Closed The Colony collision course [thunder]

[GHOSTSTRIKE]

THERE'S A POINT WE PASS FROM WHICH WE CAN'T RETURN​

---

The rain had started as nothing more than a faint drizzle, hardly noticeable beyond the occasional tap of water on leaves and the damp scent in the air. As such, Ghost had paid it little mind. The light mist was nothing in the long run, and he'd sooner eat the bark off a tree than accept another offering he hadn't worked for.

The drizzle grew heavier as Ghost crouched low, his dark fur bristling slightly as his muscles tensed. The faint, fluttering scent of his quarry—bird—was tantalizingly close now. Just a little closer, and—

A deafening clap of thunder tore through the forest, startling his prey into flight. Ghost growled softly as he watched it disappear into the treetops, the rain slowly beginning to pick up around him. "Perfect bloody timing."

No point in hunting now. The scent trails would be washed out and the prey would take to ground to wait out the storm. He could either sprint back toward camp in hopes of saving himself from a nasty bout of yellowcough, or he could try and scope out some kind of shelter closer by.

If half his body didn't still feel like it'd been put through a tenderizer, he likely would have just jogged back in the storm. It wouldn't have been the first time, and he'd certainly travelled in worse conditions for longer. But since he'd had an entire building toppled on him just a little over a week ago, he and was still nursing several half-healed cuts and bruises, he afforded himself the easier options just this once, just to prove there was nobody there to tell him he couldn't.

So he made his way deeper into the forest, where the half-barren canopies of oaks and maples kept him from being soaked to the bone as he maneuvered quickly and deliberately through the underbrush. His mind couldn't help but wander to The Coalition, and how a storm like this would've been the perfect opportunity for someone to go missing. The kind of weather that drowned out scent and tracks alike.

It wasn't long until he found what he was looking for. A few paces ahead was a large, fallen log, half buried beneath the earth and overgrown with moss. Hardly luxurious, but it was better than standing out there and waiting for lightning to strike him dead.

Then again..

Ghost slipped inside, his broad shoulders brushing against the damp, rotting wood as he settled in– only to stop just inside.

"You." he stated flatly. Because of course it was the one cat whose stupid hair and even dumber grin were the last thing he wanted to see right now. They were always too quick to offer him help or to try pulling him into a conversation he'd never agreed to be a part of, and more often than not Ghost wasn't sure what to do with any of it.

@THUNDER

​

---

future thunderclanner - male - a large, grey tabby with dark amber eyes and several scars​

​

 

[THUNDERFLASH]

☆ Thunder's favorite thing must have been his namesake. To be so at peace hearing the rumbles cross the lands... his ears perked every which way as he was out hunting, looking for signs of any prey in the waning season. The mist has been present long before he set out, but it was soon growing heavier. A breath left him as he hunched his head, vision catching that of a downed log. His paws were quick to get himself, hunkering down.

Baby blues shifted and closed, humming softly as the thunder started to clap and shake and rock the forest. And like that he stayed for a long few minutes before an interruption in what was a perfectly normal day for Thunder occurred- ears perked as pawsteps approached. His fur bristled, head turning towards the end of the log, his only escape, as it darkened from what little light the storm allowed through. He didn't recognize him at first, the tabby that he had helped, so he remained quiet, trying to control his breathing.

Then his head turned, and his white-plated face with those deep browns met his own, and the chocolate tabby shoved his ears forward, trying to force his fur to lay flat. "Wha' is that supposed t' mean? I was here first!" Thunder briefly argued back, his tail twitching in the small space he had allowed himself. Seriously, how did that guy even fit in here? He was huge!

Thunder's eyes shifted from Ghost to the entrance beyond, and he was... sore to find himself stuck, but he knew how to make a conversation out of anyone. So he shifted, tucking his paws beneath him, eyes shifting from brief annoyance to mirth as he looked at Ghost. "How's the uh.. forest treatin' you anyways? Anythin' good?" He questioned. Maybe Thunder knew he had left camp to hunt- maybe he didn't.

‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ITS TIME TO DO IT NOW ☆ AND DO IT LOUD

• "speech"
  

• ref tba

• THUNDER he/him, future thunderclanner, nineteen moons.
  ☆ a sh/lh chocolate tabby with low white and stunning baby blue eyes. stands of average height with a 'mohawk' and spiky-shaped mane.
  ☆ mentored by who / mentoring no one
  ☆ whichever relations / want listed
  ☆ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ☆ penned by dallas ↛ dallasofnines on discord, feel free to dm for plots.

 

[GHOSTSTRIKE]

THERE'S A POINT WE PASS FROM WHICH WE CAN'T RETURN​

---

For a second, Ghost considered going back out into the storm to look for another place to hunker down. Somewhere easier, where the walls weren't so tight around him and he didn't have to focus on the chattering of another cat while simultaneously reminding himself that he wasn't trapped under several feet of rubble. It was almost funny, considering it wasn't even the first time he'd been trapped. It was par for the course, actually; leading off some mutts and treeing yourself until they left, or wedging yourself up under something until they got bored and went away.

