could've been the champagne || intro

There is a point in Coalwhisker's day where he has a lull in duties, nothing to do until evening patrol. Free time he would rather spend alone, Coalwhisker slinks from camp, unobtrusive in his departure. His long tail flickers behind him and, as he walks, head low and the points of his shoulders rolling with every step, Coalwhisker is guided by memory to his destination. He moves fluidly between brambles and underbrush, a skill he had to learn quickly to avoid having his fur pulled off after a moon. 

Coalwhisker slows as he approaches his destination. A tree, small for a tree but still large for a cat, with pale bark. The edges of it's graygreen leaves are tinged with a sharp, evening orange. This tree has been a favored spot of his since his arrival to ThunderClan, and the base of it is well-worn with proof of his sharpened claws. It is a quiet and sweet-smelling spot, good to curl up against and fall into the quiet of introspection. 

Time passes, and Coalwhisker meditates on his day. Eyes closed, large ears in a resting position. An inhale, an exhale, and a splat. 

He isn't certain what exactly hit him, but the change is immediate. Coalwhisker startles into a jump, landing on all fours stiff-limbed. His breaths come shallow, and his rapid pulse thrums in his ears, in his paws. For a long moment, Coalwhisker remains as he is, frozen and too frightened to move, as if there is an unseen predator lurking nearby, and his moving would be what draws its attention. 

The spell is broken when the source of the hit becomes apparent. Right in front of him, a fruit falls and turns to mush as soon as it hits the ground. Coalwhisker jumps once more, but this time his fur settles after he lands, and his tail slowly unfurls from his belly. It had just been a fruit to hit him, then. Coalwhisker shakes himself like a dog dispelling water, then swipes a paw over the back of his head, and is relieved to see a glob of over-ripened persimmon fall from his neck. 

Just a fruit.

Coalwhisker settles back into his spot cautiously, looking upwards as he sits under the now-identified persimmon tree. It's branches hang heavy with more, but no more seem to be right above Coalwhisker. For now, he should be safe.