beautiful devastation. *lace

[Dawn]

YOU'RE AN OUTCAST, ALWAYS UNDER ATTACK, ALWAYS COMING IN LAST

He had known for a long time that a storm was coming, bringing a bane to spread over the forest, a veil. Ravaging and destroying, tearing apart bonds they had made and broken, stirring the blood of all those that took part. Just now, in the darkened sky above, the tempest was finally breaking. At first, just a few crooked fangs broke down and flashed overhead, painting the night glorious colors; sanguine and indigo, the clouds to be seen a faint red, the sky a mix of blue and purple. Then, however, came the roaring of thunder, a terrible, booming sound that echoed across the ground, and struck fear into the hearts of the cats below, sheltered by the hollowed tree. The wind was a thousand dying screams, raking its claws through the forest; the rain that fell was a barrage of cold needles, striking with hailstones which pelted the trees. The moon was nearly full, and as the sky broke, roaring defiance with thunder and violence to the great disc, its rocky face turned crimson for a moment, then became hidden behind the clouds. Hailghost was cast into darkness for only a few moments; then, with another horrifying howl, white fire shot through the blackened sky. In the moment of light, he could see his clan mates pressing against the bark, too afraid to run to their dens, perhaps knowing that the tree itself could fall or be set to burning. There was no where else to go, however, no safe haven. All they could do was wait out the treacherous storm until morning came at last.

Hailghost sat alone, as he most always did, close to the base of the trunk with a branch sheltering him from the falling ice. His thick gray fur, fluffed up to make him appear quite huge, kept him warm as the cold winds cut through. In the darkness, he could see very little with glowing amber eyes, for it was a misconception that cats could see in pitch darkness; there had to be a bit of light, and with how it was now, he could scarcely make out the forest. Sight had fled him; scent was nearly useless; all he could do was use his paws and ears, moving by instinct, listening for danger. There was no use though; he may as well just sit here and turn to stone, as far as Hailghost was concerned. He had a few thoughts about the ominous, sudden storm; the first being that they were doomed. The other was, at least as they came into leaf fall, they wouldn't be without water. It was a sarcastic one, but he couldn't help but admit that after this, the rivers and streams would swell. We'll probably be flooded later in the season, we're so lucky. He thought with dismal humor, tail flicking away a hail stone as it fell nearby. He pictured cats, climbing up into the tree to escape the water that had crept too far from its intended path. Certainly it had never happened before, and he had been alive for a generous amount of time, but that didn't mean it wasn't going to happen this season. After all, everything seemed to be topsy turvy in Tempestclan, and all of the other clans too.

It was a day after he had killed Jaspersun, and he had almost entirely forgotten about the orange striped warrior. There had been no attack from Celestialclan; his own clan knew nothing about it yet; and thus there had been no punishment either. If he had been thinking about the cat he had killed, not in cold blood but in the heat of a border fight, he might have wondered if this were punishment from 'Starclan' or whatever greater thing watched them. However, Hailghost's mind was thoroughly empty this night, as he watched the sky flashing, and so he didn't think about the events of past days.

WORD COUNT: 655 TAGGED: LACE/FLAMEY NOTES: Okay, so. This could go a few ways, just post and we'll see what happens. Mostly a bit of a development thread, and yeah just a chance to post with TC cats that you haven't in a while.

ANCK SU NAMUN OF CAUTION!

[lace !]