Guess having an escape route counts for more than you'd think.

A flash of lightning briefly lit up the wall of the makeshift den as if to remind him of what he'd be facing if he chose to brave the storm, and with a nearly imperceptible sigh stepped a little farther inside, ignoring Thunder as they voiced their claim to the space.

"Means I thought I was getting some peace and quiet." he huffed lightly, 'Now move over before I end up sitting on you." he mumbled as he maneuvered himself into the space a bit more, trying to get comfortable in a position that would give him eyes on the entrance and the cat farther in the space. When he realized he was too big to do that, he settled on keeping an ear to the entrance and his face to the stranger.

"Hunt went to shit with the storm. Pretty sure that bird's laughin' at me from a dry perch right now." he answered, fluffing out his coat to try and get some of the water off it without flat out shaking and soaking the other. "Take it your luck wasn't much better?" he asked, since there was no sign of prey in their little space.
​

---

future thunderclanner - male - a large, grey tabby with dark amber eyes and several scars​

​

 

[THUNDERFLASH]

☆ His eyes shifted back towards the entrance as the flash of lightning colored the hollow he was shoved in. Thunder's own body was tucked neatly away, his ears forward and blue eyes focused on the space just over Ghost's shoulder. They slid back moments later, catching the other's gaze before they dropped away. For some reason, Thunder got the inclination that Ghost didn't like being too close to others- maybe his wide-eye stare that he normally gave to whoever was talking to him was unnerving. That much, he had been told before.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it, big guy." Thunder teased- his voice was light, nearly melodic. He tried his best to jam himself further into the hollowed tree, ears laying down and debris settling onto his skin. Thunder didn't seem to mind, beyond a huff leaving him. "Righ', almost cozy down here." He said, that grin finding his face moments before he got his answer back about how the forest was treating the other tom.

Thunder lifted his vision towards Ghost again, grin dropping away. "A bird, huh? Gotta be quick with those. 'specially these days- gettin' col' out." He quipped. Vision adverted as water was tossed, his nose tucking into his chest briefly. His ears flamed a hint red at the accusation, but he gave up the ghost- ha ha, very funny- before Thunder even tried to argue. "Between th' rain and th' oncomin' thunder.. nah. Nothin' much scent wise. Hardly anythin' to hear." He shifted, trying to roll onto once side, to get a hint more comfortable, but it was tight.

"Then th' thunder started. I coul' almost nap with th' noise of th' storm." He said, that grin spreading onto his maw again- except it was softer, more fond of the subject then the small talk he had tried to start. Well, he had started. Ghost had responded to him, and that was something, right?

‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ITS TIME TO DO IT NOW ☆ AND DO IT LOUD

• "speech"
  

• ref tba

• THUNDER he/him, future thunderclanner, nineteen moons.
  ☆ a sh/lh chocolate tabby with low white and stunning baby blue eyes. stands of average height with a 'mohawk' and spiky-shaped mane.
  ☆ mentored by who / mentoring no one
  ☆ whichever relations / want listed
  ☆ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ☆ penned by dallas ↛ dallasofnines on discord, feel free to dm for plots.

 

[GHOSTSTRIKE]

THERE'S A POINT WE PASS FROM WHICH WE CAN'T RETURN​

---

He kept reminding himself it was nothing new, this proximity. That he'd shared tighter spaces with more cats than this in his nearly two years or so of life, huddled together in a too shallow den in the middle of winter, or pressed flat against each other in some narrow space to avoid the eager snapping of a dogs teeth.

At least there's no dog here if this one tries to shove me out. he thought bitterly, feeling an old scar on his shoulder twinge at the memory. Of course, that'd been a long time ago, when he was small enough for a single-pawed shove to move him.

A cat would lose their arm if they tried that with him now.

Thankfully his temporary denmate seemed to hedge in the opposite direction, giving him what space could be afforded, all with that relentless grin on their maw. What was there to be so happy about? "Cozy, right." That was certainly one word for it.

He hummed in agreement at the comment on the bird, though it was hard to tell if he actually agreed or was just nodding along to appease the other. Though, an invisible brow seemed to quirk ever so slightly when they mentioned wanting to nap.

"Not worried about what you can't hear comin'?" he questioned, because his own instinct was certainly not to nap. In fact, if he'd had his way he would have been alone in here with his eyes on the entrance. Quiet and still. Waiting for the trouble that always seemed to rear it's head.

In lieu of that, the ear he had trained behind him gave a subtle flick.

"Or have you colony cats not run into something worth bein' afraid of, yet?" he asked, dark eyes catching blue-- a yawning abyss against a sprawling sky.

​

---

future thunderclanner - male - a large, grey tabby with dark amber eyes and several scars​

​

 

[THUNDERFLASH]

☆ On the other paw, Thunder seemed.. relatively relaxed. Perhaps it was the good-natured look on his face or how relaxed he managed to force himself to be- but there were alarm bells in his head, given how close he was stuffed inside a hollowed out log with a mysterious cat- who had only been here a week and change- and well... he was stuffed in the log. He was uncomfortable. He knew well enough that even though the cat in front of him, though lagged from what seemed to be heavy injury before, could easily kill him.

