Private Camp TAKE A SLICE = [ ghost ]

[THUNDERFLASH]

Wearing his new name like a badge, Thunderflash stepped into a private space within camp, his flank pressing against the wall of the ravine. Head turned, and as expected, Ghost followed him. Thunderflash couldn't read his expression at the moment- the dark of twilight and the weighing exhaustion made him want to do nothing more then close his eyes. He couldn't sleep yet. Anytime he did close his eyes, he thought about the way Ghost's voice snapped at him to keep awake. He wouldn't sleep until everyone was safe. Already, that had failed- Hawthorne was dead, somewhere in the forest.

He swallowed his stomach back down out of his throat, and spoke. "New name, I s'pose. Tha's fun." He rumbled, his ears turning and pressing backwards. "I like i'. What do y' think?" A pause, silence carrying in the air. His eyes turned away from the wall, finding the deepest browns he's seen. Funny thing about recovering, is Thunderflash's lips were always more loose then he meant for them to be. "Ghos'? Y' 'right?" He asked, Thunderflash's head tilting with good intentions of curiosity.

___________________ YOU'VE GOT MY BODY ☆ FLESH AND BONE, YEAH ___________________

• "speech"
  // @- Ghost -
  

• 

• THUNDERFLASH he/him, 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.

 

[GHOSTSTRIKE]

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

​

---

Somewhere between having his ear torn off during Sables mutiny, and Thunder receiving their new name, Ghost had managed to get his head back on straight– mostly. He was still caught in a gravitational pull of sorts, one that had kept him tethered outside of the medics den on silent guard while Serpent looked the other over, and then compelled him to keep the chocolate tom within sight afterwards, trailing after them as if he'd been invited, as if it didn't go against everything the dark tabby stood for.

But Thunder hadn't told him to stop yet or to go away. Had not asked him when he planned on leaving the group or questioned his odd behavior back at the old camp. Ghost wasn't sure why, but a part of him was relieved for it all the same– he wouldn't have an answer to give anyway, and maybe the other tom already knew that.

So they said nothing to each other as light stood and led darkness toward the wall of the ravine, and Ghost did his best not to think about what it meant that Thunder already seemed to know he would follow.

He'd figure out the consequences to his actions later, though. For now, he was tired.

The brute doubted he'd sleep despite the fatigue clinging to his bones, though. His surroundings were too fresh, too unfamiliar for his body to settle properly, and even though he approved of their current camp, he didn't trust the cats they shared it with or the ones still out there. The bastards had already proven they weren't done with Hawthorne and his lot, and Ghost wasn't going to be caught unaware if the tyrant and his mutts came for their necks in the night.

But given the circumstances, he knew it was as good as he would get for now. The colony was sheltered, hidden, and defended all in one, and even if Juniper hadn't put up a proper guard rotation yet, there were still plenty of cats their enemies would encounter before they got as far as Ghost and Thunder.

And then, in the back of his mind, was the– ironically enough– ghost business. While he hadn't spoken about what he'd seen the night of the battle what they'd all seen the night of the battle, he'd heard enough of the other cats talking about it to know it hadn't just been another hallucination. Which meant… what, exactly? That there was an afterlife? A chance he would go to the stars?

A chance he would go somewhere else.

There's no bloody end to it.

"New name, I s'pose. Tha's fun."

He grunted in agreement as he forced his attention outward and away from his thoughts.

"Name changes are fine, I suppose. Most clans have a way of showing who's who."

He thought of the large X carved across the meat of his hind leg, beneath a half-dozen other scars he'd picked up between then and now.

"Yours could be worse. Better than Thunderbreath."

As close to a compliment as they'd get from him.

"Ghos'? Y' 'right?"

Damn them and that look. Their eyes. And whatever Ghosts brain and body were trying to feel.

"Affirmative." An automatic response. Almost formal in its curtness. He seemed to catch himself though, and added, "The bleeding stopped a while ago. Just need to rest a few hours and I'll be good. What did the shecat say?" he asked, gesturing to their side.


​

---

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

​

 

[THUNDERFLASH]

His initial silence and far-off, yet studious look, wasn't missed. Blue eyes sharpened just a bit, reading the state of Ghost loud and clear. He was on edge, and Thunderflash felt for him, he really did. But honestly, he was pushing it as is, his side aching and Serpent soon to cast a hook into his mouth and drag him back like a limp fish. Yet, he couldn't fight the urge to stay rooted right here, to keep his vision on Ghost, to ensure that the very cat that had saved his life was put together. Enough for Thunderflash to rest, anyways. He didn't think he'd be doing much sleeping with this ache in his side until Serpent got the medicine needed- which wasn't going to be soon, giving the kits had arrived.

