Open Camp UNTIL MY HEART EXPLODES = [ idle chatter? ]

[THUNDERFLASH]

It's starting to warm up- his nose tilts towards the sun where it drifts down, eyes closing into the glimmering light. He's laying almost directly next to Ghoststrike, except for the fact he had rolled slightly away from him after he plopped down. Which was.. fine, that was okay. It didn't hurt, he promises, but it made sense. If the tom didn't have to be touching him, he wasn't. Thunderstrike was more then aware of this- he kept his distance unless it was to make silent communication, hunting something slightly larger. Regardless, when he had laid next to him, he hadn't tried to touch him, but maybe their flanks did brush. His mistake, one that he had mumbled an apology to early on, only to turn his head into the sunlight.

There hadn't been any of the nonstop idle chatter from him yet. Not until now, anyways. "Ghostie." He starts, "Y' think this newleaf is gonna be a good one? Or is i' gonna be super rainy?" He asks the other. "No' tha' it'll super matter, I think, bu' it could hinder huntin' a bit... rain would be good for th' flowers, though." He hums in idle though, head tilting the other way, eyes drifting close. That was, of course, until he heard the soft shuffle of paws. Ghoststrike hadn't moved, as far as he could tell, so baby blues slide open to point towards the approaching, similarly masked individual. Thunderstrike blinks down at Hopekit. "Heya, kiddo. Y' need somethin'?" He prompts.

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

• "speech"
  // please wait for @GHOSTSTRIKE and @hopekit to each post once!
  

• 

• THUNDERFLASH he/him, thunderclan storm guard, twenty one 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.

 

[hopepaw]

Hopekit had been enjoying a patch of sun at the mouth of the nursery den when he spotted Thunderflash lie down next to Ghoststrike a few fox lengths away. For once, he lets his curiosity control him, little feet taking him closer to the two toms. Maybe because he was quite fond of the chocolate tabby, who's always shown him great patience and kindness, or because Ghoststrike had a mask like his own, and he found this interesting– he isn't quite sure himself. Nevertheless he ends up in front of Thunderflash, who speaks to him first.

Does he need something? Well, not really. He'd just wanted to… take a look, he supposes. Up close. Can he say that? Maybe not… Ah… okay, he has to say something now. He's been looking at Thunderstrike for a while. Okay. "I have… a question," Hopekit starts, trying to think of something. Then he remembers something he'd heard– a piece of a conversation, something about having kits in leafbare, and Copperstorm and Dewshine… "Are you and Ghoststrike going to have kits too someday…?" He asks, blinking benignly at Thunderflash. It would be nice, he thinks, if they had kids. Maybe they'd have a mask too, like him.

 

[GHOSTSTRIKE]

I WON'T SMILE, BUT I'LL SHOW YOU MY TEETH

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It was a rare moment to find Ghoststrike both in camp and openly relaxing. Even his meals were taken in solitude, carried back to the privacy of his den where the masked tomcat could feast away from the prying eyes of others. The only exception to this rule of laziness were the rare moments he'd choose to settle near Thunder whenever the clan was engaged in their routines of chit-chat, grooming, and sharing meals. He never joined in it much beyond that– just being there– but that was enough for him right now.

It was getting warmer though, and however slowly it was going, he was trying to learn to enjoy life a little more. Nothing big or extravagant, just the acceptance of small, simple pleasure that should have been afforded to him in the first place; a quiet meal savoured instead of scarfed down just to stay alive, the presence of another that didn't trigger the need to be on guard, resting in the warm, pleasant beams of the suns light just because he could. It didn't always come easy to him after a lifetime of constant tension and threat of danger, but every now and then… Every now and then he'd look out over Thunderclans camp and the constant churning in his mind would quiet and still.

Today was one such day. The fast-approaching spring was warming the air, clearing away clouds and letting the sun bleed through enough to tempt Ghoststrike into warming his stiff muscles. He wouldn't remain long– be it out of restlessness or the simple knowledge that there was always more to be done within Thunderclans borders– but for now, this was one more thing he would allow himself.

Beside him, Thunder was chattering away as usual, his voice a pleasant buzz in the scarred cat's ears.

"Hard to say." he answered, dark eyes drifting upward as if the answer might write itself up there somewhere. "Never got this much snow back home. Mostly just rained this time of year." he remarked, without any particular feeling.

The coalitions city was wet concrete and grey skies' year round, with the odd pocket of sunshine or snowfall. Anything beautiful to be found there was short-lived before it was drowned in the cities sorrow, It was almost too easy to image the forest being the same; a dreary, sopping place that left your paws permanently damp. It occurred to him that he could have asked. More than one of these cats– perhaps even Thunder himself– had lived through a springtime in or nearby this particular biome. Then again, why bother asking a question you'd get the answer to anyway?

"No' tha' it'll super matter, I think, bu' it could hinder huntin' a bit... rain would be good for th' flowers, though."

He hummed a low, brief sound of agreement. "As long as it warms up a bit."

From there a lull fell over them, not an awkward or tense silence, but something far easier and more welcomed. While it was still obvious that things like space and privacy remained a high priority for Ghost, much of it– when it came to Thunder at least– was just leftover muscle memory. In truth, it bothered him far less than he let on to have the blue-eyed warrior close by his side like this. There might even be a preference toward it, an assurance that soothed whatever that violently protective thing inside of him was that hated it whenever the sun guard was out of sight.

Moments like this were the closest to being fully relaxed Ghost could remember being. He knew it was a dangerous game he was letting himself play.

And it was about to get irreparably worse with the arrival of little paw steps heading toward them, wielding a pandoras box that the scarred shadow would not be able to close.

It's the kit from that day. Ghost recognized them at once, blond fur and an all too familiar mask staring back at him. The older tom remained silent as Thunderflash opened their eyes and smiled down at them, more than happy to let them take the lead in a conversation Ghost would likely have no part in any way.

Or so he thought.

"Are you and Ghoststrike going to have kits too someday…?"

Ghost blinked down at the kit with a blank expression, trying to decide if they were fucking with him or not, only to realize they were completely serious.

"Fucking hell. What have you been telling these brats?" he huffed toward Thunderflash, not truly annoyed but seeing fit to deliver a solid flick with his tail as a silent reprimand for bragging too much about him to the neighbourhood kids-- which was the only logical answer he had as to why Hopekit might think they had that kind of relationship.

Even if he had been entertaining the notion of taking a mate or having kits– which he most certainly was not-- he sure as hell wouldn't be burdening Thunderflash with it.

It didn't matter that the sun guard was the only cat he could really stand to be close to like this. Or that they had the kind of stubborn, fierce heart he probably would have wanted in a mate if he'd been looking to take one. Or that the mental image of blue-eyed kittens with silly mohawks and off-putting masks came all too easily. At the end of the day, the mocha tomcat had too much potential for it to be wasted on some Coalition soldier who'd done more bad than good in their life. Thunder was better than that, and with the right training, one day be better than Ghost altogether.

He just had to keep the idiot alive long enough to see it happen.

​

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thunderclan warrior- male - a towering dark tabby with a white mask and dark amber eyes.

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