TW: Sensitive Content Closed Backwritten The Colony SATURDAY SUN [ found / ghost ]

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This thread occurred at a date previous to its posting date.
This tag is specifically for The Colony prior to the clans forming. It can still be used for any backwritten plots!

THUNDERFLASH

NOTHING TO SAY, NOWHERE TO GO
ThunderClan
102
3
Freshkill
554
Pronouns
he / him
Profile
TAGS
Rank
storm guard
Played by
dallas

His body ached- the only thing that crossed his mind was the way his side still bled, the way his left eye was clouded with blood still. Vision shifted towards the dirt that his head was pressed against, thinking how red it was. How brightly the vermillion shone in the dark starlight, the way his own lifeforce stared up at him in the face. A tiny grunt left him as he tried to move, head heavy. And it was cold. His eyes closed again, thinking that he might just take a small nap when the sound of pawsteps approached.

Unfortunately for him, he wasn't going to have any sleep. He almost recognized that gait, the way the air seemed to move, the scent that followed as the other drew to a stop. ".. Are y' going t' lecture me? Please don'. M' tired." He mumbled out, his words a slur, his body still barely moving. Seriously, he could use a nap.

  • "speech"
    // @- Ghost -
  • 91771329_3X78CZaEvd0i9ZV.png
  • 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.
 

size]

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

OOC- Ghost rolled super high for how affected he was going to be by the battle, so he's not entirely himself right now. Is suffering from flashbacks of a civil war that happened when he was around a year old. The noise attracted a pack of dogs and the Coalition took massive losses on both sides, including Ghost best friend/basically younger brother)


'What the hell is wrong with me?'

One fight with another cat shouldn't have shaken him up like this, and yet, he was vaguely aware of the fact that he was panicking. The sound of cats fighting began bleeding together with the phantom snarls and excited barks of stray dogs. The faces of clawing, writhing cats morphing into familiar faces of the Hind and Shoulder Marks locked together in a violent skirmish to the death.

And he knew he wasn't back there, that it had happened once and only once, but it felt too real for him to tell the difference. Real enough that his heart was pounding in his chest from more than just the adrenaline of his fight with that shecat. Real enough that instead of turning back toward the forest like he should have, he staggered back toward the warzone of cats with dark eyes blown wide, searching.

But not for the light, blondish-brown fur of a cat long dead, green eyes he'd never see again because he'd fucking failed and now they were dead--

No, he was searching for the cat that didn't belong, the one that wasn't even supposed to be in this god forsaken hell-hole. The Coalition, it was no place for a cat like Thunder. Ghost had to get him out, had to drag him away from this before he was just another body in the ground, more blood on his already caked paws. And he just couldn't do it anymore-- not with him-

He barely noticed Sable calling for a retreat, his hulking figure shoving through the fleeing dissenters or shoving them aside with a half-feral snarl as he struggled to catch a glimpse of chocolate fur and blue eyes, ears straining to hear that stupid laugh as they called after the cowards fleeing from camp.

But there was nothing but the sounds of the aftermath; of kittens crying for parents that would never answer back, of family members crying out in distress at the sight of the loved ones dead in the dirt. And it was so familiar– too fucking familiar-- that he was going to be sick if he didn't find a way to get whatever this was under control. His body felt like it was buzzing, a literal vibration in his nerve endings, and he could barely feel the wounds responsible for the blood staining his fur. Most were superficial, claw wounds and bitemarks that hurt but wouldn't kill if he kept them clean, but his right ear was half gone, nothing more than shredded pulp that soaked half his face in bright red soaking and smeared into a white mask.

He could feel the wetness more than the actual pain right now, but he knew he'd be feeling it plenty later.

His priorities were elsewhere right now.

Ghost would not admit to feeling relief that day when he finally found the half conscience body of Thunder laying on the field that day, but the sight of their chest still rising and falling in steady breaths had him nearly choking on his own. The fact that they heard him coming was only a testament to how out of it he truly was in that moment, usually so quiet and careful.

".. Are y' going t' lecture me? Please don'. M' tired."

"Don't you dare fall asleep!" A growled out order, and then he was scruffing the other like a kit and hauling them off the field, away from the last of the fighting and the wailing of mourning cats. He was sure it hurt, and it was possible he was doing more damage than good, but Ghost wasn't exactly thinking straight. Logic had given way to instinct and instinct was telling him to get the two of them out of there. To rip apart any cat short of maybe Cicada that tried to come near.

