>> I'm a new cat, but I want to be your cat [Acro]

[Dyzzie]

Mudgorse. Mudgorse. Mudgorse. The name was running on repeat through his head, as he fought back his proud, but approving grin. He'd finally be able to leave camp, and once more he was making his way towards the cave that he now associated with the female who had been recovering in it for so long. In fact, he was sure she was recovered enough . . . but he prayed that the female wouldn't leave just . . . yet. If he was being completely honest, the pointed tabby prayed she'd never leave. Either way - he had escaped camp as soon as he could to share the news with her, to share his new name. Wanting her to be the first person HE told. His paws ate away at the dirt and rock as he made his way towards her, grinning in delight, as he entered her cavern, "Chance? Are ya in here?" He called out, his tail flicking as his steps eased to a gentle trot, his smile bright and blue eyes glinting as he looked around with joy and excitement, "I wanna tell ya somethin'." He added with a soft, but happy chuckle, finally spotting her and making his way towards her, immediately moving to brush his muzzle against her cheek in greeting, "You're looking very well today." He added, his accented tones ringing sincere, as the southern gentleman charm eased out. He sat, his long fur fluffying out slightly before laying flat again, his expression sincere, and delighted, "I've been given my warrior name finally . . . I, uh . . . I wanted you to be the first person I told." He'd have rather she'd been there with him . . . but, as long as she was close, he was happy . . . As long as he had her . . . he was happy. Not that he could express that to her . . . yet. but one day. One day he'd tell her just what she'd come to mean to him.

[Acro.]

[[Acro.]]

ooc:// Gawd... this. Just so much this.


I am here still waiting...

...I still have my doubts...

...I am damaged at best

"Chance, are ya in here?"

Her ears perked, her eyes slid open, and sleep was erased from her world. It had been a dreamless ease, for once, which she welcomed... but she was not disappointed to have his voice waking her. The sleek feline got to her paws and strode quietly, in her cautious way, to the front of her cavern, where the one cat she trusted in the world was there to greet her. His warmth against her cheek was no longer a foreign force, a potential danger, but, rather, a welcome familiarity; perhaps even a comfort, and she offered the smallest smile in return for him.

Smiling. It was something she was working on.

"You're looking very well today."

Was she?

The lilac-pelted feline glanced down at herself, whiskers spreading in curiosity. Her coat, once ragged, coarse, and dull had practically been transformed into something smooth and well-cared for. There was a healthy sheen to her fur, and bones no longer created harsh angles beneath skin that clung to her like dying leaves. Her body was, finally, taking care of itself...

Because he was taking care of her.

"I've been given my warrior name finally... I, uh... I wanted you to be the first person I told."

Chance's eyes widened. His warrior name? Not being a Clan cat herself, she couldn't understand this Ceremony for all of its depths on a truly personal level... but she understood enough of it to know how much it meant to a cat like Mudpaw, how huge it was for his life. The she-cat lifted her tail and curled it in the air, a physical representation of her growing anticipation, and she leaned forward slightly. "So... you have a new name, now?" she asked quietly, gaze full of wonder and an edging curiosity. A brand new name...? And then, the second thing the tom had said registered with her. "I wanted you to be the first person I told." Her ears began to burn and she dropped her inquisitive tail, self-consciously averting her gaze. Something so grand in his life... and his first thought... was of her? The feline took the smallest step backward, as though his consideration of her was somehow dangerous. but still, she gave the tom a sincere, albeit wavering, smile, and nodded for him to continue. "May I hear it?"

Like you've already figured out

x

[Dyzzie]

The smallest things in life seemed to brighten his day - but they always involved her. The way she had seemed to grow to trust him so much. How just the way he called for her could bring her out of the shadows she seemed to hide in. And by starclan was she beautiful. She'd begun to really show the beauty her ragged state had only hinted at. The lilac pelt that was so unique (he'd never seen it before her). The soft fur that lay delicately. The way she seemed to be so much healthier. He smiled, his gaze watching her with sincere warmth, trying not to let it show just how much her smile brightened his world. A world of darkness when she wasn't there, a world that shone once her presence wrapped around his being like a long lost friend.

He chuckled softly at her curiosity, "Yes ma'am, I do." He paused, before giving a bit more explanation to the ritual, "In clans, when a' apprentice is readeh to bec'me a warrior, and serve 'is clan with out a mentor to guide 'I'm, they gotta pass a series of tests. Basi'lly to show they have the skills and readiness to be an active member o' the clan. Warriors are the hunters, protectors, the guardians of the clan, in a way. It's every clan-cat's goal to be welc'med as a warrior, and pas their apprenticeship. Mine just took a li'le bit longer than normal, 'cause of some issues within the clan." He smiled softly, hoping to explain to her just what this occasion meant to him. How important it was to his life.