A snort left him. "There isn' anythin' wrong with th' way m' breath smells, thank y' very much. Numpty." He uttered the last part, despite the way humorous tone stuck to it like a briar, the way the grin urged to tug as his mouth and spread. But his question was more important, eyes steady on brown ones that hesitated at seeing his own. His eye blinked, left one still cobwebbed up for the moment, and cocked his head a second later. A frown threatened to find his face at Ghost's initial answer, then it did appear at the explaination. It wasn't wasn't he wanted to hear, but right at the moment, there was no sense in pushing him.

Since this whole run-around began, Ghost had been on edge, like he had already thought. The casted glances to the ravine walls, the utterance to Juniper- Juniperstar about a guard detail... it was the same way he had looked when asking about predators or dogs all those weeks ago. Thunderflash relented, and it was almost visible the way his eyes softened and ears lowered a hint from perked to relaxed, deciding to let go of the tension in his body instead of forcing the question like an over-excited kit. Thoughts turned briefly to the cat that had helped him to a nest as Ghost asked about his wounded side, then flickered back to Serpent.

A real strong tom.

Her voice was infectious, like that of her name, the snake's hiss in his ear. Thunderflash inhaled and hacked a cough as embarrassment reared it's head, angry at his thought process for a moment before shaking his head, like a duck trying to roll water off of it's body. "Eugh. 'righ', m' alrigh'. Aye." He waved his paw at Ghost. "She's pissy a' me 'bout movin' 'roud. I'll be on m' rear soon 'nough. She said t' wai' until she go' better herbs before tryna move. Shows how well m' listenin' so far." A breath. "Threatened me t' sittin' on my ass. Hope she sticks 'round after her kits are grown." A chuckle followed, almost a grin on his lips, but exhaustion was finding him again, making that difficult.

Blue eyes shifted back to earthly browns. "You will be gettin' yer wounds checked, aye?" Thunder said, his voice a hint stronger. "Knowin' y', you'd pick up an infection n' end up in a bush somewhere." A grin did find his lips now, even if his eyes drooped, his body sagging against the ravine wall.

___________________ YOU'VE GOT MY BODY ☆ FLESH AND BONE, YEAH ___________________

• "speech"
  

• 

• THUNDERFLASH he/him, 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.

 

[GHOSTSTRIKE]

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

​

---

Ghost stopped in his tracks, shoulders stiffening, dark eyes narrowing on the other with a sharpness of clarity that was far more akin to what he was used to. "You're supposed to be on bedrest right now?"

Coalition cats weren't given the luxury often, limited to heavily pregnant queens and gravely injured cats of the Shoulder Mark. A Hind Mark cat worked rain or shine, health or sickness, broken bones or missing limbs. So if Thunder had been sequestered to a nest then his healer must have thought it was serious.

But what nest?

They'd arrived, Thunder had been whisked off to Serpents den, and then juniper had returned with news of Hawthornes death. One thing after another, and for the brief times when he wasn't with the other tom, he hadn't been far, still needing him within sight to feel any kind of settled. The closest thing to a proper resting spot was the pile of leaves and softer dirt he'd scraped together along the wall of the ravine close to Serpents makeshift den, where he could watch to make sure no trouble started.

He hadn't thought to make Thunder one, too. Stupid, because the tom sure as hell wasn't in any shape to make his own, but Ghost couldn't really blame himself considering he hadn't been responsible for that sort of thing before. It's still not your responsibility a part of him argued.

"You will be gettin' yer wounds checked, aye?"

Knowing what he now knew, there was a new unease that shot through him as he watched the other sag against the wall of the ravine, followed almost immediately by an instinctive pull to scruff the other like he had back on the battleground so he could drag them to someplace safer, not trusting their paws to follow.

With an unhappy rumble he stalked forward to nudge them back in the direction of Serpents den, but he aborted the movement last minute as he realized just how tired the other truly looked. Would making him walk across camp again make things worse?

"She's not the only one who's gonna be makin' threats if you don't learn how to follow orders." he huffed, stepping away to inspect the ravine wall beside them. Sturdy, with a bit of an overhang. Good enough for something temporary. "Didn't drag you all this way just so you could cark it in the first week." he grumbled as he picked a suitable spot and began to dig out a shallow scrape in the ground.