So he did just that, carrying Thunder over to a boulder on the edge of the battle and setting them down beside it. At least with something solid to their backs Ghost wouldn't have to worry about someone coming up behind them.

"I didn't come back here to watch you cark it. You go quiet on me and I'm leavin' you here, you understand me Pup?" he warned, a bluff, but letting the other close his eyes to rest felt like a death sentence and Ghost couldn't handle it.

He turned to his own flank then, teeth ripping out clumps of fur with a grunt before packing them against Thunders wounds to try and staunch the bleeding. He couldn't keep moving the tom without addressing the bloodloss first. He wasn't sure if the slur was from that or a concussion, but either way Ghost knew enough to know that blood belonged inside the body.

He wasn't even aware the he was muttering, half incoherent nonsense about dogs in the yard and bugs that don't listen to what their told.

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

 

Ghost's barked order had his eyes sliding back open, blurred vision turning towards the gray tabby. Panic? No, surely that wasn't it. The bigger was removed, detached from everything, almost blissfully. There's no way that Ghost came back for him, of all cats, to yell at him about staying away, to yell at him to.. stay alive. Stay alive. A hiss left him as his scruff was grabbed on, exhausted paws scrabbling at the ground. "Oi, y' numpty, put me down." He meant for it to come out sharper, larger then he felt right now, but it trailed off considerably.

The two conversations in the log proved it to him- Ghost would have killed him already if he meant to, and while the dragging of his body was tearing at his gash wounds, this meant he was saving his life. They were at the edge of it all now, body pressed against cold boulder and his eyes shifting towards dark brown. They weren't hard to find right now- and when his blues met Ghost's own, the shouting in his face- it made resounding sense. He came back for me, to save my life. Can't sleep now. I think I'd miss this.

His breathing, while slightly labored, continued despite the way the dark tugged at his vision. Thunder's head nodded. "Yeah- yes, I got it. No dyin'." While what he said sounded a bit like a joke, it definitely wasn't based on the way he said it, the somber and solid eye contact he held with Ghost before the other broke it. He was turning away to- Thunder's mouth dropped open. "Yer rippin' yer fur-" He didn't get halfway through disagreeing with what he was doing before it was being pressed to his wounds without ceremony.

Thunder's spine stiffened and his head tossed backwards, teeth gritting in pain. Notably, he made no noise, didn't grunt or scream. "Oi, tha' fuckin' hurts." He uttered out, finally panting breaths and riding out the pain before turning to look at Ghost. The other looked so concerned, bloodstained and.. his eyes wandered up to Ghost's ear. "Ghost. Ghost- yer bleedin'." He said, paw moving to nudge the other's shoulder, despite the pain it caused him, despite the grimace on his face.

The muttering didn't go unnoticed either- ears twitched and he panted another ragged breath- "Th' fightin' is over. We'll be 'right, yeah? No dogs. Jus'.. you n' me right now." Thunder tried, desperately trying to pass the breach between them, to break down Ghost's shields to huddle somewhere inside of his shell. "Need t'.. find somethin' to stop th' bleedin' on your ear."

  • "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.
 

size]

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

Thunders compliance in staying awake seemed to appease some of Ghosts worries, content with the fact that at least they were no longer actively trying to die on him. It did nothing to draw the tension from his body though, a bowstring pulled taut, waiting for the smallest vibration to set it off. At any moment the reprieve they'd found themselves in could be broken, and Ghost had to be ready to fight, to kill.

Thunders concerns- however short lived after he began packing their wounds- fell on deaf ears. Ghost was too locked in what he was doing, head on a swivel whenever his eyes weren't on the other tabbies injuries.

"Ghost. Ghost- yer bleedin'."

The muscles in his shoulder twitched at the contact, anticipating, dreading-- what, though? Claws, or a gentle touch? The masked tomcat was unsure, but he knew that whatever it was, it was enough for dark eyes to narrow as Ghost finally met their gaze.

But he didn't shrug them off. Didn't let his anxious reflexes kick in to decimate the thing foolish enough to cross into his personal space.

He heard what Thunder was saying, and while he didn't think they were actively lying to him, Ghost couldn't shake the feeling that they were simply wrong. The danger had not passed. Thunder was still bleeding and there were still cats and the scent of blood in the air. 'Can't stay, can't go', he thought, a caged animal pacing restlessly within the barred confines of its prison, all while eying the open door.

