BV : I'd rate it 0 on Yelp tbh

[ Bramblesnap ]

Whatever influx of kittens or strangers that came in never really concerned him, the latest newcomer no different than the last bunch of ragtag drag-ins. What he didn't expect was for them to take an interest in him. He knew himself not to be the most approachable - he was at least self-aware of that fact - and, frankly, he didn't mind being the one to be left alone. Besides Talonthorn's presence, he'd grown to enjoy his own company. The voice had shattered through his trail of thought, causing the corner of his mouth to tug down.

Any mindless statements or "threats" he’d previously spoken seemed to fade from his mind, his face softening just briefly before he scrunched his nose up. The question of what the clan was like was one that most wouldn’t have asked Bramblesnap if they wished for a fair answer; of course, he was perhaps one of the most biased individuals here. He grazed a paw through the dirt, eyeing Deermouse from the side. Why? Plannin’ on stayin’ ‘round ‘ere? Trust me, sweetheart,” he continued, the nickname sounded sickly and unnatural in his voice as he sneered. ”...Lil’ thing like yew’ll be lucky to make it a moon out ‘ere.”

The large tom paused, running his tongue over his teeth, shifting the blood of the prey he’d dragged in moments ago. The tabby rolled his shoulders with a sigh. ”Wouldn’t brag ‘bout it,” he finally answered.

[ Deermouse ]

Deermouse nodded along listening intently. She'd expected to be met with more hostility from the tom, perhaps a sharp tounged insult but  instead she assumed his words were a genuine warning. Something she should consider heavily. "I have nowhere else to go." She admitted, even if she desired to she couldn't return home the thought of being mocked by her litter mates for her ridiculous journey was enough to make her prefer the harsh forest over the safety of the two-leg nest. "I made it alone for a moon or so on my own, so maybe with more cats around I'll have a better chance."

The moon or so she spoke about had been a disaster... she'd hardly managed to catch enough to survive, had been forced to live off of the scraps left by coyotes and foxes, and had nearly been carried off by one or two hawks. Being a wild cat had been much more difficult then she anticipated, staying with these feral felines in the woods seemed like an honest chance at survival. 

Deermouse frowned at his next statement, the cats around Bramblesnap seemed so happy to be here... then there was Bramblesnap, some may have considered him a thorn on a rose bush but Deer already saw so much more. "What's bad about it?" She'd ask, Bramblesnap's perspective seemed to be one that she was fairly interested in.

[ Bramblesnap ]

Bramblesnap’s ears perked at her explanation. So, he had nowhere else to go..? Deermouse must have (somehow) been more desperate than the kits they would lug in from the fields on occasion; most of whom seemed to skitter away from the confinement of the nursery at any possible opportunity. A fully grown cat who found themselves dependent on a crowd of strangers for the sake of what he assumed to be survival.. Well, wasn’t that something. Unimpressive, yet ever so slightly amusing.

”Well, ain’t yew fuckin’ lucky,” the tom muttered, half-concealed by a deep exhale. He hadn’t a care for her wellbeing, whether she chose to stick around or not, but his tongue was only ever half-held back, he couldn’t quite help but mumble an array of disapprovals and sarcastic statements.

”D’yew ever shut yer mouth?” He let out a long, agitated sigh, pushing his paws out to stretch in front of him. ”Likes’ve yew for a start; nosy lil’ bitches come in, think they know everythin’. Call the shots, even.” Bramblesnap found himself absentmindedly glaring at a couple of the dens around them. ”Take it from me, they’ll make yew feel like yew mean a lot to them, but they don’t care whether yer here or rottin’ out there.” He kept his voice low and hushed, even leaned in a little closer to the she-cat, though his expression was no more amused.

[ Deermouse ]

Although Bramblesnap's continued disapproving voice may have chased off most cats at this point, Deermouse seemed to hang on be it stubbornness or a genuine odd desire to be by the tom she didn't seem put off. She could fix this, she could find out how to make him happy. 

Deermouse's ears drew back at the next statement, she didn't think he was speaking of her really not the way he glared in particular directions around them but she still couldn't help but feel some guilt. Someone had clearly wronged this cat before, no wonder he was so hostile towards the world. "I'm sorry." She'd say softly, it was hard to tell if she was apologizing on her behalf or the clans behalf. "Doesn't seem very enjoyable here, maybe when I learn a bit more I can go out on my own." She did seem fairly receptive of any words Bramblesnap spoke, soaking up all the new knowledge of where she was and how it functioned.

She'd shuffle her paws again nervously unsure what else to say to him, at a loss. All she could think of doing was apologizing, and she was sure the tom wouldn't enjoy a cascade of pity from an outside like herself. "Thank you for being so honest." She'd finally say smiling. "I don't like when cats sugar coat things."