The thoughts were washed away just like rain the longer they spoke, though. Another dangerous thing- he trusted too easy. Thunder knew that. He knew that from the instant he set the first piece of prey next to Ghost that he trusted too easy. Gave too easy. A breath left him as he was questioned, head tilting briefly. "I-" That he hadn't considered. He fell silent as Ghost's other question rang out in the air in-between them.

Now, they shared eye contact, and crap, was it intense. Thunder's eye twitched, his brow lowering over his eyes. "'Course we have." He responded. ".. But the.. amount of cats in th' area have drained prey-supply. Have made i' hard for prey to hunt anything but us, and.. they know if they stay away from us, there's more prey." He responded, tail-tip flicking behind him. His head tilted briefly, thinking before he opening his mouth again. "Way I see it though..."

His eyes shifted away briefly before turning right back, as if he had summoned his courage. "Got a big guy in between me n' danger righ' about now." His eyes sparkled with curious eyes, a grin finding his face. "Unless you're the danger, then, well.. m' real screwed."

‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ITS TIME TO DO IT NOW ☆ AND DO IT LOUD

• "speech"
  

• ref tba

• THUNDER he/him, future thunderclanner, nineteen moons.
  ☆ a sh/lh chocolate tabby with low white and stunning baby blue eyes. stands of average height with a 'mohawk' and spiky-shaped mane.
  ☆ mentored by who / mentoring no one
  ☆ whichever relations / want listed
  ☆ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ☆ penned by dallas ↛ dallasofnines on discord, feel free to dm for plots.

 

[GHOSTSTRIKE]

THERE'S A POINT WE PASS FROM WHICH WE CAN'T RETURN​

---

Ghost had come to learn of the colony's prey problem throughout his stay there. It was an echo of his own colonies origins story, and he couldn't help but wonder how long it would take for the lack of resources to unravel things. As dark eyes were drawn toward the chocolate tabby, he found what could have been disappointment rising at that thought. How long would it take for them to lose that spark in their eyes? The everlasting grin on their maw? And it wasn't just Thunder. Several of the colony cats had a similar hopelessness to them, a light that would inevitably go out when the weight of the world finally found itself bearing down on them.

"Big guy doesn't mean big shield. Trust your instincts, not your company." Ghost wouldn't risk his neck for any of these cats. According to them he owed them nothing, so he wasn't sure what made the other tom so certain he would stand between him and danger rather than shove him into it to save his own skin. Perfect Coalition etiquette.

"Unless you're the danger, then, well.. m' real screwed."

He was pretty sure they both knew the answer to that.

"Better stay on my good side then." he replied with a twitch of his own tail, in what very much could have been a return in humor, however dry it might be.

This unexpected meeting did have its potential benefits, though. Thunder was nothing if not eager to chat, and he had a feeling it wouldn't be hard to discreetly pull some answers from the tom without giving too much away. 'So, if the prey around here so scarce that the predators don't even come sniffin' around anymore, why haven't you and the others cleared out, too?"

​

---

future thunderclanner - male - a large, grey tabby with dark amber eyes and several scars​

​

 

[THUNDERFLASH]

☆ Trust your instincts, not your company.

"Yer right, yeah." He retorted, his head tilting curiously- almost dog-like, if not for the way his eyes still glimmered with mischief that only cats could pull off. "Got a feelin' my instincts are a'right, though. Think m' gonna manage." He said, tone light and playful, as per usual. Thunder had hardly stumbled in his tone or conversation since Ghost had arrived and jammed him further into the log.

His ears perked, and he grinned again. "Ah, so I'm there already, m' I?" He said, though it was entirely rhetorical. Knowing that he was on the good side of the bigger cat was inspiring, to say the least- maybe it was the prey he had brought throughout Cicada's treatment of the matted tom. But there was a sense of warmth knowing, at least, his life wasn't on the line here. He relaxed at the thought, rain continuing to patter about them.

It was Ghost's turn to puncture questions into this conversation, though- his ears twitched, shifting forward and back towards Ghost as he moved his daylight blues towards him. "Ain't tha' th' conversation right now." A sigh left him, chin tilting down briefly as he considered his answer. He was unreadable for a moment, the grin flickering away like a shadow as the... rougher tone of conversation won out the lighter-hearted one- one that Thunder honestly preferred.

"Loyalty, maybe. Maybe this is th' only place acceptin' some of us n' any kind of manageable walk." He replies, vision finally remaining on the floor of the log, a frown replacing that of his grin. Calculating, more then sadness, was the tone there- where his eyebrows drew together and eyes narrowed in thought. "Some have family, that keep em' here. Can't move old souls n' all that. Others are loyal to our 'leaders'." He says. "Don't get me wrong, though. 've though' of leavin' myself once 'r twice."

‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ITS TIME TO DO IT NOW ☆ AND DO IT LOUD

• "speech"
  

• ref tba

• THUNDER he/him, future thunderclanner, nineteen moons.
  ☆ a sh/lh chocolate tabby with low white and stunning baby blue eyes. stands of average height with a 'mohawk' and spiky-shaped mane.
  ☆ mentored by who / mentoring no one
  ☆ whichever relations / want listed
  ☆ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ☆ penned by dallas ↛ dallasofnines on discord, feel free to dm for plots.

 

[GHOSTSTRIKE]

THERE'S A POINT WE PASS FROM WHICH WE CAN'T RETURN​

---

"Somehow." he agreed, the word punctuated by a sigh that seemed to say 'even I don't know how you ended up there'. But it was true. As annoying as Thunders perpetually bright eyes were, and despite the fact that Ghost was fairly certain they'd only be spit out by the world in the end, there were worse cats he could have been jammed into a log with.

He watched them as they went on to explain just why the group stuck around, and Ghost had to bite off the scoff he wanted to let loose at the mention of the old and family– of loyalty. Did such a thing even exist in this world, or did everyone have a price they were willing to bend for?

He wondered what Thunders might be.

"Your 'leaders' been half-dead since I got here. Think it might be time to put your prey on a different cat." he mused, his lack of sympathy a little disturbing. Then again, he'd never been great at caring about cats he didn't know, like a defense mechanism of growing up the way he had. Easier to survive that way.

"It's not so bad out there…" Ghost shrugged as Thunder mentioned leaving. Better than where he'd been born, at least. "And why would you need to join up with a new group? Just take some cats from this one with you and start you own. I imagine there'd be at least a few who'd be keen on doing more than just sittin' here waiting for the prey to come back." What was the worst that could happen by leaving– death? They were already staring a potential famine in the face that wasn't likely to get better with winter.

He hated to say that it sounded like an obvious answer, but it did. One he was now bitter about his own colony not having made. Why had the Coalition stayed there with all it's losses and pain, when it could have just gone elsewhere? Ghosts little journey of escape had showed him enough to confirm there was a much larger world with much more in it than he'd first understood. Perhaps these colony cats didn't understand it yet, either?

"If not, can't say I'll envy you come leafbare. I sure won't be sorry to be gone by then." he huffed, and wasn't that the truth? It would just be The Coalition all over again, and the grey tank of a cat had no interest in sticking around to see how that played out. There was no fun to be had in watching cats waste away before your very eyes, and he didn't intend to be among them when it happened. He'd sooner take his chances in the nearby twoleg place, or maybe he'd follow the thunderpaths farther out into the countryside...

​

---

future thunderclanner - male - a large, grey tabby with dark amber eyes and several scars​

​

 

[THUNDERFLASH]

☆ Ghost's words seemed to continue to kill the ever-perpetual grin on Thunder's face, his eyes narrowed at the log in front of his paws. Now he felt stuck, despite what he was hearing... yeah, he knew damn well that Ghost was right. He knew damn well that their leader was dying, and they were all starving. He wasn't sure what he expected, really, giving Ghost of all cats that kind of explanation. A breath was taken, eyes snapping up, finally returning towards those much darker then his own- honestly, he was having difficulty seeing them, the darker it got.

"Been worse places then this." He remarked, almost tart, before his eyes dropped away. "Cats here don' look a' me like I'm scorned 'r worthless. I like feelin' like I mean a damn." Thunder responded, his tail twitching briefly. Thunder clapped again overhead, lightning outlining Ghost's form. Eyes scanned the other briefly, listening to his words but not really processing them. Ghost was about to learn the next, new thing about the chocolate tabby he had decided to trap: stubborn.

"'sides. I've put enough effort n'to feedin' half of this place as i' is. No' just gonna give up." Thunder responded, trying to straighten out and whacking his head on the log. He curses beneath his breath, crouching down again. Simmer, damnit. He shakes out what little fur he can, trying to reset himself and his hair- he's sure it's all kinds of dirty and messed up- before something occurs to him. Vision switches back towards dark browns, narrowing briefly.

"Y' were half dead when y' showed up. Under a bush." Thunder challenged. "Where would y' even go?" He asked. And would you leave everyone here behind? Myself? A selfish thought, one he kept to himself.

‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ITS TIME TO DO IT NOW ☆ AND DO IT LOUD

• "speech"
  

• ref tba

• THUNDER he/him, future thunderclanner, nineteen moons.
  ☆ a sh/lh chocolate tabby with low white and stunning baby blue eyes. stands of average height with a 'mohawk' and spiky-shaped mane.
  ☆ mentored by who / mentoring no one
  ☆ whichever relations / want listed
  ☆ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ☆ penned by dallas ↛ dallasofnines on discord, feel free to dm for plots.

 

[GHOSTSTRIKE]

THERE'S A POINT WE PASS FROM WHICH WE CAN'T RETURN​

---

"I like feelin' like I mean a damn.

Ghost wasn't sure what he thought of that, or how it made him feel, but Thunder declared it so openly– so easily-- that it left him without a proper comeback. He'd never been made to feel like he was worth anything to anyone else before, so it was hard to say if it was the kind of thing worth killing and dying over. Most things weren't, but it made it hard to chastise the other or criticize them for their foolishness. So instead, Ghost took another look at them, trying to see anything he might have missed before. Something that would answer the nearly endless sea of questions he had about this odd cat.