But going would mean leaving Thunder behind, and right now that wasn't something he could do– not while he was feeling like he was back there losing the one thing he gave a damn about. And maybe it wasn't the same-- maybe it wouldn't hurt as badly because Thunder was still just a stranger in the end-- but they were the first cat to treat him like he wasn't a pile of expendable flesh and bone, and for some reason that meant something.

How pathetic was that?

"It's fine." He could deal with his ear later. Ghost was still on his feet, still functioning enough to take charge and keep them alive and so he would. Need to get you sorted, first. Then we can get out of here. Find someplace safe nearby to hole up for a while so you can heal. I can double back to cover our trail afterward, make sure nothing follows us."

Even now, he was still methodical. Already twelve steps ahead in his mind, a plan formulated to get them out and away from the threat as quickly as possible. In whatever fractured headspace he was sitting in, it didn't even occur to him that obviously Thunder didn't plan on going anywhere. That the chocolate tabby wasn't trying to escape. Something he'd have already known if he was thinking straight.

"Just gotta slow the bleedin' enough so I can move you.." he muttered, more to himself than anything.


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

 

The other was still moving at astronomical speeds- staring at his wounds and snapping his ears about, ensuring that no one approached. And some part of Thunder was warmed by that. He was still tickled that Ghost had turned around and came back looking for him of all people- okay, maybe he was going to have to be selfish in the future, if it meant he could keep this. A near giggle slipped out of his lips, on account of the blood loss, his eyes sliding closed for a brief moment before he pushed them open again. It was hard to think straight.

The bleeding wasn't super slowing, given the fur of Ghost's that now decorated his wounds was just soaked with the lifeline dripping out of him steadily, but it was slowing, even just hints. Blue eyes dropped away from Ghost's brown ones that kept tearing away to look at his wounds, only to look at his wounds himself. His paws fell away from Ghost's shoulder moments later, ears finally turning and pinning backwards. The gashing down his right side was deep, and long- a nasty wound, sure to scar. His shoulder stung, telling him the blows fell true there, too. And his eye? Well, he could still see, at least- it was just the viscous claw-mark over it that was making it start to swell, now.

Thunder knew a traumatic wound when he saw one. He knew a wound that wouldn't close on it's own- he had seen plenty from his family's army's cruel talons. "Ghos'." He said, words still slurring, accent heavy on the timber of his words. Blue eyes lifted towards him. "Why no'.. th' cats here tha' know how t' help-" His words fell short, blue eyes turning towards the rest of the battlefield.

At this point in time, spirits began to rise. Voices echoed across body littered and blood-dusted lands that this was something from olden. Something that Thunder had heard whispered as legions as a small kit. Something that Thunder had a feeling wasn't because of the blood loss, though he knew he could be hallucinating. "Tell me m' no' dreamin'." He said, half to himself, half to Ghost- because he was sure, but he needed to be pinched or slapped or something, because he wasn't sure he'd remember this as true when he woke up next.

Silence stretched, and it was long minutes before Thunder spoke again. Simply in awe of what he was seeing, starry figures that met with loved ones before being whisked away, Hawthorne speaking to Juniper, Serpent standing not far off. Thunder's paws were pushing against the earth, struggled breaths leaving him, forcing himself to his paws. "We have t'- I need t' go with them." He said, blue eyes turning towards Ghost, as crisp as a winter sky, watery and red and his left one still covered in blood. "Please."

  • "speech"
  • THUNDER he/him, future thunderclanner, twenty 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.
 

size]

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


'It's not stopping. He's dying.' A fresh wave of nausea struck him hard, and he'd never so bitterly hated the voice in his head sneering out an 'I told you so'. The same one that warned him that everything he touched would go to ruin, and that nothing good was destined for cats like him. Life was going to wrestle this scrap of contentment away from him just as it had everything else, and for the first time since the Coalition was destroyed, Ghost realized how completely alone he truly was. That the only cat keeping his sanity in check was bleeding out in front of him.

More slurred words that he was tempted to overlook, too focused on needing to get control of the situation, but he was glad he didn't. He visibly hesitated, and then glanced back over his shoulder toward the battle with a more considering eye, not just gauging the distance between them and the nearest cats, but now actively looking at who said cats were.

"Cicada's not here." Another traitor, or dead. It didn't matter really- either way the tom was of no use to them. Momentarily he considered calling out in general to anyone, but the thought was quickly and selfishly torn away by a near possessive anxiety at the thought of letting another cat poke and prod and something that Ghost was currently guarding like a piece of prey.

And that's when he saw them.