"There. Lay down and rest. You can nag me about my ear just well without melting into the wall." he instructed as he stared at them expectantly. It was little more than a shallow divot of softened dirt to rest in, but it was better than a hard wall of stone and dirt and clay.

Besides, it was just temporary. Until they had rested up enough for Ghost to herd them back to Serpents den to find a proper nest to relax in.

​

---

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

​

 

[THUNDERFLASH]

It's near immediate that Ghost's look changes after he admitted to his diagnosis. A small noise left him- one even he wasn't sure was disagreement. Yeah, he was stupid, no, he wasn't ever going to learn. "Aha... aye. Tha' I am." He says, turning his eyes away. For once, Ghost's eyes were too intense for him to hold onto, sheepishness creeping in at Ghost's rough toned question. It wasn't just that Thunderflash was embarrassed- no, he felt guilty at the sharp lash of Ghost's tone. The other's words continued a moment later, dark gaze pinning him in place, almost. Even as he asked about Ghost's ear, too. The silence weighed against him, and it was only when Thunderflash looked back up that Ghost's rumble started.

Ghost grew close, like he was going to push him back to Serpent, and Thunderflash nearly cursed to Starclan- which was a new development of his vocabulary- at how badly that started to spook him, but Ghost relented. A soft noise of appreciation left him this time. "I have issues followin' orders, 'seems." He managed, voice scratchy briefly before he cleared his throat. Thunderflash would likely never admit how much it mattered to him that Ghost cared- was it more then he had ever done for the cats in the Coalition? Was this new for Ghost? Questions swam in his mind, words spoken without a filter. "Sorry. Think you'd miss me if I did tha'." His head turned, following Ghost's movements. "But I'll ah... try better. Make a poin' of i'." Thunderflash said, growing quiet as Ghost stepped back.

Well, it wasn't a bed of moss tucked with feathers and prey pelts, but his mind was floating on whatever this was. Thunder. Get your head in the game. The voice in his head chattered, and he stepped forward- well, really, wobbled his way into the shallow divot in the dirt and grunted quietly as he lowered himself down, unable to ignore the grimace of pain that chased across his face. Thunderflash did his best just moments later to wipe that from his face, turning to look at Ghost and force a smile on his face. It was just a hint off, but he wouldn't notice, would he?

"Now then. I think I ge' t' do some naggin', eh?" Thunderflash hums, vision lifting to Ghost's head. A pause, then more words unfiltered leaving his mouth. "But.. if y' go in there withou' me... Serpen' is sure t' ask where I am, then yer gonna have to drag me back." A frown found his face, turning his vision towards the den that Serpent was holed up in with the other patients. Cramped. Tight. Seriously, what was that he was find in a log, but that den tucked into the side of the ravine was going to drive him batty? "Can' have tha'." He says this part half mindlessly, smile falling into a frown, one he wore when he was lost in thought.

___________________ YOU'VE GOT MY BODY ☆ FLESH AND BONE, YEAH ___________________

• "speech"
  

• 

• THUNDERFLASH he/him, 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.

 

[GHOSTSTRIKE]

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

​

---

"I have issues followin' orders, 'seems."

Ha. That was an understatement. Ghost had told him to hold his pieces close. To run and save himself before Sables cats could get their claws in him. And somehow that had translated to the opposite in Thunders head.

"In one ear, out the other." he agreed, though his tone was less severe than before despite clearly agreeing with the sentiment. 'And I'd miss you about as much as I'd miss a thorn in my paw.' he gruffed, ignoring the way his words seemed to so clearly contradict his actions over the last twenty-four hours.

It was only when the stocky tomcat was properly off their feet that Ghost felt some of his unease lessen. He wished that whatever entities were out there– starbound or not– would spare him from whatever this thing was, As much as he likely deserved the misery it brought, he doubted Thunder had ever done anything to deserve this fixation. It was borderline obsessive, and almost certainly in part due to some kind of mental break he was having. And the worst part of all was that not even Ghost himself knew what was happening or what the end goal was. And throughout it all he couldn't help but ask himself, just what the hell are you trying to do here?'

"Suppose you do." Ghost replied, allowing his legs to fold and lower him to the ground a few tail-lengths away, listening as they rambled about the consequences of heading back to Serpent. He was about to nag them back about how it was their own fault for not just staying put in the first place, and how they could have had a cushy nest instead of a hole in the dirt, but he was sidetracked by their last comment.

