[Ragged] Breathing (Avery!)

[[Acro.]]

ooc:// Avery! For Fleetpaw and Ragged(cough)paw =) This can take place as though they are at the current Gathering, but separated so we don't clog that thread.

My body tells me no

but I won't quit

As cats swarmed the usually-quiet Pond, one dark body moved like a shadow within the mass. Bright, amber eyes blinked in and out of existence, a coat of thick, black fur brushing like a whisper against the mingling warriors. The young creature was stretched and lanky, not yet filled out by the muscle that came with experience. He stalked among the interspersed Clans, large ears pivoting this way and that as foreign scents assaulted him: the salty tang of SunsetClan, the leafy musk of LeafClan...

Raggedpaw would know them all.

Jaws parted, the young tom continued tasting the air, but was cut off suddenly by a sharp cough he had not been anticipating. It flew from his throat before he could clamp it down, earning him a few sideways glances from nearby warriors. Lowering his ears and narrowing his eyes, the apprentice ducked into the crowd and disappeared from those questioning gazes, drawing himself toward the back of the Gathering as he felt another wave of coughs building in his chest. Breaking free from the swarm just in time, Raggedpaw dropped his chin as a series of raspy coughs destroyed his overall guise of stealth. He unsheathed his claws as he fought against them, lashing his tail angrily and stalking to the far edge of the clearing where his disturbance would not affect the crowd.

'Cause I want more

[Avery]

Tags: [Acro.]
Music: A jumble
Words: 352
Ooc:

It had been several moons since her apprentice ceremony and the young she-cat padded into the Gathering with the same excited energy that she had had during her first time here.A majority of the apprentices that swirled around her held bored expressions considering they had been to plenty of these before, but for Fleetpaw, Gatherings never got old. There was always something new to see or someone new to meet, and the stories the other Clans told were almost always fur raisers. Eyes scanning the growing crowd while scents mingled into one strong stench of cats she tried to decipher each one. The sweet scent of her own Clan, the fishy tang of Sunsetclan, the scent of rain from Stormclan and the wind riddled one of Whisperclan entered her nose. Grey whiskers twitching in delight at the prospect of another adventure the apprentice maneuvered herself around the crowd, wanting to find someone to join in her fun, yet no one seemed interested. Huffing at the fourth decline she wove her way out of the throng towards the edge, hoping to catch an eye from there.

Was no one wanting to have fun? Were they all just here to listen to stuffy leaders?

Boring.

That was until a lone scent caught her attention.

A Whisperclan that was heading away from the Gathering.

Now this was interesting.

Padding after the trail with her coat fluffed up and crackling with rebellious energy at the thought of going against her mentors wishes. The earlier warning from Stormflower about staying in sight drifting away with each paw step. She was still going to be in the clearing... Somewhat. She wasn't technically breaking any rules. Hearing coughing up ahead her ears pricked forwards and it wasn't long until the frame of the owner of those coughs came into view. The tom was young, probably around her age, and seemed to have an irritated air around him.

"An awfully long way to come to cough don't you think?" She asked cheerfully, her hazel eyes dancing with mischief. "I'm Fleetpaw, who are you?"

[[Acro.]]

ooc:// WOO! Also, just got weird inspiration to make Raggedpaw... fun.
Fun for us. It will be a terrible time for him.

"An awfully long way to come to cough don't you think?"

Amber eyes widened as the young tom whirled around, his thick fur fluffing out in a ways that were entirely undignified.

"I'm Fleetpaw, who are you?"

Who was he?

Who was he??

He was darkness. He was shadow.

He was embarrassed.

Clearing his throat and forcing his jet fur to settle, Raggedpaw lifted his chin and squared his shoulders, ignoring the way his ears burned from this she-cat finding him during one of his fits. "Awfully long way to follow someone who's coughing," he returned, hoping his wit was impressive enough. "I'm Raggedpaw," he offered, wishing his voice sounded older and that the pitch from kithood had finished deepening. He also wished his gangly body, stretched from growth spurts, would hurry up and fill-out already. He was getting sick of this whole "in between" business.

He was also plain getting sick, but such was his life story.

His bright amber eyes took in this stranger--this she-cat, looking her over and then hastily returning to her face once he realized he had, perhaps, been staring. And it had, perhaps, been awkward. "I, um... why did you follow me?" he blurted, trying to sound mysterious and aloof but really only succeeding in sounding paranoid and defensive.

[Avery]

tags: [Acro.]
Words: 281
Muse: Gooodd
Music: Jumbles
--

Awfully long way to follow someone who's coughing
I'm Raggedpaw." A slight pause and then, "I, um... why did you follow me?"

Black tipped ears twitched and a snort escaped her at the young tom's words. "I was curious as to why a cat would wander from the riveting Gathering that is currently taking place. So I went to investigate and came upon you." Padding closer she quickly raked her orbs across him picking up on the gangly appearance and long body. This tom was definitely around the same age as her. Fleetpaw caught his gaze staring at her and with a laugh she settled onto her haunches. "Enjoying the view or something there Raggedpaw? I know my coat is ravishingin this lighting." A cheeky and incredibly teasing tone wrapped around her words as she spoke to him, feeling completely at ease with a cat from another Clan.

Most would call her a mousebrain for even talking to a strange cat, but this was exactly the kind of adventure that she was looking for.

"Why wander away from the crowd? Is there something that you're hiding?" She asked lazily drawing a particularly fluffy tail around her massive paws. Unlike the gangly tom the young she-cat was filling out nicely, although she doubted that she would ever fit her massive paws and big ears, for the most part though she was growing at a normal rate. Except, she could never get her coat to look normal and no matter how many times she ran her tongue through it, the darn fur would always stick out in random directions. So she just went with it.

[[Acro.]]

ooc:// OH I'M SORRY IS IT TIME FOR THIS MIDDLESCHOOL BOY TO OVER-ANALYZE EVERYTHING?

"Enjoying the view or something there Raggedpaw? I know my coat is ravishing in this lighting."

The tom's eyes widened and his mouth fell into a hard line. He immediately made an extremely conscious effort to ensure his gaze never. Left. Her face. "Don't be ridiculous, LeafClanner," he retorted, his voice at first wavering with embarrassment. He had just been trying to see her more clearly so he knew who he was talking to--so he could recognize her later, put a face to the name. What if he caught her trespassing a few days from now (who cared if their Clans were absurdly far apart--it could happen!)? Or one day they met in battle? It was all for purely informative purposes. What, did she think he had been... looking looking at her? Hah! Please.

...please.

She was a LeafClanner. The entire idea is utterly absurd that she would think he was... was admiring her, or something. Goodness.

Obviously her blatant teasing had flown clear over his head.

"Why wander away from the crowd? Is there something that you're hiding?"

"Hiding?" he repeated, like an oh-so-eloquent parrot. "I'm not hiding anything," he defended, tail twitching. "I just... I didn't want to disturb anybody, is all. Shouldn't you be paying attention to the leaders? Gatherings are important, you know; you are being very disrespectful." At least he had an excuse: his coughing would have interrupted everything. but what did she have? Curiosity? Pah! Silly she-cat.

Look at how silly she was being.