Where that curiosity came from to begin with was beyond him, but he was content to chalk it up to the simple fact that Thunder was one of the first non-Coalition cats to ever speak to him at length before. As experienced as the gruff tabby might be in the art of survival and violence, he lacked severely when it came to the world beyond the colony. He only knew of the city where dogs and cats waged war with one another. Had never travelled beyond it or spoke to cats from elsewhere. In fact, until he'd pulled himself from the rubble and stumbled into the back of that truck, he'd been convinced that life was simply like that everywhere, a world of coalition colonies waging war on enemies.

He still wasn't sure if he was wrong, but so far the only thing killing this colony, was itself.

"Settle." he called as the other worked themselves up enough to whack their own head off the roof, though there was a hint of amusement in the admonishment. " You're a strange, stubborn thing." he relented with a subtle shake of his crown. "First cat I've met that would throw his life away over something like loyalty." he scoffed, but there was no real bite behind it. If anything, Ghost seemed to regard them with a confused sort of acceptance. It'd been a while since he'd met anyone with that kind of spark– though granted, the Coalition didn't exactly breed bravery into its lower ranks. They'd have to worry about an uprising, if so. And those who were born with it usually had it snuffed out soon enough.

But Thunder wasn't a Coalition cat, was he? None of these cats were. And it left Ghost with the unsettling realization that he was the strange one. Perhaps Thunder was what a cat was supposed to be like– was what Ghost himself might have been had he not lived the life he had.

"I was." he agreed, could still feel the sting and pull of those half-healed wounds, a multitude of new scars to add to the worn, beaten canvas of his body. He didn't even look like the majority of these cats, half-mauled as he was. And it was now, crammed into a damp, dark hole in the middle of a rainstorm, that Ghost realized the cat sitting with him had tried to save his life. And he hadn't been the only one. "Still not sure why you and that other one didn't just leave me there. For all you know, you saved a monster."

He'd been covered in blood and was half-delirious when they'd found him, and the scars covering his body could have only been red flags to them. He could have been anyone; a killer, a liar, a cheat– the kind of person who deserved to bleed out in the dirt. If I'd woken up and gutted one of your friends for their food, how would you have felt about saving me, then? he wanted to ask. He didn't, though. And he wasn't sure why.

He hummed in thought at their final question, a sliver of tension bleeding out of him as he seemed to seriously consider it. "Anywhere I want." he settled on, mostly because he had no idea what was out there. He didn't need to know in order to go, though. That was the beauty of being free. "Not like I can go back home, and your colony isn't exactly able to take on more mouths to feed. Makes the most sense, movin' on."

​

---

future thunderclanner - male - a large, grey tabby with dark amber eyes and several scars​

​

 

[THUNDERFLASH]

☆ Ghost all but mirrors his thoughts, to which eyes twitch towards him suspiciously. He couldn't read minds, right? His following words took the time to stun Thunder in turn. A stubborn thing, he definitely was that. But strange? He almost retorted, but the next sentence kept his mouth shut for a long moment. Throw his life away over something like loyalty. Though the statement itself was nearly scathing, there was no bite or ire to Ghost's words, unlike how most of his sentences normally went, having had minimal conversation with Ghost so far. All that being said, though.. Thunder's ears twitched as he continued to think. He wasn't exactly loyal to Fray- he wasn't eating out of that cat's paws or anything, he could handle himself. What was he loyal to? Himself, his claim on what he was, who he was? That he was honest, loyal towards.

Ghost continues, though, and it pulls him out of his momentary silence. "I don't know. I don't think I'd throw my life away for Fray r' nothin' like tha'..." There is the spirit of other words hidden behind his statement, given how he trailed off. He cleared his throat, however, eyes shifting across Ghost's flank. "Y' healin' okay?- well-" He inhales, eyes moving back to meet with Ghost's own. "I could've saved one, aye, you're right. " Thunder said, his head slowly nodding. Yeah, he was the first soul that came across Ghost's half-dead body. Truly, all of the saving was his fault, to start, wasn't it?

"Bu'.. I get th' feeling tha' if you wanted any of us dead n' gone?" His tail swept behind him. "You'd've done i' already." Thunder said, and he wasn't joking around this time- deeply serious eyes still were making direct eye contact, baby blues more stormlike then before. Something told him that good still burned inside of that cold, cold shell that Ghost put on. It was no lie that he wasn't perfect, no, Ghost was far from that. Tart words, eyes that probably could burn a hole in someone's flank... but the way he dropped prey, unpoisoned, at Thunder's paws...

His ears twitched as Ghost spoke about leaving again, and he sighed- head dropped forward again. "Be a shame t' see y' go, honest. 's much as having another mouth t' feed is a pain, aye, you'd be returnin' the favor for yourself n' change." Thunder argued, though he was soft in tone. Speaking honestly, for what he thought was true. "I know yer capable. Caught tha' piece of prey y' gave to me, even though yer still healin'." He gestured back to the wounds he had just inquired about- ever the bleeding heart, even though he was stuck between Ghost and a literal hard place.