How important it was to him, that he take the chance to tell her first, "Of course . . ." He stated, watching her take a bit of a step back, noting the way she seemed to look away. Subconscious maybe? He wasn't sure where it came from, before realizing what he'd said in his rush of delight. Of her being the first he wanted to tell, and he could feel his own skin burn beneath his fur. Had he really said that out loud? He needed to be taking all of this slow. Let her slowly accept him before dropping hints of his . . . infatuation with her. "Mudgorse," He finally stated, lowering himself into a playful bow infront of her, "At yer service, ma'am." He added, standing and winking at her, hoping to ease that soft, small smile back onto her face.

[[Acro.]]

I am here still waiting...

...I still have my doubts...

...I am damaged at best

"Of course."

Her ears perked forwards, eyes back on him, waiting eagerly to hear this new name of his. When he bowed down, however, the she-cat, admittedly, had a frantic moment when she wasn't sure if he was going to pounce toward her, and she leaned slightly away. but then she registered he had spoken, and the sound echoed again through her ears.

"Mudgorse... at yer service, ma'am."

...Mudgorse.

Catching his wink, 'Chance' tilted her head slightly to one side, fascinated by this entire scene. A brand new name--Mudgorse... but she had only ever known him as Mudpaw. Where he, as a Clan cat, was accustomed to the addition and deduction of different suffixes on a regular basis... it was foreign, in her solitary world. A cat's name... they didn't change so easily. Where he saw two parts of a title, from -paw to -gorse, she heard one complete sound: Mudpaw, now Mudgorse.

...but he was just the same cat.

What difference would a name make?

"Tell him," a tired voice whispered; a voice exhausted by the lie she was living. A soul sick of answering for somebody else. A heart hollowed as it longed to hear its name. It had been so long, since she'd heard the sound... she wondered, sometimes, if she would forget it, if she only pretended hard enough that it had never belonged to her. "Tell him," it insisted. Her heart stuttered. Her skin crawled. She swallowed dryly, and then she looked away. "Mudgorse..." she finally repeated, her voice gentle with the sound, taking care not to damage it. Her soft yellow eyes found their way back to him, where they saw pride, anticipation in his expression. Her muzzle inched into a soft smile, and a faint purr trickled out of her chest. "Mud... gorse," she tried again, weighing each sound against the other. "I--" '--have something to tell you,' she nearly blurted, but cut herself off, her smile faltering. "I... think it suits you," she remarked instead, glancing shyly toward the tom, her skin warm. She badly wanted him to know she was proud of him... but she didn't know how to show him.
 

Like you've already figured out

x

[Dyzzie]

The tom could understand how the idea could seem so foreign to her, how his change of name was a moment of pride and accomplishment to him, but to her it could be considered odd. He couldn't relate to her feelings - knowing and growing up as clan, and understanding the way it was. To him, suffixes changed from kithood to apprenticehood to warriorhood. And with the addition of -gorse to his name, he became a warrior, he became something more than he was the day before. She repeated his name the whole of it flowing, and he grinned slightly, meeting her gaze, and feeling an emotion in his chest flutter at the faint purr from her. She repeated it again, a pause between the two parts, before she started to speak, faltering, before commenting that it suited him. A soft chuckle left him as he lay down, his long-furred tail sweeping the ground gentle, "I'd like to think so. It's a well earned name." He paused, trying to explain how the names were earned.

"During our training as apprentices, the clan tends to watch the way we act - the way we behave. We gain our warrior names based on those actions. -Gorse is usually given to the cats that keep pushing forward, resilient in their actions and determined." He stated, pausing, before deciding to explain a bit more about it, "I don't think I've talked much about the customs of the clan? If you'd like to hear more, I'd be happy to explain anything you're confused about. I'm sure it seems odd to you, where as it was just the way I grew up with. As a kit your mother gave you the first part of name, I was called Mudkit because I looked like I had played in mud. When you become an apprentice, the kit changes to paw . . . . kinda like you're learning to think on your paws, and how to hunt and defend, So I went from Mudkit to Mudpaw. And now that my apprenticeship is done, I'm Mudgorse." There was a pause, before he licked her ear gently, "but if it's confusing to you, I won't mind if you continue to call me Mudpaw." He added gently. Hell, for all he cared, she could call him Mud. As long as she remained around to call him anything in general . . . He'd accept anything from her . . . . but then again, he'd do just about anything for her too - so was it such a surprise?

[[Acro.]]

I am here still waiting...

...I still have my doubts...

...I am damaged at best

"-Gorse is usually given to the cats that keep pushing forward, resilient in their actions and determined."

Determined.

...yeah, it suited him.

Her whiskers revealed her smile as the tom continued, talking about the way of his Clan and the others, and how cats were promoted through the ranks of life. It was... interesting. She enjoyed hearing him talk about it--he was obviously proud of his heritage. It came through in his voice.

Newly-named Mudgorse continued his explanation, and Chance listened intently, committing every word to memory. She wanted to learned about the Clans--she wanted to learn about him. If it mattered to him... she was discovering that it also mattered a great deal to her. 

There was so much to feel when you didn't need to feel afraid.

His tongue rasping against her ear snapped her to attention and she caught his closing remark: "but if it's confusing to you, I won't mind if you continue to call me Mudpaw."

