Little Monster [open]

Beetlekit didn't remember his mother, and he didn't know why all the queens thought this was so sad. Why would he miss someone he didn't know? Besides... mothers seemed like a great big pain. All of the other kits in the den were constantly interrupted by summons for supper, to be preened, to "Stop that!" or to "Be nice!" without any way to argue the point. While Beetlekit was being nursed and groomed by another queen in his parents' absence, she made it very clear to him that her priority was her own, younger, more needy litter; this was especially true when he began to wean. She hardly noticed his coming and going these days. No one in the nursery ever told him what to do like they did the other kits. So, if the price for that glorious, unrestricted freedom was the lack of a maternal paw, he was happy to pay it.

"GOOD MOOOOORNIN!" he yowled, scurrying free of the nursery's branches. A small hiss left his mouth as the sunshine singed his retinas. Beetlekit lifted a grey paw to his face and rubbed his eyelids vigorously to counteract the sting. "Argh! Good sunhigh, not morning! Jeez..."

Dandelionflight was washing herself in the bright Newleaf sun. A small yowl sounded from the nursery, and she sleepily blinked open an eye. A gray kit had leaped out of the den and was rubbing his eyes. She got up walked over to the tom-kit and greeted, "Hey! What ya doin'?"

A bright, spritely voice broke through Beetlekit's fuzzy, still-slumbering ears. A new voice! A warrior? He hadn't met very many warriors before beyond peeking through the bushes to observe their milling around camp. He lifted his paw off his eyes and craned his neck to get a good look at the figure whose head now obscured the sunlight. She was a pretty-looking she-cat with broken stripes dappling her dusty pelt. "Are you a warrior?" he asked, ignoring her question. "What's your name?"

Without waiting for answer, Beetlekit wiggled his haunches and sprang upon her left paw, wrestling it and grappling it in his pin-sharp little claws. He grunted as he tried to "tackle" his "opponent," kicking the stranger's toes in an effort to knock her off balance. I'll get ya! I'll get ya!

The kit looked up from rubbing his eyes and asked her if she was a warrior. She didn't mind that he hadn't answered her question and responded, "Yes! My--" The kit leaped forward before she could finish and fastened his claws on her paw. Letting out a small laugh and flopped down on her side, playfully waving around her paw to try and dislodge him. Sitting around waiting to be able to go out hunting was not something she liked to do. Playing with a kit would be much more entertaining!

Slightfrost jumped as a loud yell interrupted his thoughts. whipping around, he noticed Dandilionflight playing with a small kit. he huffed impatiently. warriors shouldn't be wasting their time fooling around with kits. though, kits were sort of cute...

Cedarkit had been woken up by a loud yowling. As he rushed out of the nursery he saw that Bettlekit tackle a warrior. As he raced towards Bettlekit, he joined the older tom in 'attacking' the warrior and defending from the clan. Although he wasn't much of a play type kit, he wanted to have some fun and make some friends.

Mintkit had always been an early riser. While she liked to imagine that it was a deep drive to be up and ready to protect or hunt for her clan, something about the way that she usually fought to stay asleep against the early sun of dawn told her that wasn't the case.

The brown tabby was by herself, waiting for something interesting to finally present itself. She had noticed that many of the other kits had yet to even wake up. Just when she was about to find some trouble to get into herself, she heard a cheerful yowl come from the nursery, and she saw a familiar gray shape knock over one of the warriors hanging around camp.

"Hey, let me help!" Mintkit called as she hurried over to the action and aimed to herself onto the side of the fallen warrior.

The small form sleeping at the side of his mother woke with a start, his peaceful fantasies impolitely interrupted by playful yowling. How... he began, struggling to find the proper wording, ...rude. The princely little kitten was growing irritated with the persistent mewing that prevented him from good rest. He knew he ought to do something of the matter. Hawthornkit's first instincts were to complain to his mother, but what kind of son would he be if he needed help for everything? Driven to prove himself as a tough and independent tom, he carried himself over to the nursery exit.