Starry, pale bodies rising from the corpses, translucent and near glowing in the moonlight. They were nothing like the creatures he was used to, almost beautiful by comparison, but he knew what they were almost immediately. The dead. Ghosts. 'They're not real. You know they're not real.' But there was nothing familiar about these cats. No grotesque wounds or haunting words. Nothing intimidating or spiteful. Nothing that suggested they were just figments of Ghosts imagination brought on by stress and a lifetime of trauma.

And it was only when Thunder spoke that the masked tabby realized; these ghosts were not for him.

"Tell me m' no' dreamin'."

A low, monstrous growl began rumbling low in his throat as he stepped over top of the other cat, hackles rising in warning toward the spirits. They're here to take him away. And maybe a better cat with a similar impression would have been good enough to let them go– it looked like it would be a peaceful ending– but Ghost was not a good cat. He was starving and selfish and dangerously violent, and Thunder had made the mistake of treating him like anything more than the beast he was.

And now heaven would have to rip the tom from his claws if they wanted him so badly, because Ghost wasn't done with him yet.

But they didn't come near, didn't pay Ghost or Thunder any mind. Just said their brief goodbyes to one another, and passed on information as if the whole thing was some kind of patrol briefing rather than a supernatural encounter. And later on, when Ghost was with it enough to note how fucking weird that was, he might try and hash out how he felt about seeing a bunch of spectres that weren't contained to his deteriorating mental health. For now though, he was just relieved that they hadn't been there for anything else.

His guarding was disrupted by Thunder himself, the cat trying to push their way to their feet and forcing Ghost to step back to give them room.

"We have t'- I need t' go with them."

A jolt of something like panic shot through him, as for one ridiculous second he thought they meant to go with the starry felines. It was only when Ghost was standing firmly in their path that he realised Thunder was talking about the colony cats. Ghost glanced back at the group, a bitter, reluctant sort of understanding setting in.

'Colony cat. Not Coalition.' Thats right. Thunder liked these cats. Cared about them. And while the masked brute could only see traitors and heartbreak in the making, he already knew that's not what Thunder saw when he looked at them.

"Stay" he ordered, a paw reaching out to gently press them back down. "They aren't going anywhere right this second and neither are you." Not that Thunder would get more than a dozen steps before collapsing.

"They've got injured they'll need to take care of. And you lot bury your dead, yeah? Means you've got time." Time for them to catch their breath. Time for him to get his head on straight.

"'Besides, you won't make it like this." he said, turning back to meet their gaze with a bit more clarity, seeming to understand that the group would be leaving soon and that the immediate danger had passed. Though he didn't look any closer to trusting any of the cats around them. "You've lost too much blood. You need rest, and a proper damn medic." he nearly spat the last word as he turned his scathing gaze back on the crowds as if he'd suddenly find Cicada there and skewer him on the spot for making them wait.

But the other cat was still gone.

"Thunder, where's Cicada's den? I need you tell me."

If the bastard had abandoned ship with the rest of Sables followers, then Ghost had no problem ransacking their den for any leftover supplies– gods knew they weren't going to find any cobwebs out here on short notice.

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

 

He hadn't considered that the sight of his dead friends would freak Ghost out- funny, how his namesake plagued him so. That was a short lived thought, the larger stepping over him and interrupting everything he had to think about. The snarling alone from Ghost caused Thunder pause, wide blues shooting up to look at his- his friend? His companion? This was quickly approaching a what are we conversation, wasn't it? Get out of your own head, Thunder! Now isn't the time. The little voice in the back of his head snapped, blue eyes widening just a hint more as he realized he was staring at his... his savior. Yeah, he was going to go with that for right now.

After pushing to his paws, his eyes went hazy, sight blurring slightly from the effort of standing. And when he knew that Ghost was going to demand him to sit, a bit of relief broke free from that cage in his chest. Relying on somecat. He hadn't done that. Hadn't needed to do that for so long, and yet- it was.. nice to be able to do that again. To freely trust somecat, even if it was a cat like Ghost, to watch his back, to care for his wounds. Eyes shifted back to the cats in the distance, but he was swaying on his paws. He decided to listen for once, allowing himself to be pushed back to sitting.

Sitting quickly turned into laying, a grunt leaving him in the action. Slightly guilty eyes moved up towards Ghost once more. "Aye, a'right." He rasped out, licking at his lips. He felt bruised all over, and the wounds were only barely slowing the blood flow. A paw lifted, touching to the wound near his eyes with a whisper of a huff. "This 's gonna ruin m' good looks." A bare hint of a joke, lain between them, just feet away from a once-active battlefield. You've got time. ".. Yeah, yeah, tha' makes sense." His head shifted forward and nodded.

