Moonspear she was young and all she had was the city

Ness made a low gagging noise. "Uhg," she grumbled. "You mean I have to woo and stuff? Gross." She stuck out her tongue briefly, then circled her chops thoughtfully. She could come up with ways to ascend without the dating bit. She was better than that— though she considered that this enigmatic statement could be a joke. Her eyes narrowed. "Can't just fight my way to the top of your dogpile the old fashioned way, no?" she asked, humoring. "I'll just have to show you how great I am then." She shrugged, hiking up her steps so that she was doing a band camper's march and grazing his shoulder playfully with her muzzle. "So, I get a feel for the terrain better when I'm running. Care for a race, top dog? Or've you got too much leader business to do to, that you don't have time to eat my dust?"