"Why not?" he asked, "Beds are probably softer. Can't imagine Serpents bedside manners are any worse than Cicadas." he muttered, remembering all too unfondly his own time being treated by the tom.
​

---

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

​

 

[THUNDERFLASH]

Ghost joined him- something that eased part of his heartburn. Eyes softened a hint, and while he caught himself doing it, all he could do was turn his head away from Ghost. From where, he had a pretty clear sight on most of can, watching cats mill about after receiving names- or not names, having to adjust to calling a friend something else. Thunderflash's ears twitched. He opened his mouth and closed it, baby blues shifting back towards the soul that had been haunting him for twenty four hours. A more comfortable nest? "I think she'd jus' star' teasin' me again. 'sides. She's go' kitte- kits in there now." Thunderflash said, but those were truly only excuses.

Much like Ghost, ever since the battle- no, really, it was an ambush- Thunderflash had been on edge. The wound carved into his side was an echoing reminder of that. And being trapped in a tight den, pressed in the shadows of the ravine, next to Serpent, with sharp looks from Water Snake, kits crawling about like worms and mewling for a meal? His ears flattened briefly at the thought. He wasn't claustrophobic, really, but it was... he couldn't breathe in there. "It's also..." He starts, then stops. Thunderflash's eyes blinked once at the entrance of camp, then turned his head back towards Ghost, baby blues finding deeper browns. Here, in the shade of the ravine- it was hard to see his eyes, but they were like magnets anyways.

"Where are y' sleepin', anyways? I can't imagine yer stuffin' yerself in th' den with the other... warriors." These new words felt unfamiliar on his tongue, but if he was to integrate into clan life like the rest of them- to make this kind of thing work,- he had to adjust. Change happened, you shouldn't resist it, or something like that. Even as he says the rest of the sentence however, his ears turn backwards. Other warriors. Jealousy rears its ugly head, which is a curious thing, he reflects. He shouldn't have any reason to be jealous over Ghost. Yet, was it that the to-be-named warrior in front of him gave him reasons to anyways?

The battle, standing over him, guarding him, saving his life, turning around when no one else did for him... that had to mean something, right? Thunderflash bit his tongue yet. It was likely the wrong time to blurt something like that out, a question so sharp and jagged that it may just separate Ghost from him.

___________________ YOU'VE GOT MY BODY ☆ FLESH AND BONE, YEAH ___________________

• "speech"
  

• 

• THUNDERFLASH he/him, 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.

 

[GHOSTSTRIKE]

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

​

---

Kits were a topic Ghost wasn't willing to touch, brushing past it as if they hadn't been brought up at all.

Instead, he focused on the other thing. Teasing. That's right. He'd forgotten for a moment that these were Thunders cats. His friends. The closest thing to family they'd ever claimed in front of Ghost. Of course there was familiarity there; connecting strands that Ghost lacked. For some reason the Coalition cat kept forgetting, kept trying to subconsciously include the other tom in the circle he kept drawing around himself, the one that separated him from them, those that belonged from those who didn't. But Thunder did belong. He wasn't meant to be within the boundaries of Ghosts walls, and yet something seemed determined to keep him there.

Your heads fucked. he thought to himself, knowing full well it would only get worse. He had to leave this place. Get out and never look back. Never think of blue eyes or soft brown fur again.

"I'm not a warrior." he replied with a grunt, as if it was the obvious answer, one not yet drilled into the others head. Ghost wasn't staying. He wasn't getting a warrior name. He wasn't going to hold rank.

He was just here, until he wasn't.

"Besides, there's not enough leg room for someone my size in there." he added after a moment, a partial attempt to keep the mood light. " Got a spot dug out near the medics for now." he admitted after a moment, not having to explain why that was the spot it needed to be in. They both knew, even if they weren't talking about it. One small fucking mercy Ghost could be greatful for– he didn't have the energy to tackle the topic of his messed up psyche. Not today. Maybe not ever.

"If her dens bothering you so much just tell her you want to recover in the warriors den. It's mostly empty during the day anyways, and you can lie in a nest as easy there as you can her den– assuming you can be trusted to stay put " he said, shooting them a pointed look.