Brown eyes met blue again, and they widened slightly- then relaxed. His head 's on straight. Straighter. Thunder thought to himself, studying the other's eyes. That was the only indication of emotion he got most often, he thinks to himself, the way his eyes shifted or moved. Very rarely did the other display emotion in his tail or ears. Slowly his head tilted. "Rest sounds good. Yeah." Briefly, Thunder was aware of the fact he was repeating himself, using basic phrases again. He cleared his throat at Ghost's demand. "It's in tha' direction." His head nodded towards where he knew Cicada's den lay.

Thunder looked up towards Ghost once more. "You... you're gonna come back, aye?" Thunder asked, his left eye starting to swell shut, licking his own blood from his lips once or twice. Don't leave me here to die. I'm trusting you.

  • "speech"
  • THUNDER he/him, future thunderclanner, twenty 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.
 

size]

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


Ghost wasn't thrilled at the prospect of leaving them there, as if wary of vultures who'd swoop in once he'd departed. Thunders obedience helped quell his doubts, but Ghost wasn't naive enough to think the tom would sit pretty if he had a good enough reason to get to his paws. It would have been enough to keep him there standing guard if he wasn't acutely aware of how badly they needed some kind of treatment. The fur he'd pressed against the wounds had made the bleeding sluggish, but hadn't been enough to fully stop it. They'd need cobwebs for that, and there was only one place to find those.

He followed the others gaze as they answered, nodded as he took note. He'd have to move quickly if he didn't want someone else getting the same idea and beating him to it. "Right."

"You... you're gonna come back, aye?"

He wished he hadn't looked back. Wished he didn't have that damn expression in his head for the rest of his star-forsaken life. But he did.

He didn't recognize the sound when it left him, wasn't used to communicating with other cats beyond curt words and silent gestures. He didn't purr, or trill, or mew to others. But for some reason, some part of his brain saw fit to chuff at the tom before him in some mockery of an attempt at comfort. He was quick to clear his throat, trying to disguise it as nothing more than that.

"Yeah, I'm coming back." And while you couldn't hear the resignation in his voice, he certainly felt it in just about every inch of his body. He wasn't sure what to call it– acceptance or defeat– but he knew it was true regardless; Ghost was coming back. "Don't try to move from here."

He didn't wait for a confirmation, just turned and hurried off in the directions he'd been pointed in.

And Ghost did find what he was looking for, after a few minutes of poking around dens and following the scent of herbs. He wasn't sure which ones were safe to use so he ignored them completely and instead helped himself to whatever cobwebs he could find, not checking to see how many he left for anyone else before hastily returning to where he'd left Thunder laying.

'I'm back." he grunted out upon arriving, finding the other with their eyes close. He didn't wait for a response, the rythmic rise of their chest enough confirmation that they were still alive, and immediately began piling layers of webbing over the gash on their side. Only when he was satisfied with that did he move to the face wound, large paws surprisingly steady as they draped the makeshift bandages over the others eyes as Cicada had done to his own injuries weeks prior.


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

 

Ghost's promise had been good enough to let the last of the tension bleed out of his body. Chin dipped and eyes slow-blinked, whether he realized it or not. Watching Ghost disappear in the direction he indicated, a soft noise slipped out of Thunder's muzzle, mulling over how that chuff sounded- even if it was brief, even if Ghost meant to cover it up not long after it revealed itself. He knew that Ghost wasn't really in on the whole family or friend thing- no, to him, it was survival or death. Yet... here he was, stepping off to get him herbs, to save his life.

Thunder would swear up, down, and left that he had only closed his eyes for a second, but Ghost had returned already when he opened his eyes, ears twitching in the direction of the larger. A grimace followed as the cobwebbing was laid upon his side, blood soaking into it but it was steadily slowing at this rate. A breath left him, head sinking down to his paws again. "Thank y'." He mumbled out- but then his head was being angled up and cobwebs were layered on his face, obstructing his left and just barely shadowing his right. Blue eye blinked at Ghost, almost bewildered.

A rumble of appreciation left him as the bleeding was staunched. Thunder tried to shift again then, almost pointedly moving to observe Ghost's ear. "Yer gonna take care of tha' too, yeah? Y' are?" Thunder asked, a bit of brightness back in his tone, less tender and more pointed. Eye flicked down to Ghost's brown one again, a questioning look on his face.

  • "speech"
  • THUNDER he/him, future thunderclanner, twenty 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.