something interesting [open kit topic after lapis posts!]

Ratkit gave a little, quiet yawn, settling into his place under the bramble bush. The leaves tickled his fur, but it was a little warmer than being outside of it, so he would often wriggle under until his whole body was tucked inside. If he wasn’t so small, it’d probably be a harder fit, but he was only a kit still. And it was warm!

The nursery hollow was warmer, but it was also too deep for him to see the thorn tunnel, and Ratkit was waiting.

He’d picked the good spot, this time — the one where he could see the big cats come in and out, like a portal from somewhere mysterious. It also helped that in the dark, like now, he was rather hard to spot; Ratkit was black with dark stripes, and the angle wasn’t good for moonlight. (He would know, because his mama was good at finding him, and there was no sign of her.)

He couldn’t be found yet. At least, not until he saw someone return with fresh prey, and something interesting! Mama wouldn’t like it — she wanted him to eat when she brought him food, and not to bother any cats… but Ratkit was curious, and last time he could’ve sworn some cat caught a snake!

What would snake taste like, he wondered. He thought of the beady, yellow eyes, and shivered. They were a little creepy... but also very cool. Would they be chewy?

With these thoughts, the little kit settled down to his vigil. They were very important thoughts, after all.

Pressing through the camp entrance Loudnose carefully kept the trinket interlocked between his teeth. Emerging from the thorn tunnel he welcomed the sun on his face, the silvery treasure greeted it with a glint as well. Both his warm yellow eyes and the odd prize were shining. The tabby padded towards a cozy and sunlit spot in the camp with a smile, taking pride and excitement in his find. He stretched out, beginning to play paw at the small object, trying to inspect it further. It was a little loop, seeming to be able to fit around a mouse's tail. Pleasure bubbled in Loudnose, purring while the sun caressed his fur. Gazing around the camp he wondered where it came from, who owned the toy before they unfortunately lost it.

Duskpaw yawned, making his way out of the apprentice den and into the sunlight. Out in the sun, his pelt would be the most detectable, and easily spotted out of them all. It considered of a pure, solid-colored, nearly pitch-black pelt with a fluffy texture. Though, it gave him an advantage as a ShadowClan cat, especially in the night. He would be undetectable if not looked closely, using the shadows to his best advantages like he was taught to. His tired look was now quickly replaced by a much more cheerful and energetic one.

Then, a rustle from under the bramble bushes quickly grasped his attention. Something, or rather someone, was under it, and he couldn't help but feel intrigued by the sounds. He slowly padded over, and only then- the scent of ShadowClan made him realize that it was just a member of his own clan, and not a prey or anything else. To fit inside that small space, he was sure it could only be a kit. The tom lie down, and decided to let out a friendly greeting to the small kit. "Hello!" He smiled. "Why are you hiding in there, little one? Isn't the nursery much more warmer than in there?" His tone was filled with curiosity and intrest. Surely enough, he hoped that he didn't have startled the smaller cat, and if he did- hopefully not too much. Duskpaw himself realized his approach was sudden, and scaring the kit would bring him quite the guilt for it.

Ratkit’s tail curled around himself, tickling his whiskers. There was a cat coming through the thorn tunnel, he sensed; it was a bigger cat, too, with bigger steps. His eyes sharpened, ears pricking forward. It mattered less who it was — not that he could tell very well, yet, Shadowclan was big! — and more what they might be carrying. Most cats came back with something — even if it was just their exhausted-looking apprentices, and they usually at least has something. Why else go outside?

It was as he was watching, carefully, that he saw the slight rippling color of a tabby face — yellow eyes — and...

Something glistened. Like a star, like eyes in the dark, brighter in moonlight.

Instantly, he was captivated, moving with the warrior, when — there’s someone there? His view—

Oh. The kit looked up at the cat in his way — felt his presence — and he wasn’t Ratkit’s mom, or den mate, or anycat he knew. His voice was... gentle, too, but lower, and Ratkit thought of how he must not be full grown.

The big cat, the tabby, had settled not so far away, in a sunny spot that let Ratkit see — it continued to glisten — as he peered distractedly through the apprentice’s legs.

The dark tom seemed nice, though, Ratkit thought, so he said, ”You seem nice.” And because of that, the little kit looked up toward him, for the first time, and then wriggled out of the bush enough to gesture behind him. “I like to hide here because you can see things. It’s a good spot, but you can have it right now, if you want. I’ll teach you.”

Then, as it occurred to Ratkit — “As long as you don’t say anything.” He eyed the apprentice once again, as if checking for trustworthiness. Then he nodded. ”It’s for spying on big cats, to see if they have anything good. Like that.”

Ratkit looked over again, and saw how whatever the tabby warrior was still shiny. He had to know! And so without guile, and a slip between the nice apprentice’s legs, he darted out to get a closer look!