Another sigh left him. "But, y' do what y' want. I'm not yer Dad." He was back to joking again, even though the grin hadn't returned, even though there was a haunted look still in his eyes.

‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ITS TIME TO DO IT NOW ☆ AND DO IT LOUD

• "speech"
  

• 

• THUNDER he/him, future thunderclanner, nineteen moons.
  ☆ a sh/lh chocolate tabby with low white and stunning baby blue eyes. stands of average height with a 'mohawk' and spiky-shaped mane.
  ☆ mentored by who / mentoring no one
  ☆ whichever relations / want listed
  ☆ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ☆ penned by dallas ↛ dallasofnines on discord, feel free to dm for plots.

 

[GHOSTSTRIKE]

WE SLEEP SAFELY AT NIGHT BECAUSE ROUGH MEN STAND READY TO VISIT VIOLENCE ON THOSE WHO WOULD HARM US

​

---

"Never said you would." Fray hadn't been around for a while from the sound of it. And it wasn't Fray the chocolate tabby was working so hard to feed- at his own expense, mind you. "But the others? You don't seem so keen on turning your back on 'em." he observed, and Ghost wondered how long they'd stay here, breaking their back for the cats that needed him– the ones that made him feel like he was worth something. Would he go until he dropped, or did even a big talker like Thunder have his limits when it came to handing out charity?

"Healing fine– faster than I'm used to. Whatever that menace of a healer's been doing is apparently workin'." He didn't mention the pain of the bruises that still darkened the skin beneath his fur, or the nightmares that were known to rear their heads on the regular, keeping him from a full night's rest. They weren't important in the long run, when his cuts were sealing shut and the cold made his joints ache a little less each day.

Thunder wasn't necessarily wrong in his assumptions. If he really wanted to hurt him, or Cicada, or any of the other cats that called the colony home, there was nothing stopping him from doing so. Maybe there really was a part of him that wanted to live, despite everything. The same part that had clawed him free of the rubble and dragged him into the back of that truck. He supposed that was something he would have to come to terms with soon, now that he knew the world was more than what his birth-home had painted it to be. There weren't dogs sniffing around every corner, or a tyrannical hierarchy to adhere to in every group you saw– but that understanding would never fully undo what he carried with him now, or the painful knowledge that such places and such cats did exist out there.

Ghost was capable, and perhaps a little arrogantly, knew he'd make a useful addition to the ranks of these cats. He was fast and strong and used to high-pressure situations, and had already proven he could contribute if inclined to do so. But that wasn't the issue. Ghost didn't want to be trapped under the thumb of another leader, nor did he wish to be responsible for the lives of other cats anymore. He was tired of watching them die. Tired of being the last one standing. The death of the Coalition had been his opportunity to either find some kind of relief in death, or live on away from the strife that was constantly burying him and those around him.

He couldn't trap himself by staying here.

It would be stupid.

Completely pointless.

And yet he couldn't help but take note of the others shift in disposition, their mood seeming to dampen despite the joking tone they took with him. Disingenuous. And that look in their eyes– Ghost wasn't sure he liked it.

"Won't be fit for proper travel for another moon I expect, so you'll have me at least 'til then." The 'you' obviously meaning the clan and the 'him' obviously meaning his 'capable skills'.

He didn't offer the information as consolation. Didn't care if it helped ease any concern about an immediate departure. He was just stating the obvious was all. Or as much as he was willing to share. While Thunder had proven to not be the worst company he'd ever been forced to keep, he still didn't trust the chatterbox beyond pointless surface level conversation. He wasn't about to reveal that hunting left him dizzy and out of breath if he went for too long because of the bloodloss. Or that he was waiting for the ache in his ribcage to finally go away.

Another flash of lightning drew his gaze over his shoulder, followed by a loud crash of thunder overhead, and the barest of smirks touched his lips as he turned back to face the blue-eyed colony cat before speaking.

"I see why they call you Thunder." Loud. Hard to ignore. Heralded by the flash of something bright those eyes. He went over the mental checklist in his head, unsure whether to be annoyed or amused.
​

---

future thunderclanner - male - a large, grey tabby with dark amber eyes and several scars​

​

 

[THUNDERFLASH]

☆ Thunder's eyes narrowed briefly at the observation- but he let it go. He was right, damn the bigger tabby. He didn't want to think he was doing the same thing he had been doing for his father, and yet, here he was. Stuck out in a storm, inbetween a stranger- one that continues to warn him he might be dangerous- and a hard place- this stupid log he had chosen to hide in. Stuck in this preposterous cycle of feed and care for all, it is your duty, but he wasn't high-end blood anymore.

No, he was just Thunder, stuck in a log.