An eerie caterwaul split the air; slicing the near-silence to shreds. The only noise that sounded was the howling winds above, raging through the fallen canopy of trees that sheltered the petrified below. Wails rang and sounded- none more than mere cries of distress from the weak. Brave cats ventured into the forest; although one might call them fools rather than brave or adventurous. The world outside the safe haven of camp was filled with terror and danger; trees splitting, rain spattering, and hail stones pelting. The sky was no paradise, either, for lightening split the darkness in two; the random bursts frightening the cats down below.
The hallow of TempestClan camp was dark; almost too dark. Even a cat of best vision would be troubled in attempting to find the light. As the storm continued above, however, cats persisted to sit and wait it out. A lone figure could be made out, standing under the great towering tree. Hail ripped apart the air; soaring through like baseballs in a diamond stadium. The tom awaiting under the tree had an eerie appearance to him; his haunting amber eyes bright against the darkness of the night. His pelt was hidden, but not gone- it's colors reflecting off the slightest flash of lightning.
Slinking through the shadows, an orange pelt darted from foliage to foliage, taking shelter among every nook and cranny along the way. The felines destination was none other than the brave soul sitting under the tree- Hailghost. His name fit him hauntingly; but the tabby was not afraid. His terror only came in the worst of times, unlike his humor. His humor exceeded any other of his traits, sometimes for the worse, sometimes for the better. He had a sharp tongue, as well. The two did not make a pleasant match; however, others seemed to put up with the insubordinate tom for reasons unknown.
Hhis tail swished in the wind, working hard with the effort of keeping in the shadows. As the winds raged in a fit of anger once more, Flamestripe squinted, screwing up his eyes as he tried to make out the phantom placed beneath the tree. His ears flicked, the blood roaring like thunder. As he skirted the edge of camp, he emerged into the light; what little could be found. His flaming pelt stuck out in the darkness, although one could barely see. "Lovely afternoon, Hailghost." He daunted, his humor coming more easily than expected.
As he sat upon the ground, he flicked his tail in excitement. Finally, he had found a parter of which he would make pleasant conversation to, on this most frightening of nights. His whiskers quivered in the wind, as he awaited response.

[/color][/font][/size][/blockquote][/blockquote]

^{STARRING : Flamestripe ; Hailghost
WORDS : 455
STATUS : Complete
NOTES : Merr.
LYRICS USED : USE Somebody - Kings of Leon
LISTENING TO : Skyscraper - Demi Lovato
CREDIT : TANA}

[Dawn]

YOU'RE AN OUTCAST, ALWAYS UNDER ATTACK, ALWAYS COMING IN LAST

The air was heavy with the storm and his chest rose and fall, drawing of what little air there seemed to be, that of a faint gray thing, not a monster nor a cat, just a shadow that drew little attention. It was the same, in daylight or darkness, really; Hailghost was not a mystery, not a beast or deadly intention nor a kind hearted tom. He was... simply himself. There was no identity plain that he could go by, so much as the one the clans felt for him; in his own mind, no clear, "Oh, there goes Hailghost, the ____" fill in blank with something personality determining. Among the clans, he was decently known, being as he was of his 'high' kin, and of course the brother of the deputy. When it came out that he had murdered none other than the Celestialclan warrior, Jaspersun- well, he might just be a bit more well known, but it didn't phase him much. The gray warrior wasn't a sociopath; it was merely that his regret over the killing was not clear to him, perhaps. It had to be seen in such a case that no one creature has a certain personality; it may be that the mice, are fearful, as they scurry from feline claws. But if one looked deeper at the prey hunted by the forest cats, could it not be seen that it also felt joys, and hurt, and even, hatred? As it had been noted before and would again, Hailghost wasn't easy to define, just like anyone else. As the days went by, perhaps in and out he might notice his regret over the needless blood spill; and if he didn't, what did that mean, anyway? If the warrior felt no regret, it was not to say that he wouldn't if he had murdered another cat, another Celestialclan warrior. For Jaspersun, he might have just not felt anything, and that was that. If it had been a cat of his own clan, however... he would have felt nothing but shame.

From the heated air arrived an even heavier breath, and breathed against him, hot wind on Hailghost's fur. Another cat, approaching, and by scent he could easily tell that it was Flamestripe, though he looked quite the spirit, with his orange tabby fur so much like Jaspersun's. Though the other tom was quite close by, near enough that if he had strained hard in the darkness he would have caught a faint ginger outline, Hailghost said nothing in greeting, pausing shortly. Even when the younger warrior mewed that it was a 'lovely afternoon' he remained silent in the darkness, amber lights hard and still. Soul departed him, it very well could have been; he felt a little cold shudder deep somewhere, until the lightning flashed, and then Hailghost could see, in that moment of brightness, Flamestripe. He was certain now that it was his clanmate and not Jaspersun back for a last fight, and all of his fear, never seen to flutter on his eyes or make his fur rise, left him. "Yes," murmured the generally volatile tom placidly, "one fit for rising the dead." His words were ironic and yet ominous, but he had settled now with his dampened pelt and did not shift uncomfortably. "And just what is it that has brought you here?" Hailghost meowed deeply, not entirely meaning to sound short but succeeding a bit anyway, for it was just his natural tone to take with others. "I'm surprised you aren't sheltering with the others, deep inside the tree." He sighed then, and cast a blind look at the wet bark that stood tall behind him, then toward the forest where, moons before, he had seen trees burn in a storm, only after the white claws had come down. Lightning was a bad omen; he knew it wasn't safe to be in the tree dens, but could neither move himself from the tree's base nor find a better shelter for his frightened clan mates.

