A young tom washes.

[Ten]

The tabby gave a slight shrug, then grinned. "Wanna, maybe, but do it look like they does?" He gave his brown stripes a prideful lick. "Now ya say ain't nobody worth it to talk to but then here you are talkin' to me. I'm thinkin' you're thinkin' I ain't so bad, yeh?"

Even if Nightpelt wouldn't admit it, Grimykit was sure that he liked him.

[renji]

"I suppose not," Nightpelt admitted. "You're not as bad as most of the other fools around here, but you're still a young one." Nightpelt really didn't like kits either, but he could deal with someone who could keep him interested in an intelligent conversation. Besides, Grimykit had the same ideals as he had, and that was rather hard to find with all the family-oriented Clan cats around.

"You're not bad, and you'd be even less of a pain if you knew how to hunt," Nightpelt told him. "I've heard about you--bumming off of everyone else and stealing. And trust me, if you ever tried to steal from me, I'd rip your fur off--whether you make interesting conversation or not!"

[Ten]

"I ain't that young," he complained, though not as riled as before. "Whateva. I know you don't go 'round rippin' fur off nobody. I've lived here my whole life and I ain't neva seen a cat without no fur. 'Sides, how would huntin' make me lessuva pain?"

[Gosh]

Frailheart's ears twitched in amusement as she listened to the two toms talk. 'Wonder where that kit got his way of speaking from,' she thought idly. "Perhaps you would be putting some work into something?" she suggested in answer to Grimykit's question.

[Ten]

Grimykit swiveled his head toward Frailheart. "...Yeh, an' what good would that do?" He paused a moment to observe the she-cat, taking more time than necessary. "You look like one o' them weak lil' kitties who talk 'bout hard work an' fairness cuz ya want somebody to protect ya."

[Gosh]

Frailheart narrowed her eyes. "Fairness? I never said anything about fairness. Life isn't fair, so why should us cats have to be? Anyways, and I suppose that other cats wouldn't let a kit on a rat hunt anyways, so I guess I can't begrudge you."

[Ten]

"O' course otha cats wouldn't let you on no rat hunt. You're darn-right puny," he asserted. Grimykit looked over her again and tilted his head. "Come ta thinkuvit, how do ya eva get anythin' ta eat?"

[Gosh]

Frailheart meowed calmly, "I hunt crickets and the like." She paused for a moment. What she had said wasn't strictly true-she did hunt crickets and the like, but only a couple times a half moon; mostly she just scavenged off of rat hunts. "I suppose we have something in common, then; no sane cat would ever let us on a rat hunt." She chuckled.

[Ten]

"Ya jus' live off crickets? Ha, maybe that's why ya's lookin' so much like one yerself," he jeered. "Anyhow, from what I see we ain't got nothin' in common. You's a skinny lil' she-cat. As for this fine tom," He raised his chin. "I could be o' some real use on a hunt."

[Gosh]

"Not just crickets," Frailheart meowed with a scowl. This kit was really starting to rile her. "Oh really," she sneered, "what cat would let a small kit like you on a rat hunt? They'd laugh and send you back to your mother. Speaking of which, shouldn't she be training a little one like you?"