​

---

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

​

 

[THUNDERFLASH]

His eyebrows slowly lifted at Ghost's declaration. Not a warrior, then? A funny thing to say, considering he lay here. He didn't leave. That's your fault. A voice whispered to him. Perhaps it was his fault, Thunderflash reflected- yet even with these changes in leadership, even as Thunderflash changed, because that was a thing when he got a new name, despite the way structure and ranks seemed to suddenly decorate the cats that Thunderflash had known for months, Ghost didn't leave. This time, he challenged him- "Are y' so sure?" Thunderflash murmured, studying the other's dark figure briefly. Yet, he skipped past it, like what he had said wasn't about to have irreparable consequences.

"Y' are a big lug, aye." A snort left him, Thunderflash stretching out a leg. It was only thanks to that size that Thunderflash had been dragged to safety, anyways. He couldn't tease him too much on that bit. A spot dug near the- His eyes lifted to Ghost's, eyebrows lifting and ears pushing forward. No, he wasn't going to talk about it. He knew as well as the other that if Ghost wanted to be somewhere else, he would be. The voice was once again wondering if he was eating away at Ghost's time, but the thought was shaken off. Ghost would have pushed him back to the medics if that was true. He doesn't pull his punches. Well, his emotional punches. He mused to himself.

His next statement brought forth a nod from the chocolate tabby. "Yer right." He hummed out. "And- yeah, tha' las' bi' is still up in th' air." He chuckled out, eyes darting away. Thunderflash wouldn't lie to him. After all, he knew damn well that he couldn't sit still. Ghost knew it too, given the pointed statements, and- well, yeah. Thunderflash was right in front of him at the moment instead of in the medics den. A frown crossed his face, eyes turning up towards the den. "I'm sure she's going to be lookin' for me soon." His tone is... quieter, morose. He found his legs unwilling to move, not from pain or aches, but because if he went now... sharp blues turned back towards Ghost.

Thunderflash clears his throat before he speaks. "You'll visit me, aye, Ghostie?" He questions, feeling small, even irresponsible for asking that of Ghost. The tom knew that the other's want to escape, to leave, to make his own life ran deep- yet here he stayed. Maybe hope was going to burn him one day, but he couldn't help himself. Not right now. The other million questions in his mind would be delayed- he couldn't think of them himself. No, he thinks that he would be burning himself by even trying to broach into the territory that Serpent had brought up while she was patching him up.

___________________ YOU'VE GOT MY BODY ☆ FLESH AND BONE, YEAH ___________________

• "speech"
  

• 

• THUNDERFLASH he/him, 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.

 

[GHOSTSTRIKE]

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

​

---

The truth was, Ghost wasn't sure about anything anymore, which was frustrating considering he used to be sure about a lot. He'd known how to survive, how to act with those around him, how to keep his fucking distance. And now? He felt like a kit again, freshly weaned and being carried away from his mothers nest while she refused to look at him, dropped carelessly by a cruel father into the world of the Hind Mark. He could remember well those first few days after being left in the parking garage 'camp' of his new home, how overwhelmed he'd been trying to not just understand his situation, but adapt to it as well. It'd felt like being abandoned in an entirely new world, filled with cats he didn't know, in a terrain he'd never seen, playing by rules nobody had told him about.

The only difference between this and that, was that Ghost had hated the Coalition with every fiber of his being. His childhood had been one of constant fear and spite toward those he was not large or smart enough to retaliate against, and his time as an adult had been solitary and cold. There was nothing clean there or good. Nothing worth smiling about or staying for.

Thunderclan was different.

They weren't perfect, weren't completely clean or innocent, but there was more beauty there than ugliness and that scared Ghost. He didn't know what to do with the queens who would rather die protecting even their weakest kits rather than cast them aside. He didn't know how to feel when he saw cats sharing skills instead of hoarding them in order to better their own chances of survival. Or what to believe when he saw someone coming in from a long day of work only to give up their catch to a sick clanmate instead of eating it themselves. Cats who gathered at the end of each day to groom another other, piling together for warmth and sharing stories of their day.

So much trust it nearly made him sick, but he couldn't tell if it was from disgust or regret anymore. Maybe both. Maybe some other third thing he was so unfamiliar with that he couldn't even begin to put a name to it.

Just one more thing to be uncertain about.

"There's no stars in my pelt when I die, Thunderflash. " I'm not a good cat. You don't know me. Of that Ghost was sure. If they had met earlier in life, if Thunder had ever seen him in action– if he knew how many cats Ghost had let die, how many he'd led on suicide mission, how many scared, hungry children he'd just forced himself to stop looking at...