WORD COUNT: 670 TAGGED: LACE/FLAMEY NOTES: bwuhahaha. n_n

ANCK SU NAMUN OF CAUTION!

[lace !]

The wind above was still raging wildly; causing eerie noises in the most ominous of silences. Flamestripe shook his pelt out; the moistened air slapping the fur to his skin. As his flank doubled in size, he grinned, the light above flashing brilliantly. A crack could be heard in the distance, and the TempestClan tom wondered briefly, if a tree had just fallen. Alas, it did not matter- for a mere fallen tree would be no match or matter to TempestClan warriors- the best of all.
The orange tabby tom noticed Hailghost's lack of response. Something seemed to haunt him for a moment, as if there were another presence among them. After a moment, however, the ginger warrior felt a spark of lightning, and watched as the tom put himself at ease. He shifted, but with serenity and grace. For the time it took the bat an eyelash, Flamestripe was jealous. How could the tom switch so easily, from seemingly spooked, to composed? It was surely a useful skill. However, it was one not many cats could hone and have the honor of possessing. With a flick of his tail, Flamestripe listened to the tom speak; his voice almost alluring.
A moment passed, and the opposing warriors vocals ended. Feeling a bit inadequate, Flamestripe smirked out of nervousness. "Hide? In a fantastic adventurous opportunity such as this? Why would I do that?" He grinned, flicking his ears in attempt to disengage the falling drops of rain. He dug his claws into the muddy ground, flexing them. "I'd rather be out here and wet, then cowering inside a den with the rest of the clan. I don't understand what's so scary."

[/color] He mewed, the last part more to himself than Hailghost.
He blinked, looking out into the forest. He wondered if any of the other clans were hiding. Or rather, if they were patrolling? Were they carrying on with clan life; hunting prey and training apprentices? Or were they like his own, hiding and cowering from the forces of nature? StarClan would be disappointed in TempestClan, Flamestripe thought. Perhaps they would reward him and Hailghost alike; for being courageous and braving the elements. Perhaps they would reward them with plenty prey for the upcoming leafbare. Or maybe, they would give them the gift of endless energy. The warrior sighed quietly to himself; how nice that would be.
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^{STARRING : Flamestripe ; Hailghost
WORDS : 397
STATUS : Complete-ish
NOTES : I might edit this later; but I'm currently being screamed at, so I might as well go. Feel free to reply; it doesn't matter.
LYRICS USED : USE Somebody - Kings of Leon
LISTENING TO : Broken - Seether ft. Amy Lee
CREDIT : TANA}[/quote]

[Dawn]

YOU'RE AN OUTCAST, ALWAYS UNDER ATTACK, ALWAYS COMING IN LAST

Hailghost heard the crack too, ear splitting, but distant. It was loud enough still to make the best of cats cringe, and that the Tempestclan tom did, turning his head toward the direction of what sounded to be a tree limb breaking away. He could imagine it vividly, somewhere in the darkness; white fire striking against dry bark, crackling it away, lighting up the air with heat. No doubt if it wished it could start a whole roaring forest fire, and then every cat in these parts would be in trouble, driven to the lake where no cat wanted to be. The clan cats could scarcely get along with firmly set boundaries; it was difficult to picture, in his stormy reverie, them getting on well when their pelts brushed and they shared just one piece of land, the only left unburnt. It is lucky, then, that the rain is so heavy, and the wind relatively low. Hailghost thought, tasting the air and scenting the many smells of weather. Perhaps the rain would keep any holocausts from springing up; up until now, they had been lucky, and still the forest was rather green and wet, so it would be less likely to catch fire.

