starting {havoc} in a {flash} // dusk

watch me carefully
my thoughts are still my own
if i speak, it's likely important

Winter was still taking its sweet to time to been the moors a fine farewell and be off for the next three seasons. It was as though the season was loathe to pry its chilling fingers away from the territory, in a cold greed it wanted nothing more than to continue sapping life not only from the cats, but from the land as well. The season was a poor one, living off the misery of other creatures. True, the weather wasn't as poor as it had been a couple moons earlier, the gusts held less bite, and breath wasn't visible in the air all day long, so things weren't quite as bad as they could have been. Even so, the delayed return of winter was worrying to say the least. Cats needed nourishment, and that meant their prey had to eat well too, and it was doubtful that many hares would be growing fat on snow-choked grass. The prospects of what might happen if the snow stuck around for much longer were chilling. Fretting for the well-being of the clan kept Havocstar up many a long night. That earlier period of darkness had been no different, and the tom had been all too happy to leave his shelter in the shadow of the High Hill when the first rays of sun had crept up to color the horizon with a red blush.

He'd stood, musing quietly to himself, watching as the clan slowly shook off its night stupor and grew active. Infernochaser had handled patrols already, everything was set and organized for the day. The small tabby now found himself idling on the top of his "podium", a feline shaped monolith overlooking the grassy campground. In truth, he wasn't quite sure what to do with himself. His apprentice, Lithiumpaw, was out for a forest-hunting lesson with Duneshade; the patrols had no need of him until night came along, the tom shrugged his narrow shoulders, muscles sliding neatly beneath his ever-spiky pelt. He let a quiet breath escape from his maw, ochre gaze trailing coolly across the bodies of cats milling about in the clearing. It stopped on one she-cat who was just beginning to make her way from the warriors' dens. The calico squinted at the bright light of day, face screwing itself up in a look of distaste; Havocstar found his whiskers twitching in amusement as he watched her look about blindly. The tom began making his way down the grassy-covered rise, sidling closer to the late-rising warrior.

It would have been interesting to creep onto the female and surprise, but he wasn't the devious sort, and, besides, the sun worked against him that day. He gave an easy smile as the cat spoke. "Glad to see you've chosen to rejoin the living, Orioleflash," he mewed, voice betraying his appreciation of the half-joking greeting. He shifted his weight from paw to paw, feigning indecision as to whether or not he'd sit down. Too soon the tricolor grew somewhat impatient with him, her own saffron gaze glinting with a vague sort of irritation. "Well?" The tom promptly sat down, now more level with the she-cat as she continued to gnaw at her fresh-kill. "Suppose I could afford to lounge about for a while." His mew was drawn out into a false-drawl. He paused for a moment, searching for some topic to start of a suitable conversation. His mind wandered to the earlier event that had drawn him towards Orioleflash in the first place. "So then, this leaf-bare has been something else hasn't it? The snow seems hell-bent on sticking around."

watch me carefully
my thoughts are still my own
if i speak, it's likely important

The tom knew something about how Orioleflash liked to act, being one of the few cats remaining in the clan old enough to recall her as an apprentice. For one reason or another, the calico had - practically - always felt the need to appear tough since she'd been made a warrior, although the reasons behind the bristly exterior failed to make themselves known to Havocstar. As far as he was concerned, though, it mattered little how she chose to act so long as it wasn't detrimental to the clan. His wise-cracking had almost gained a smile from her - or so he liked to think - and that gave him a small sense of pleasure. Some cats found her too abrasive, too ready to be rude, but those cats might think to work on their tempers themselves before judging others; the slight-framed leader simply took the she-cat's smirking jibes in stride. "Speaking of lovely faces, you gave quite the interesting expression yourself back there exiting the dens." He gave a slight purr to dispel any harshness from the words. This trading of jibes felt good to the tom, when so few cats were willing to treat him like the simple warrior he'd once been - and still was as far as he was concerned.