"Cicada's good at what they do." He says, breaking out of a perpetual cycle of thought finally. "Herb's n' all that. I never had a brain for i'." Thunder offered, a breath leaving him. His sisters had been better at that, he thought. There is a brief question, a wonder to where they were or how they were doing, but it was gone in an instant. Nearly as soon as they did, the next tumble of thoughts followed and came on. Ghost did look fine, but the way he spoke was almost making him think he wasn't telling the truth. Or, at least the whole truth.

Maybe it's the way he grew silent afterwards, the way those dark eyes shifted away briefly. Ears twitched and swayed, Thunder looking between both of the other's irises before a sigh left him, nearly exasperated. He wasn't going to be able to look the rest of the words out of him. And maybe the way the discarded thoughts from before pushed through just made it too obvious how he felt, because Ghost's confirmation of sticking around for a month was a surprise. He didn't just say that because Thunder looked like a kicked puppy (okay, not really, his eyes were the only giveaway,) but the way he brightened up was obvious.

"Y' mean tha'?" The accent returned, thick on his words as the grin buzzed back into existance, spreading along otherwise exhausted features. Thunder was tired, be it from the storm or from the nearly constant in-and-out type of pace he had set ever since he arrived, trying to find prey and then trying to find cats to feed it to. Ghost's head turned as another clap of thunder arrived, booming and rolling over the dampened land outside. His head tilted, as if he could peer through the tabby, though he straightened as those dark eyes shifted back to his own.

I see why they call you Thunder. He looked on for a long moment, almost taken at shock value. Most of what they had discussed had nothing to do with him- or was it everything to do with him? Ghost had asked why he stayed. He had been asked if he wasn't worried about his surroundings. About his luck with the hunt. Stop being delusional. He's just a stranger. He bit his cheek for a moment, trying to channel his thoughts before he spoke again. Though, in the meantime, he still remained slightly awestruck at the statement.

When he finally did speak, his grin was still wide, though his vision darted away. "Was what m' Ma named me. Thunder. Matched m' older sister's name- maybe a funny joke, t' her." He finally said. Lightning. His older sister, prettier then he could ever dream of becoming, and the joke- well... Thunder after the Lightning, right? Extremely funny. He thought bitterly. Thinking of his past was like a bitter pill, so he swallowed it down. "Yer one t' talk, though. Ghost. Big ol' Ghostie. Guess i' fits, th' way you seem t' appear n' disappear. Light paws, huh?" He teased back- couldn't help it. Thunder was clearly trying to ease nerves, whether it was his own or.. his own, probably.

‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ITS TIME TO DO IT NOW ☆ AND DO IT LOUD

• "speech"
  

• 

• THUNDER he/him, future thunderclanner, nineteen moons.
  ☆ a sh/lh chocolate tabby with low white and stunning baby blue eyes. stands of average height with a 'mohawk' and spiky-shaped mane.
  ☆ mentored by who / mentoring no one
  ☆ whichever relations / want listed
  ☆ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ☆ penned by dallas ↛ dallasofnines on discord, feel free to dm for plots.

 

[GHOSTSTRIKE]

WE SLEEP SAFELY AT NIGHT BECAUSE ROUGH MEN STAND READY TO VISIT VIOLENCE ON THOSE WHO WOULD HARM US

​

---

"Y'mean tha'?"

The grin was back, like Ghost had flipped a switch and somehow powered it back on just by saying a few words. Was it really that easy? And what did it mean that the blue-eyed cat seemed so pleased to have him around a bit longer? Probably hopin' for another free meal. he justified inwardly, but he wasn't entirely convinced. Wariness waged war with whatever strange feeling sat in his chest at the sight of their smile returning, not used to being the reason it was there on someone's face to begin with. Like so many other things when it came to this tom, he wasn't sure what to do with the information or the feelings attached to it. They shouldn't even be there to begin with. Coalition cats didn't have feelings or opinions or rights. They kept their mouths shut, did as they were told, and if they were lucky enough– good enough at what they did-- they might get to live to see another moon. Those with the sickness of attachment and emotion never lasted long.

But this… it was one of the longest conversations he'd held since turning up here. Hell, if he was being honest it was probably one of the longest conversations he'd had in the better part of a year. And it wasn't about skirmish plans or combat techniques, or with a cat that seemed more inclined to just nervously nod along at the few words he said. Quite the opposite, actually. Thunder seemed more than eager to interact with him despite seeming to know fully well that Ghost wasn't yet proven to necessarily be an ally.

"Said I was, didn't I?" he mumbled, glancing off to the side under the bright focus of shimmering blue. He hadn't even known cats could have eyes like that, the polar opposite to the deep, almost brown amber he was in possession of.

He relaxed a little more when the other went back to ranting about their family– a sister, and a mother. No mention of a father, he noted, or brothers. Dead, or not worth mentioning, he assumed.

"Yer one t' talk, though. Ghost. Big ol' Ghostie. Guess i' fits, th' way you seem t' appear n' disappear. Light paws, huh?"

He wasn't expecting the casual nickname– if you could even call it that. In his younger days a cat might have had the courage to joke with the masked tabby, but that was long behind him, lost right around the time he started properly living up to the name his mother had given him. There wasn't a Coalition cat dead or alive who would have chanced it, and not for the first time, the ever-prepared Ghost found himself caught off guard by the cat in front of him.