Thunder wouldn't have even spat in his direction, let alone wasted his breath trying to keep him around.

But he didn't say those things. Wouldn't, for the same reason he hadn't left yet. Because then he'd be alone again, and somehow that was almost as unbearable as the Coalition had been. He may not trust the Thunderclanners or feel as if he belonged, but a part of him just didn't want to leave. It had grown familiar enough with the day to day workings that it felt more comfortable than the unknown of the remaining world. And if he'd also grown used to a certain cat and their constant chattering in his ear, that was only another temptation he knew he needed to ignore.

"And- yeah, tha' las' bi' is still up in th' air."

Well, at least he was being honest. The medics den was probably a safer bet then, though he pitied that shecat for the task she had ahead of her. He couldn't imagine the brown tabby sitting still for any extended period of time, and despite whatever weird fixation he had going on right now, he was glad he wasn't the one who would be trapped in close quarters with the restless cat for the next few weeks. In fact, he was hoping the forced distance would be enough for him shake these stupid attachments that had begun burrowing their way beneath his skin, too many weeks spent exposed to the group and it's ways. He was growing too complacent with them, too comfortable in their familiarity, and the sooner he got out the less painful it would be for everyone involved.

'Sounds about as strict as the other one was." Were they all like that? It was hard to tell if it was just coincedence the two shared the trait, or if it was common for those with their skillset. Though, Ghost supposed he couldn't blame them. If he had to waste the majority of his time patching up ungrateful whelps who went padding off and undoing his work right after, he'd probably drag them back to their nests by the ear as well.

"Serpent and her brood aren't enough company for you?" he asked, having a feeling he already knew the answer. "Maybe. If you can manage to behave yourself and stay put." Or maybe Ghost would be gone by then, and they could both forget any of this had ever happened.

​

---

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

​

 

[THUNDERFLASH]

There's no stars in my pelt when I die, Thunderflash.

There's a number of things that sting about that. He thinks, the first and most obvious, was his name. It was still new, and raw to him, yet Ghost was making a point with it. It almost soured his stomach, almost made his ears flatten to his head, and he was sure that Ghost could see the distaste that flickered across his muzzle. A frown replaced it. The second thing that bothered him was the statement he had made. There was no way for Ghost to know that. "Y' bampot." He says sharply, unaware that of all of the insults he was using, he was using the ones from his first home. Anyone else would perhaps be stupid, speaking to Ghost like this. Thunderflash was.. well, he was stupid, after all.

"Y' have no way of knowin' tha', and you know it." He says, his tone telling them both that he was convinced of that. "Y' dragged me off th' brink of death, n' dragged my sorry ass here. And y' think you aren't a good cat?" Thunderflash said. The urge to push to his feet, to rear his head back, to make noise and try and convince him wasn't lost on the tom, but he was exhausted, so he settled for narrowing his eyes and pushing a bit of a pout. "... Y' saved my life, Ghost. I can't thank y' enough fer tha'." Thunderflash said, turning his vision away, trying not to meet those pits Ghost might call eyes.

A sharp breath was taken, trying to settle his nerves as they continued onto different conversations. Parts of him really hoped that Ghost didn't get up and leave, but he knew that he had crossed a line that they had been toeing, talking about that. Why else would he have saved your life, if not because his heart told him to? The frown was still written on his face as he continued. "Wha', Cicada? Yeah, didn' ge' along with 'im much." Thunderflash said, still trying to distract himself. Blue eyes shifted back towards Ghost now. ".. Her kits are cute n' all, but th' noise.. I ge' poundin' headaches from time t' time and they're jus'... squeakin' and cryin'." His head shook.

That's not to say you wouldn't go to war for them. A voice whispered to him, and Thunderflash supposed they were right. In the last moon alone, he had come to known Serpent more then he had in the last five, and given the fact her young were now kicking it around camp, Hawthorne's- Thornstar's?- blood running in their veins.. He owed it to them. He owed it to make sure they stayed safe, that they became warriors, that they were strong. "Stay pu'? No' likely, but I think I can try." He sighs out, tail twitching at the thought of sitting still.

___________________ YOU'VE GOT MY BODY ☆ FLESH AND BONE, YEAH ___________________

• "speech"
  

• 

• THUNDERFLASH he/him, 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.