Perhaps obviously, Ratkit circled the large tabby, trying to peek closer... Was it a stone? he thought. It wasn’t prey, it didn’t seem to trigger the same spots in his brain. He hadn’t seen anything in camp that looked even similar.

Was the outside full of stuff like it?

He noticed the kit's curiosity on a sparkly, shiny-like object that a warrior was carrying. Of course, he wouldn't blame the kit from slipping and darting away, just like how he had just done. Even the object has piqued himself, too. Carfully, Duskpaw followed the kit over to.. Loudnose, right. He surely had an odd warrior name. Setting himself right beside the kit, though still keeping enough distance so that it wouldn't be too awkward, he sat down. His green eyes peered towards the glowing object. What was that? Hopefully, Duskpaw's sudden appearance in front of the warrior didn't make him minded. The young tom glanced over to the kit again, then back at the shiny object with a loop.

The kit was curious for sure, and so was he. As much times as he had been outside with his mentor before, Duskpaw had never seen an object like that right in front of his eyes. It had a captivting, interesting look that would be able to catch anyone's attention. Almost like a peculiar white pelt, all in a crowd of black ones. Except that this was no pelt, and instead an.. item. Of some sort.

The tabby warrior was... big, now that he was closer; likely a head taller than him even when laying on his chest. And... His fur was oddly beautiful, with specks of light into brown and a darker, bark-like black, arranged into tiny bands. It was longer than Ratkit’s, too, and shimmered between the shades in the light and as he moved — though not as brightly as that thing batting enticingly between his paws! But still pretty.

The tom was a stranger. But his face was friendly, Ratkit thought, tentatively, and he stepped a little closer. Much like the tom that seemed to follow him, who had a pelt like Ratkit’s, but fluffier. He glanced briefly back. The presence of the also young cat at his back bolstered his confidence, and so he let himself pad to face the stranger.

”Hi,” he greeted a little shyly. The shiny object glistened prettily, but he didn’t want to just say that, so he said, ”Your fur’s pretty.”

It was the other obvious.

”And your thing is, too,” he mewed. Tail friendly, and whiskers twitching, he peered down toward the object near the tom’s paws. ”Can I see it?”

Loudnose's focus on the treasure was interrupted by a voice, a small one. He drew his gaze to a dark kit, who's striped pattern couldn't be more stunning. Those bright eyes against that coal pelt was captivating. Loudnose smiled, accepting the kit's compliment. "Thank you! Uh, yes of course here," he said, passing his shiny prize to... Ratkit. Now that his attention was set on meeting the kit he was much more energetic, "I found it by the Thunderpath, though it was not there the last time I checked. Your fur is pretty too! Your name is Ratkit right? I love it! My name is Loudnose! Why do you think you were named Ratkit, what do you think your warrior name will be? It is a bit early for that though right? Hey do you like snails?"

After his attack of questions and comments he saw the other cat who was also peering at him- or rather the object. "Duskpaw yeah?" he meowed with a smile, "Have you ever seen one of these? I think it is from the Twolegs." Loudnose couldn't be happier to talk with younger cats, he felt most comfortable with them.

Duskpaw was slightly taken aback by the warrior's ambush of questions. Then hearing the last one, Duskpaw blinked blankly, confused of why he'd suddenly mention about.. snails? It was odd, but he didn't mind that. He enjoyed the warrior's enthusiam on things. Hopping on from topic to topic, Duskpaw swiveled up his ears to listen, not wanting to acidentally miss a point— or rather mistaken one for another. Loudnose seemed as energetic as himself. If not, even more eager than himself! Though hearing his name being called out, the tom's gaze immediately reverted back to Loudnose. "No, oddly enough. I haven't seen anything like that before! And yeah, I also think it might used to belong to a Twoleg. Twolegs are odd. Or at least, they always carried odd things with them!" He spoke enthusiastically.

The tom wanted to catch up with Loudnose's questions as much as he could for some odd reason. It felt joyful having another lively cat to catch conversations with, and he was glad he'd be able to even know more of other members in the clan by small coincidences like this. Maybe he'd even be able to befriend even more cats! He was looking forward to nearly anything positive coming along in his way.

”Whoa...” Ratkit mewed as Loudnose passed it over to him, ‘cause it was beautiful! And also warm, and very smooth. Smoother than stone! And it also... rolled. And rolled! And it changed directions, too!

Anyone who found things like this, and let Ratkit touch it — they were okay, for sure. He beamed up at the tom. ”Yeah, that’s my name!” Ratkit tilted his head at all the questions... ”I think my mama likes rats, I guess? I dunno.”

It was an odd thing, ‘cause nobody seemed to like rats much at all. Except to eat. But then also not so much, since apparently you needed to be very careful about which rats you ate. Did his mama name him after something she wanted to eat, or didn’t want to eat? And why would she, when she didn’t want to eat Ratkit? He swiveled his little ears.

