goldenleap a lesson himself! Stop looking like a fat kittypet, and start acting like an IceClan warrior! Or I swear to StarClan when I become leader, you're the first one to go, fish-brained.

Of course, stabbing someone with guilt was always the best way to go if one wanted to preserve their goody-two-shoes self image. Bramblepaw had wondered if it would even work for a mere moment. Goldenleap sure wasn't showing himself to be anything but predictable, and he predicted the warrior to scoff and snuggle deeper into his paws. But like most normal cats, it wasn't easy to turn down a seemingly friendly, caring apprentice you'd just broken the heart of seconds prior.

Victory tasted sweet, but only until Bramblepaw really understood what he had signed up for, as he watched Goldenleap take his time in standing up. In. Standing. Up. We're literally leaving camp to nap. Great StarClan, I want to strangle this good for nothing for wasting my time.

Remember, Bramblepaw! he sneered in a sickeningly sweet tone to himself when the warrior had finished talking. The kind-hearted apprentice is always there to help a clanmate out!

Sometimes, he hated himself more than others. And that was saying something. Everyone was frickin' annoying.

"I wish they didn't." Bramblepaw meowed with the faintest of pouts, walking alongside Goldenleap as they left. His snout was turned downwards and angled left, though the dark tabby apprentice made sure to watch where he was going. "I mean, I don't know you very well, Goldenleap... but it's not like you're some mean bully. A-as far as I know. So I don't get why they say anything...."

I really wish they didn't because the same lame jokes aren't any funnier than the last hundred times anyone said them.

Really, at times, insulting Goldenleap was more than enough entertainment for Bramblepaw to listen in on. But the same comments, over and over again, for the rest of his life? It just got old. Because, oh StarClan you won't believe this one, Goldenleap was lazy! Let me remind everyone of that every single day!

No. Just, no. It was annoying. And it was mostly this lazy tomcat's fault.








{ trust me, if this site wasn't tempting for little children, Bramblepaw would use a lot more cuss words and it'd be a lot more vulgar/funny to read. 😂😂

Bramblepaw didn't show any sign that he noticed Goldenleap had taken the lead, besides taking an easy pace a few mouse-tails behind. Although a part of him burned with the need to act as a leader, the dark tabby tomcat had to remind himself that he was still just a young apprentice. Goldenleap was a warrior, moons older than he was, and would likely not appreciate a disrespectful youngster calling him slow.

Where they were heading was a bit more confusing. Sure, Bramblepaw was a little bit more mature than the average cat his age, if you don't count his persona... but that didn't mean he was wise. The territory of IceClan wasn't as easy to progress through as say, the camp itself. Even if Bramblepaw could find his way to the Firefly Chasm with relative ease, that mostly stemmed from repeated journeys to that landmark. Everyone else was kind of... gray.

So no, he didn't know where they were going just yet. Not that he'd say anything. And no, he had little if any idea as to who Goldenleap was referring to.

Probably at some point, he'd heard sharper complaints from a few specific clanmates about the warrior. But the truth of the matter was, Bramblepaw didn't care. Goldenleap's history could go take a nose dive off the Firefly Chasm. All he needed to know, was that the warrior was lazy, a burden, and discussed with negativity. So whoever he held grievances with hardly mattered.

"...Why don't you stop them?" Bramblepaw knew what question he wanted to ask, and he knew he had to take an excessive amount of stuttering to ask it. "I-I mean, not like, stop them stop them. Just, well... everyone kinda sorta mentions you being, uh, sleepy!" He expressed the last word with enough energy to show he was relieved he didn't have to use the word lazy. "So if you were to be, uhm, more awake? They might start complimenting you instead and then, just... good things from there?"

Ugh. Why do I even care for why he's a piece of fox-dung? the apprentice hissed mentally. Not like Goldenleap was important to his life. Honestly, I bet IceClan would mark me as a hero if I made him disappear.

But that was a thought for another day.