He ducked his head, fur rustling as he moved, and shuffled his paws in discomfort as the she-cat scrutinized his features with those sharp, golden eyes. A low chuckle rattled out from his throat as she noted his weariness and didn't hesitate to bring it up. "You're powers of observation are admirable," he mewed after forcing himself to keep his gaze level. What kind of tom could be abashed by a simple looking over."I suppose that... being rendered a leader at such a point in life is stressful." It was a struggle to find the right explanation to portray how he'd been feeling lately. He gave a small, helpless shake of his head. "It's a lot of pressure that I can't help feeling another cat would be better suited to." The tom lacked any sort of ambition, being at the head of his clan had never been a dream of his. Starclan had demanded he take power over Zephyrclan, and he had, but that didn't mean he enjoyed it. A silent nod was all he gave as an acknowledgement to the large yawn.

He attempted to shake off any last shreds of melancholy by focusing on the tricolor's words as she spat vehemently about the weather. A frown tugging gently on his features as he watched the warrior glare about at the snow and cold. Something was off with the she-cat, or was he imagining things? "Hopefully the weather will soon be taking a turn for the better. Breezestep insists that the weather is starting to become warmer." He hesitated, claws sheathing and unsheathing nervously into the snow as he sought out the right way to word his query. You asked me if everything was alright, but perhaps I should be asking you that Orioleflash." The tone suggested less of a question and more of a statement, something the feline could latch onto if she wished, or dismiss just as easily. "Griefs are never good to withhold," he looked up as he mewed, as though the tabby was speaking to himself or addressing the air. He quirked a brow as Orioleflash proceeded to move onto more practical matters. "Well, neither of us has patrols for some time. The clan can be stifling, though. Would you care to take a walk? Maybe we might find a wandering hare or two on the way." He wasn't about to push the calico if she didn't wish to speak. Instead he leaned back slightly and jerked his chin in the direction of the camp's exit.

watch me carefully
my thoughts are still my own
if i speak, it's likely important

A brief moment of confusion flashed through the tom as he heard an odd sound coming from the lithe warrior. No, not odd; out of place. That was a better way to phrase it. How often did he hear laughter drifting its way from the calico coloured female slouching casually before him? The small of stature leader could count the number of times he'd heard Orioleflash laugh - well and truly laugh, not give that harsh sarcastic rattling - on the toes of a single paw. Well, he'd achieved something quite amazing if he had to say so himself. For a short span of seconds the tom even considered ribbing her over the out of character laughter, but decided against it as pushing too far. Ever cat had their limits and he preferred not to test just where those boundaries were. Instead he allowed himself a small dose of sarcasm, something he rarely used but seemed apt for the situation at hand. "It was utterly beauteous. I'm graced to have seen such heavenly features," he managed, a hearty purr still rising from his throat.

Once more he lowered his head, this time against the compliment, though harshly delivered it was quite sincere in the blunt manner that Orioleflash delivered her words. Havocstar's head twisted doubtfully, morning sun glinting off the tan and black fur between his ears. He might've quailed under the force of her words were it not for the way she looked at him with silent approval of his work. "Heh, thanks for the vote of confidence." A quick breath helped settle the tom and chase away the inherent embarrassment he felt at the tricolour's assessment of his work. "It's good to know that not everyone sees my leadership as a lost cause. This "curse" business has grown tiresome." The tabby realized how weak he must look, unable to take the slightest compliment without feeling a rush of bashfulness. So be it if Orioleflash - or any other cat for that matter - felt any disdain at that part of his nature. He couldn't take a compliment without embarrassed, it was a key component of what made him the modest warrior he usually was. The reason he wasn't some overreaching hot-head looking to put his own ambitions before the good of the clan.

A smirk of his own tugged gently on his lips as he agreed with the female's weather assessment. "This has been one clingy winter." Onto more pressing matters. It was curious, watching a short play of emotions wind their way across the she-cat's features as his statement was considered. Did the feline realize the way her face changed as she thought, or was the movement unconscious? 'Hmm, I probably do the same myself.' The detached wonders were dismissed as her head moved silently from side to side and she gave the slightest smile. He'd figured she'd decide against confiding anything in him. It went too far against the Orioleflash he knew to so quickly admit any personal dissatisfaction. He could have pushed, but no, that was conducive to nothing. Instead: "You're a part of the clan, Orioleflash. And a good, strong, independent she-cat. I doubt any would think otherwise even if you did crack that shell just a little."" His smiled warmly, golden gaze gentle as he nodded for no apparent reason and turned to traverse out of the camp, giving a quiet greeting to the guard. "What was that?" He looked over his shoulder having heard Orioleflash mutter something though he hadn't caught the words.