It was very confusing. But maybe she named him Ratkit because she knew he’d be sneaky, and rats could be sneaky, too. He thought to tell Loudnose that — but wouldn’t that make him less sneaky?

Shrugging — maybe inexplicably to the world — he added, ”I think it’s because I’m sneaky and small, and also black. Did your mama know you’d be loud, too?”

There was a flurry of conversation — because Loudnose, he thought with a giggle, was a name really “on the nose”! But he added, because it was important for the warrior to know: ”And I do like snails, they’re awesome! And taste good. But I’m not allowed to eat anything until my mama tells me, because... well... ‘cause I get sick. But did you know they’re chewy? But... good chewy.”

Once he began, it was hard to stop — he was just so thrilled the tom was interested! And in snails, too!

Loudnose purred along with their replies, though one comment halted the rumble. His ears turned down for a second at Ratkit's question, though only a second. "I.. uh, I think my father named me actually. I- his name is Mistyfalcon." Loudnose knew some cats thought of him as loud, which he couldn't deny, but something about the way Ratkit brought it up made him uncomfortable. "I do not think he knew I would be... chatty." The brown tabby shook his fur, ready to move on.

He smiled as Ratkit confirmed he did indeed like snails... but as food. Loudnose didn't usually, well, eat snails. "Chewy huh? I did not know that actually." The tom was set back a bit, but wanted to give the kit benefit of the doubt. Friendships take time right?

He looked over to Duskpaw, interested in the apprentice. Loudnose didn't know much about the gray tom, but he wanted to. Looking to the both of them he suggested with a grin, "Maybe we could all get to know each other better? When Ratkit becomes an apprentice we could go hunting?" The young warrior liked Ratkit and Duskpaw, and would be happy to hang out with them more.

(ooc: so, so sorry for the late reply. I nearly forgot about it!)

Hearing his suggestion, Duskpaw's eyes lit up in joy. "That'd be wonderful!" The tom exclaimed. He was looking forward to know both of the cats more, and a hunting experience with them would be fantstic. Whipping his head over to the smaller kit, he opened his maw to speak up once again. "I'll tell you all about the basics about hunting once you've become an apprentice, Ratkit! It'll be so much fun!" His tail swayed excitedly, and the tom trilled. This was his first time ever meeting these two clanmates, but that didn't stop him from being enthusiastic nonetheless.

He was about to nearly suggest them to come right now, though he immediately remembered afterwards that Ratkit was still too young to come with them. He wanted time to skip faster, despite knowing that wouldn't be so possible. As much as he wanted to spend some more time with them now, apprentice duties were waiting for him. "I should probably go now. Apprentice duties." He mewed, "I don't want Emberleap to be mad." The tom laughed lightly, taking a small dip of his head before getting up. He gave them a warm, wide grin, then finally took off through the thorn tunnel— swiftly making his way outside.

”Oh. Okay, then,” Ratkit mewed, not really knowing who Mistyfalcon was. It sounded... kinda familiar, though. But according to his mama, his memory was no good for things like names. Ratkit wondered if the tom looked like a falcon. His head tilted: Loudnose... he did not look like a falcon. Except, Ratkit had only seen one very far away in the sky, so perhaps he did. Ratkit looked like his mama, so Loud should look like his dad. Oh, maybe falcons are loud! And that’s why.

The little kit nodded to himself. That made sense. Like how Duskpaw was black.

It was odd, though. Loudnose responded to Ratkit’s enthusiasm about snails like Ratkit’s mother. That kinda strange face. He wondered if that meant most cats didn’t like being near snails. But... they weren’t so bad! Maybe he should catch one for Loudnose. Once you tried it, they couldn’t feel that way!

The tiny black kit was distracted from this brilliant idea by Duskpaw’s mew. The young tom seemed excited, too. Hunting? When Ratkit was an apprentice? Was that going to happen soon?

He cocked his head again, looking up at his two older clanmates; some of the very nicest he’d met. Most warriors, he was a little too scared to talk to. He stuck to the nursery. Even when Duskpaw left, Ratkit still felt okay with just the warrior. And a ince they were nice, and talking... he asked, “What’s, um, being an apprentice?”

Ratkit had heard of it, of course. Vaguely. Like, ‘there’s a new apprentice, Ratkit, that’s why,’ or ‘the apprentice’s live over there,’ or ‘that nice apprentice brought us food.’ He knew the cats were younger, and they always seemed busy for some reason — like Duskpaw. But everyone seemed to assume Ratkit would know what it meant. “I know what it is,” he assured Loudnose, “It’s when you’re little but you follow big cats around. Um, but, why?”

Ratkit looked up at Loudnose, remembering his important point. “And I’ll get you a snail, too, sometime. They’re good, I promise.” If Loudnose liked snails, it was only Ratkit’s duty!