 

[GHOSTSTRIKE]

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

​

---

"Speak english." he sighed, annoyed, but more so at the topic of conversation than whatever strange slang the other cat was using. "Even bad cats pay their debts, sometimes." The dark tabbys ears tilted backwards in a show of impatience as he was made to listen to a pointless tirade of the few decent things he'd done since getting here– things that didn't even begin to measure up to and cancel out the actions of his past.

"Don't thank me. You might not believe in debts, but I do." He'd been scorned by such arrears in the past, that was true, but he knew he was only using it as an excuse to avoid the truth that sat before him now; that he hadn't done those things because he felt Thunder would hold some unpaid debt over his head, but because in the moment it was simply what felt like the right thing to do.

And the idea of something like that making him good felt immensely wrong. Undeserved.

"Now that we're even, don't expect it to happen a second time." spoiler alert, it definitely will.

Despite his dismissal and having moved on to a different part in the conversation, Ghost struggled to fully relax as he listened to Thunder as they went on to talk about Cicada and Serpent's kits. "Shit manners." Ghost agreed, though truthfully, he hadn't minded cicada. He'd appreciated their straightforwardness, the way they didn't beat around the bush with things. It felt more trustworthy than the soft promises of a cat just trying to get you to calm down. Calm and methodical– Ghost could appreciate that cold, clinical touch so long as it remained impersonal.

He could also understand their frustration to a degree with Serpent litter. Kits had never really been associated with anything good in Ghosts world. Sometimes the ones born into the Hind Mark– the ones that technically grew up alongside their families– had the benefit of lessons being passed down to them. They might be taught to track and hunt prey, how to scent for and evade the dogs. But the ones that came in troves from the *Shoulder Mark*, they were orphans, forsaken by their parents and often spited by their new denmates for their lineage despite being thrown to the dogs as sacrifices. Seldom were they offered the same lessons, seen as 'competition' for the already dwindling food and resources.

Even if a cat tried dropping food for one of them, they'd be condemning a dozen others to starve– and that's if an older cat didn't snatch the morsel away first. He was very much familiar with the sounds they made when they were unhappy or left wanting for something, and he couldn't imagine that Thunder was having much fun. At least their in a warm nest, with a mother who feeds them. he thought to himself, wise enough even with his inexperience to know that a child needed those basic things; food, warmth, water– milk if they were young enough. Of course, what 'young enough' actually was remained a mystery to the brute.

"Sounds like you should have been more careful during the fight." he quipped, "Might be worth finding someone to train you proper once your back on your feet."

[/color]​

---

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

​

 

[THUNDERFLASH]

Speak english. His eyes might have rolled out of his skull when Ghost asked him that, yet he had continued with his convictions. Ghost had done all but shove them off- brush them away like they weren't much more then the cobwebs dotting Thunderflash's body at the moment. A breath left him, trying to relax, but a thought had become stuck in his head. He thought he owed me? That was souring, at the least- a score against his soul. Thunderflash never wanted Ghost do things for him out of being owed them. No, he wanted them to do them because Ghost wanted to. Not to repay a debt, not to settle a score. A frown remained on his muzzle for a long bit.

Regardless, they had shifted the conversation to other things- namely being stuck in dens, yes. His ears twitched at the shit manners part and lifted a shoulder in a shrug. As much as he knew of Cicada, he hadn't gotten along with them much- and now they had disappeared to aid those who had departed from.. Thunderclan. Those that had attacked them. His blue eyes shifted towards camp again, eyebrows knitted together. A brief beat of silence followed what he said last, then Ghost was speaking again- ears twitched and he glanced sidelong at the other. "Huh?" Thunderflash said, almost dumbly, blinking once or twice before his brain started back up again.

"Oh." Thunderflash said, then looked away again. "I mean.. I dunno. I think m' fine." He huffed, trying to sit up a little straighter in the laying position he had been forced into. His fine had almost gotten him killed. Or was it just that he didn't know how to defend himself better? "Don't think I want t' ask you. All covered up n' scars." Thunderflash started, his tone already teasing as he navigated his vision back to the other tom. Yes, clearly, Ghost was a far better fighter then Thunderflash, but those scars... "Makes me wonder if yer really any good yerself." He said, tail moving to twitch in the air, cheeky grin on his face- despite how the scar over his eye ached when he did grin.

___________________ YOU'VE GOT MY BODY ☆ FLESH AND BONE, YEAH ___________________

• "speech"
  

• 

• THUNDERFLASH he/him, 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.