She tilted her head at this. Continue to call him Mudpaw...? Her brow furrowed. Admittedly, this was an option she had briefly considered... but she wouldn't do that to him, take away something he was proud of--something he had earned. She shook her head. "No, it's okay," she explained with a nod and a delicate smile. "Mudgorse. I can call you Mudgorse." 'And you can call me Silo,' she automatically finished in her head. Her jaw tensed, a hardness running through the smile she tried to maintain while hoping he couldn't see her secret. To be safe, she looked away, staring toward the light of the cave's entrance. "Mud... gorse," she began, carefully ensuring she called him by the appropriate name. It would take some getting used to, but she would manage. "Could we... maybe go for a walk?" It was hard being in the cave all day and night, and while she was certainly no prisoner there... she did not trust herself to wander without him beside her. It was appropriate for her to have an escort while in the territory, anyway...

And she was terrified of what she might do if ever her legs decided they needed to carry her away.

Like you've already figured out

x

[Dyzzie]

The tom smiled, watching the way she seemed to hang onto the words he said - as if they were important to her as if she was really interested in his world. And it felt good to share some of his world with her . . . as if ti would make them closer, connect them deeper than they already were, a thought that warmed him to his bones. He smiled though, licking his ear, as he gave her the option to use his old name - the one she knew him as.

He wasn't expecting her to deny his offer though, and yet the knowledge that she would learn to call him by something else, to familiarize Mudgorse with him, rather than Mudpaw. He purred softly in thanks, even as he teased her gently, "Well, I promise not ta tease ya tooo horribly, if ya address me by the wrong name." He told her gently, even as he tilted his head to see the faint difference in her expression, an almost steeling moment. It confused him - but he saw it none the less, a brief glance of it. He was getting good at recognizing what her different expressions were . . . what with spending so much time with her. but when she looked away, he assumed that it wasn't something she wanted to share, and he respectfully kept quite about it, unaware of the secret she was hiding in her.

At her question he chuckled softly, nodding as he stepped back, "but o' course, m'lady! I shan't ever think ta keep such a lovely lass hidden away from the world!" He declared, motioning for her to follow him out of the cave, "Where would ya like to walk today?" He asked her, looking down to her curiously, a soft smile on his muzzle, happy to have this time with her . . . happy to be able to have any time with her.

[[Acro.]]

I am here still waiting...

...I still have my doubts...

...I am damaged at best

Following Mudgorse out of the cavern, 'Chance' felt her muscles ease beneath the welcoming sunlight. Her eyes widened, her whiskers reaching for the world and her ears swiveling every which way. She inhaled deeply, parting her jaws just enough to taste the air. Her legs began to itch as flavors pervaded her senses, each step wanting to break further into a run. Open spaces, the forest down below, the inviting cliffsides...

Freedom.

...him.

Her wild eyes fluttered toward the tom and refocused, blinking as she caught his question. "Where would ya like to walk today?"

Right.

Walk.

They were walking.

Tension left her steps, the urge to take off running evaporating each time she inhaled his scent. She didn't need to run--not if he was there. He would keep her grounded. Shaking her head to clear her scattered thoughts, the slender feline stared off ahead and tried to come up with a reply. "Um, well... " Well, she didn't really know much about the territory, so... "It doesn't matter. It's just nice to be out," she explained with a content sigh. Her paws kept her close to the tom's side, her body needing him there as an anchor. Reminding her that she didn't need to be afraid.

Like you've already figured out

x

ooc:// I was actually thinking it might be cool if they ended up by the Catastrophic Chasm...

[Dyzzie]

The tom looked towards the female, smiling as he watched her eyes widen, the way her ears swiveled. Just her reaction to the beautiful day. Dear Starclan, she's beautiful. He thought, watching the way she moved, the light flick of her whiskers. Everything about her that made her shine in his eyes. Her gaze flickered back towards him when he spoke, her eyes refocusing, and he briefly realized how close she must have come to taking off just then. To just going . . . . It pained him, to know she might not be around for much longer. How much longer could he convince her to stay, before she'd journey onward. She was healthy now, vibrant, ready to take on the world . . . and the thought terrified him. Just the mere idea that she could one day leave him behind, and he wouldn't know until after his warrior duties were over and he went to check on her . . . . She could one day leave him, and he wouldn't have the chance to tell her just how he was falling for her - and falling hard.

He smiled softly towards her, shifting his body slightly so she could walk closer, their pelts occasionally brushing, "A'right then, let's just see where our paws take us . . It's a nice day out . . . I'm sure there will be all kinds o'f things to see." He mused gently, walking with her. The foresty-rocky terrain expanded around them as they made their way through the territory - heading unconsciously towards the Catastrophic Chasm, the tom not aware of where they were going until he paused, side stepping to cut her off, realizing just where they were when a few moments before they would have reached the edge. He frowned, glancing around, "It's not always the safest 'ere, perhaps we should head somewhere else." He warned her gently, glancing towards her, his ears flicking slightly, "I can't imagine it'd be fun ta fall to yer death."