After speaking, Hailghost had looked away, and he swung his head back in time to catch Flamestripe's smirk in the shadows. His own expression was grimly guarded, amber eyes glinting luminously red with the flashes of light. After his first statement, a bold one of 'what a great adventurous opportunity this was' Hailghost said nothing; what he had said was annoying but tolerable, and so he set his jaw quite rigidly, and bit his tongue and curled his tail, and looked away with a bit of disdain at the bold young tom. Hailghost was no more or no less brave than any cat; he didn't boast great courage or fearlessness in front of the elements. In fact, superstitiously, he occasionally felt this may be bad luck. Never did he admit this to others, but it was true. In any case, he wasn't greatly brave; just better at hiding his feelings, and naturally more lacking in that area. When the orange striped tom continued speaking though, after a pause, he couldn't help but give a snort of disgust. "I'm scared. You want to know what's to be afraid of?" The fur on his back puffed up a small bit, at the foolish spoken words. "If those white streaks came down upon us, who knows? We could go up in smoke, just like any tree." Again, the warrior sighed, thinking of the sight but not shuffling in fear, despite being completely uncomfortable with his damp, long fur.

"Look, if you want an adventure..." His tail swished, out from under the branch that had mainly protected him, under the harsh pound of rainwater and toward the dark forest. "The other clans are smart; and those of Zephyrclan are most at risk." Hailghost half smiled as he pieced this together, and his eyes glinted away from the direction of the moorland when he looked back toward Flamestripe. "If you want an adventure," he meowed again, pausing as the wind picked up and blew his fur into a fine mess, "then let's have a look around the the rabbit chaser's land."

WORD COUNT: 548 TAGGED: LACE/FLAMEY NOTES: I tried to make him not being mean; he's not being a sadist or trying to trick Flamey into getting hurt. xD It's surprising and rare so don't get toooo used to it.

ANCK SU NAMUN OF CAUTION!

[lace !]

The orange tabby tom's fur puffed up- partly from fear, partly from the chilling breeze that whipped by. Or so he told himself. The slate-like tom was quite successful at spooking the TempestClan warrior, however, for his heart was racing. Cats? Get struck by hot bolts of fire? Nonsense! However, for some- faint, unrealistic reason, Flamestripe believed it. It were possible- and he had known it. Hailghost's words had only validated it more. Perhaps the tabby tom had known the dangers of the storm all along, but did not want to show them- for he was Flamestripe, and Flamestripe would never back down. Hence the imposition now proposed to him. Hailghost's cold, solid voice echoed through his mind. ZephyrClan? He thought bleakly. The thoughts that were clouding his mind were causing him to become slow and sluggish. This was not good.
As the words finally registered in the toms mind, he stared at the opposing warrior. What was he proposing, exactly? That they sneak onto ZephyrClan territory? Steal prey? The tom flicked his tail, but out of the foes line of sight. He couldn't help but twitch his whiskers in amusement, however, for it was quite comical- how he had just called the said warrior a foe, when he was instead, a clanmate. The forest had a strange way of reversing things. Or perhaps it was only the orange warrior's mind; playing tricks on him. Either way, Flamestripe still hadn't responded to Hailghost's proposition. He thought about it hard, staring the warrior in the eyes, his gaze solid and unmoving. If he turned it down, the grey tom would have cause to tease him, for less than a few moments ago, Flamestripe himself had suggested this was an adventurous opportunity. How would it look if he refused, now, of all times.
An old habit kicked in- the need to make a joke. However, the orange warrior swallowed it down- along with his fear. He was most certainly not going to let Hailghost see his cowardly side. Besides, what was the harm? No ZephyrClan warrior would dare to be out in a storm such as this. No, they would be too cowardly. "Why, I don't see why not." He replied, grinning. He flicked his eyes, clearing forming drops of water. "Unless, that is, you're too cowardly." He challenged, the hint of old humor laced in amongst the spikes of duel. With any luck, his words would reach the amber-eyed tom with the intended tone and connotation.
Stretching, Flamestripe dug his claws into the damp, muddy soil. They ripped through the ground, dirt particles scattering among the surface. The TempestClan tom gave an internal smile- imagining the ground as a piece of freshly caught prey. Hell, maybe it was a moor rabbit. The thought reached his stomach- which growled in response. His saliva glands cheered; producing more than necessary. With a swift lick of his lips, he stood up, and padded into the downpour of rain, ignoring the tickling sensation the rain brought upon his skin. "Well c'mon then,"

[/color] He cooed softly, as if he were calling a kitten. Let's get going- Hailghost."