"Of course. Would have looked like a fool trampling around like a dog with a name like that." he replied, dark eyes finally tearing themselves away because the truth was, he wasn't sure what the younger cat would see. Thunder had a unique way of inspiring dueling reactions in Ghost. Confused but intrigued. Annoyed but also somewhat charmed. Whatever that weird compulsion was that kept compelling him to humor the smaller tabby even though his brain was waving red flags and urging him to get the hell out of this place.

It's the Coalition. They starved you of the real world for too long. a bitter voice chimed in, eager to justify these abnormalities and shift blame toward something just a little easier to hate.

"It's a shame your mum named you after something so loud– we might have had a snack if you've managed to catch something before the rain hit. " Dark eyes returned to the other, the barest hints of mirth in them as he verbally poked back, preferring to distract with light teasing he could deny later on rather than confront whatever conflicting feelings this odd encounter was inspiring.
​

---

future thunderclanner - male - a large, grey tabby with dark amber eyes and several scars​

​

 

[THUNDERFLASH]

☆ He hummed, content with how Ghost responded- even seemed a hint bashful over his response, even. He noticed the little things. Like when he talked about himself, the focus off of the other, Ghost was more relaxed- his muscles didn't bunch, didn't move to scamper away. Even though it pained him to talk about his family, Thunder saw the value in letting the other listen instead of speak. He made note of this seconds before opening his mouth and rewarding the other with a new nickname.

A pause, then- ears twitched. "Did y' pick yer own name, then?" He questioned quietly. A name had power- that he knew, from the deities that his family back home followed, to that of Fray or Hawthorne. Speaking them caused reactions, added connotations to people. A Ghost disappeared, an apparition. What a cruel thing to name yourself, he thinks to himself, something that somecats don't believe to even be real.

Ghost's next statement flung him out of his circle of thoughts. "Huh?" He asked, blinking briefly before light lit the log's interior again, then another rumble of sound. A breath left him, a tiny laugh- "Dunno 'bout you, if th' lightning wasn't out there, I think I'd still be huntin', rain or shine." He said, grin on his lips still. "Dunno, though. Bein' stuck in here ain' so bad. Gettin' almost warm, over here." He was testing his limits, to a point, but talking to Ghost was.. maybe the most fun he'd had in a couple of days. A chance to relax, chatter. A change from the ever dragging.

Thunder could pick it out, though- the tiniest of crinkles at the corner of Ghost's ever critical eyes when he spoke the tease, the way his shoulders dropped momentarily before drawing back up. His tail flicked behind him. "Would've though' y'd come in here with somethin', rather then nothin'." He shot back.

‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ITS TIME TO DO IT NOW ☆ AND DO IT LOUD

• "speech"
  

• 

• THUNDER he/him, future thunderclanner, nineteen moons.
  ☆ a sh/lh chocolate tabby with low white and stunning baby blue eyes. stands of average height with a 'mohawk' and spiky-shaped mane.
  ☆ mentored by who / mentoring no one
  ☆ whichever relations / want listed
  ☆ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ☆ penned by dallas ↛ dallasofnines on discord, feel free to dm for plots.

 

[GHOSTSTRIKE]

WE SLEEP SAFELY AT NIGHT BECAUSE ROUGH MEN STAND READY TO VISIT VIOLENCE ON THOSE WHO WOULD HARM US

​

---

"No." he answered simply, offering nothing more on the origin aside from the fact that it had not come from him. "There were others who did, though, or who were named by others later on– once they'd earned it."

Not every kit in the Coalitions hind mark was given a name by their parents. Some queens didn't see the point in giving one to a cat that would be dead in a few months time anyways. Instead, the young would either name themselves, or would simply be given a nickname by those around them later on. A tradition that he had quickly gleaned was not the norm in the colony, where every child had a name and a set of watchful eyes on them.

"A damp log's your definition of 'cozy' then?" he mused. And in the warmer weather, sure. Now? Not all too keen on catching my death in the cold just for a mouse. " he replied, unflinching beneath the sudden cracks of thunder that followed each bright flash against the walls of their shelter. "Cicada might have worked a miracle on me once, but I wouldn't trust him to cheat death for me on the daily."

As impressive as the toms ability to heal was, Ghost knew there were some things you just couldn't come back from. A lot of winter illnesses were like that. He was told the stories shortly after he was born of the nearly plague-like winter the cats of the Hind Mark had lived through, and then seen it himself the next year. Granted, the cats of the colony– for all their struggles- still seemed better off food-wise this coming leafbare– but throwing sickness and hunger into the same mix was a dangerous combination for anyone.

"I've barely got my blood back in my veins. What's your excuse?" he challenged, though there seemed to be a glint of something in those dark eyes. "If you're that eager to see what a successful hunt looks like though, you're free to watch– assuming you know how to be quiet long enough to not scare all the prey away, I'll be back out once the storm passes."
​

---

future thunderclanner - male - a large, grey tabby with dark amber eyes and several scars​

​