[EVENT] Race - Cub/Juve Division - OVER

[YourxStarlessxEyes]

((This is 24 hours, right?))

Kati began to pant as she continued to run. She had to be more careful to get around bends without slipping, and her burst of speed was wearing off. Her legs and lungs were burning, and she wasn't even at the halfway mark yet, although she was making progress. The white cub pulled far ahead of her, and then the brown male cub also passed her. Kati would not give up, though. She wanted to show her queen that the newest generation of female cubs were something to be proud of. She wouldn't let any boys win!

Total: 10  

[Princess_Feylin]

I think so. The timestamp on my post was 3.58 pm EST.

This was the hard part. He had burned through that initial burst of adrenaline and now he would have to push through until he got a second wind. He had never run for long enough to get a second wind before, but he'd heard others talk about it and he thought it sounded pretty awesome to get one. And he was a strong cub, not like that girly boy who was running against him. Though he was certainly persistent, Elvis had to give him that.

Total: 17  

[Princess_Feylin]

It was a horrible feeling, the one developing in Elvis's gut. It was like...like...

"Oh, no," he moaned, heedless of the waste of air it represented.

This could not be happening to him. Not now when he was winning. There was only one thing to be done. Elvis would have to hurry up, win the race, and then find a private bush to relieve himself. This was so humiliating!

But at least it was incentive to run faster, and Elvis's gait acquired a sort of desperation as he ran. At this point he was actually less interested in distinguishing himself in the event than he was in reaching the end. He certainly didn't need crocodiles, hippos, and monsters now!

Total: 22  

[YourxStarlessxEyes]

Kati could feel the mud sticking to her paws, slowing her down some as she continued the race. She had managed to catch back up to the brown male cub, but she was only at the halfway point. The white and purple cub who had been in the lead had disappeared around a bend, and Kati hadn't seen him since. That didn't matter, though, she was determined to finish at her best. Nothing else would do.

Thinking of her siblings watching the race, Kati steeled herself to finish the second half of the race. The mud and thick patch of swamp grass and roots would be no match with her. The young lioness scampered on, caught up in the adrenaline of the race.

Total: 12  

[Princess_Feylin]

There it was! The finish line!

Elvis was so excited he was able to forget that only moments before he had desperately needed to answer nature's call. Instead all that occupied his thoughts was the idea of standing in front of the queen and being praised for how fast and clever and generally wonderful he was. His family was never stinting in praise, of course, and his ego was by no means abused, but Elvis always liked to hear nice things about himself, particularly in a public setting.

The race wasn't over yet, though. Things could still happen that could cause him to lose. The spirits could decide he shouldn't win, though why they would decide that was a great mystery to Elvis. Spirits were supposed to be kind of mysterious though, so that probably wouldn't be entirely out of character for them. Not that he knew what constituted in-character for spirits. That was something adults worried about.

It was important that he didn't slip, didn't trip, and didn't lose his wits. He had to keep his eye on the prize. Both eyes. And then all the eyes would be on him. And that would be glorious. Sometimes Elvis could be a bit of an insufferable twit.

Total: 26  

[YourxStarlessxEyes]

Kati was flagging a little bit, but her speed was still consistent. From the cheering in the distance, Kati surmised the white and purple boy in front of her had won the race. She wouldn't give up, though. She wanted to show a strong finish, and she was over halfway there, now in second place. She was proud of her progress, having started late. All that was left was to keep going.

Total: 15  

[Meepfur]

((If you want~))  

[YourxStarlessxEyes]

((Gonna keep going then. ^_^))

Kati couldn't see or hear any other competitors. It seemed they had all fallen behind. But she couldn't be sure, so the lioness cub kept up her pace, still going at the same pace in order not to exhaust herself, although she was nearing the finish. She would finish and at least be recognized for her spirit!

Total: 18  

[YourxStarlessxEyes]

Kati was slowing slightly, her legs and lungs burning. She tried to breath deeply and normally, but it stung. She was so close though, almost there! She had to keep going.

Total: 20  

[YourxStarlessxEyes]

Towards the end of the race was a particularly tricky section, full of knotted roots and uneven ground. Kati lost her footing a bit, sliding around and tripping, but she kept herself upright, luckily, although she didn't move far.

Total: 21  

[YourxStarlessxEyes]

((So close))  

[Princess_Feylin]

That last burst of speed had been all that was needed to propel Elvis the last bit of the distance between his current position and the finish line. His breath had filled his chest and all other matters left his mind as he found himself embodying the sweet victory he had envisioned when he asked to be allowed to enter the race. Glorious!

Even after he had crossed the finish line Elvis kept running, unable to stop himself right away with all that forward momentum keeping him in motion. When he finally did stop he more or less collapsed in his tracks, his tongue sticking out as he panted his exhaustion. He had not really done much in the way of training for this race, at least not nearly as much as he ought to have done, and he was completely spent.

He was also covered with mud at this point, but that didn't bother the mostly-white cub. He lived in the Swamplands. Mud was a part of his life, and he was young enough that the responsibility for licking it off wasn't his, but his mother's, and that meant he was still fairly careless about it. As he lay in the mud panting he closed his eyes and grinned. He would learn soon enough who had come in after him and offer them his congratulations, but in the mean time he just wanted to rest.