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^{STARRING : Flamestripe ; Hailghost
WORDS : 522
STATUS : Complete
NOTES : please don't kill me/him. i know it's a suckish post. i'm not all together right now- so bare with me plox. :c
LYRICS USED : Use Somebody - Kings of Leon
LISTENING TO : Fool's Gold - Clara Chung
CREDIT : TANA}

[Dawn]

YOU'RE AN OUTCAST, ALWAYS UNDER ATTACK, ALWAYS COMING IN LAST

Don't put your life in someone's hands ; They're bound to steal it away

Hailghost wasn't feeling much like arguing with the other tom, because he was beginning to see a future that would reveal the orange striped cat's hidden cowardice. Well hidden, at that. But this was Hailghost; he hadn't always had the best talents with remaining stoic, but he'd gotten quite a bit of it from his mother, the truest liar one'd ever see. Certainly, he wasn't as good as Dreamfeather, on her best day- but he was adept at deciphering the unseen feelings of others. Like Flamestripe's puffed up fur. His own pelt, still bristling lightly, had come from annoyance with the younger warrior. Flamestripe was feeling entirely different. He wasn't a mind reader however, so perhaps the tabby would show himself more bright than he appeared in the dim? Perhaps he was the clever one here after all, worth a more careful study. Or perhaps he was just as stupid and dull as Jaspersun had been; in which case Hailghost wouldn't waste any more of his time goading on the warrior. Flexing his claws, the gray tom recalled again the killing of the other young, 'brave' cat; it was likely he would face a similar end, if he were ever to be cornered by an angry Celestialclan patrol. Tilting his head as a dozen flashes lit the sky above, the smirk remained on Hailghost's features anyway, his ears twitching and then flattening against his head as a fresh torrent of rain began to pour down. For a moment, jaws parted to reveal fangs as he tasted the air, amber eyes directed at the dark sky, he looked almost threatening; then he took a step back, farther, he hoped, beneath the branches, and appeared more relaxed.

He had missed entirely the scene of emotions in Flamestripe's eyes that would generally have been more clear in daylight. Hailghost felt rather tired, the rain made him feel this way- drowsy and subdued- and he most wished that he would turn down the challenge. It seemed for a moment he would, but then at last he carelessly tossed out more boasting words. Here he was accepting that they break the warrior code when both of them were already most always on Voidstar's bad side, and he was slinging it out there easy. "Sure, I'd love to eat a rattlesnake, then mate with a dog." That and what Flamestripe had said seemed akin, and he was just about unable to mock him aloud, scarcely controlling himself, turning away from the cold wind to hide his own amusement and disbelief. That is, unless you're too cowardly. Already turning away, he barely caught the words, and his smirk only deepened at them. His heart jumped with the booming thunder, adrenaline pumping through his body; certainly, Hailghost was quite afraid of the storm and the open moor. The fear only made it better. "Look who's talking, Shiverstripe." The older warrior mewed with a genuine amount of humor and challenge in his voice, matching in the words that had been spoken before.

He was no longer feeling the heaviness in his eye lids and paws, and pushed eagerly to stand, remaining silent. The last taunting was of no surprise to him, and Hailghost took it without comment, catching up to the orange tom's side. He would play along, but he wasn't about to follow like a sheep when this sort of trouble had been his idea. The Tempestclan warrior could almost feel his paws tremble with energy; and, getting the second of his good ideas, he took off ahead, into blind darkness. "Better speed up; the storm'll be over by the time you get there!" He moved at a sort of loping gait, so that with each flash he was still in sight ahead, paws kicking up mud where it was, tearing at loose grass, splashing water about. All in all, generally making a mess of himself. Oddly enough, he was quite enjoying it though.

WORD COUNT: 656 TAGGED: LACE/FLAMEY NOTES: Sorry if it's a poor post. xD

ANCK SU NAMUN OF CAUTION!