As he travelled, Hawthornkit relished his skill in one simple task: walking. He was much more graceful than other kits, who would often wobble and fall over. He had his balance in check, and knew just where to place his handsome little paws. This small verification of his superiority was all the reinforcement he needed to ignore his insecurities. The proud kitten held his head high, raising his thin tail like a flag. It seemed as if nothing could stop his confidence, but in truth it could easily be shattered with just a single well-aimed blow.

"What in Starclan are you all doing?" he asked loudly, ensuring there was enough condescension in his haughty tone. It appeared that a group of kits had gathered and began pouncing upon a warrior. It looked a bit fun, but definitely clumsy. A different Hawthornkit might have joined them, but this Hawthornkit had an image to uphold. An elegance to flaunt. An ego to sustain.

Beetlekit gathered bits of fur, coated in a layer of forest-y smells, into his mouth as he fought against his "enemy," nearly losing his balance entirely when she flopped into the dirt. With the new opportunity, he wrapped his front paws around Dandelionflight's leg and began crawling up it, making his way towards her shoulder. Every time she shook him or wrestled his small body off, he slipped a few steps back. A grueling task it would be to take down this warrior!

Then, reinforcements arrived. With a wild snicker, Beetlekit called out between tufts of Dandelionflight's pelt. "Mintkit! You gotta get up on her face! Take her whiskers as a trophy!!"

Beetlekit unlatched himself from the warrior's leg and joined Cedarkit at their enemy's belly, raking tiny claws against the plush fur there. He was interrupted by one of the snarkiest sounds he'd ever heard in his little life. With an exasperated meow, he rounded on his denmate with twitching ears. "Defending our camp, beebrain! Boy, I sure feel bad for whoever ends up mentoring you, Hawthornkit! You don't even know how to get your paws dirty!"

Maggotpaw trotted up slowly to the mini-group of cats hanging out with each-other, he shook out his fur before he spoke. "Hey.. Eh.. Hello there, kits. I suppose you're 'Training' For when you become an apprentice eventually?" He said, trying not to make his voice sound rude or flat. "Good luck with that, I'll just be over here.." He purred out, sitting down a bit away from the commotion and grooming his fluffy, slightly matted tail. Trying not to get attacked by the kits who were clearly out for blood in a strangely playful way.

Even though Dandelionflight managed to knock the kit off her paw, he was quickly attacking again. Suddenly, two more kits appeared from the nursery and pounced on her. She winced a little as their small claws poked her through her fur.

The original kit yowled to one of the others about stealing her whiskers; she let out a little laugh. Dandelionflight rolled out of the kit's reach, careful to not squish them, and playfully meowed, "You'll never get my whiskers!" She glanced around to see if there was anyone else to help her in this valiant battle against the kits. She spotted Slightfrost and Maggotpaw sitting around. Maggotpaw had just come up to them but didn't seem too interested in helping, so she turned to Slightfrost. "Slightfrost! Won't you help me?"

Cedarkit was delighted that he finally had made some friends and was playing a game. "We will get your whiskers!" He yowled as he pounced once again on the she-cat that was being attacked by kittens. As Maggotpaw came over Cedarkit momentarily stopped playing and stared at the warrior. "Um, we are just playing." he said as Maggotpaw was walking away. The servil-looking kit shrugged and went back to 'mauling' the warrior trying to defeat her.

Mintkit, while originally discouraged from being tossed off of the warrior she-car so easily was quickly reinvigorated when she heard Beetlekit’s encouragement. A plan immediately formed in her head. She would get the whisker.

The tabby started by putting some space between her and the warrior, and waited for the perfect opening. Then, she saw it. On untrained and wobbly legs she sprinted towards the she-cat, and lept into the air when she was less than a tails length away. She wasn’t going for the face - no - she was going for the whiskers. She aimlessly snapped her jaws with her eyes closed as she hurled herself towards the warrior.

Cedarkit looked up from where he was playing just in time to see Mintkit launch herself at the warrior's face. "No Mintkit!" he yowled and then bowled her over so that she would not hit the warrior's face. As he had her pinned down he hissed in her face. "What were you thinking? We are playing and only go for the body, not the face or any of the vunerable parts of the body."