G(O)LDEN WIND - Skeleton Clearing

[SirDio]

Hurricane

The tom decided that today was the day for the clear out of ROCKELL. He selected the group personally, though he only chose a sparse few and let everyone else decide if they should go. He instilled the rule that kits weren't allow at the time, too.

Leading the group with a stern gaze, he noticed Medusa slinking up behind him, paying him no mind as she raced toward the ship. But before she actually made it to the ship, she veered inland. What was her problem?

Shrugging the thought aside, he turned to face the group as they arrived at the ship. "Clear out as much as you can - put bones and such either out to sea or into the forest. We leave at sunset. Whatever isn't cleared out today will be dealt with another day." He waved his tail to signify the work to begin. Was he being too directing? Usually he let Rhinestone pick the patrols, but he needed strong individuals to help carry the large bones.

His first manner of business was the bones scattered across the sands. He made short work, burying most and chucking the rest into the forest. Then he went into the ship itself, dragging skulls, spines, rib bones, and such from the ship and toward the forest.

[METEOR]

Quasar hadn’t been selected for Hurricane’s patrol, but he stumbled on them by utter accident. The apprentice, maw bloody and a rabbit hanging from his jaws, stopped. Dropping the rabbit on a rock—hearing a bone crack, but not reacting to it—he headed over to the large tomcat.

The sparkledoggo’s three tails swished irritably, and he looked at Hurricane with a sideways glare. “Why are you cleaning out the bones?” Quasar asked, an accusatory tone ringing in his throat. “You’re not afraid of death and the macabre, are you?” His irritable glare turned up into an odd grimace.

“If you’re going to throw them away, anyway, I’ll take the intact bones and skulls. I’ve got… ideas. For reusing them.”

© LEXASPERATED

[RHINESTONE.]

LEADER ❝ RHINE ❞ PALMCLAN

Rhine had initially been invited on Hurricane's patrol, but he had a feeling it was mostly because of his position as leader, rather than because of his own strength. He wasn't exactly anything out of the ordinary in terms of strength, being only an ordinary domestic feline. Despite this, Rhinestone had no intention of refusing Hurricane's request, not wanting to upset the other, or seem like he was being lazy.

The tom was quick to follow after Hurricane towards the Rockell, his nose wrinkling slightly when he recalled what they were going to do. Needless to say, the leader had a bit of an aversion to death and skeletons, something that Quasar seemed eager to jab at. With his tail flicking behind him, Rhine hesitated for a moment before he spoke to the apprentice, sighing, "I don't see why you wouldn't be afraid of the macabre... it's pretty unpleasant, I mean." Maybe that undercut his authority a bit, but he didn't mind all that much. He just really didn't like death, especially after the hurricane. Despite this, he still leapt atop the deck of the ship, beginning to pull some bones free and sorting them into little piles to throw into the sea, or towards the forest. He eventually turned to question Quasar once again, carefully holding up a mostly intact skull in one paw, "You mean like this...? What exactly is your idea, Quasar?" Hopefully it was just something Halloween related, and not some strange crafting project that Quasar had in mind.

NEVER OPENED MYSELF THIS WAY
LIFE IS OURS, WE LIVE IT OUR WAY

— Reggan

[SirDio]

Hurricane

His nose wrinked at Quasar's jab. "Clearing it out for the younger kids. I don't care about the skeletons, personally." His voice seemed more cold and calculating than usual, probably because he was the tiniest bit annoyed. Turning to Rhine, his expression changing to a softer glare at the kid, he cleared his throat before turning away. "Yea, sure, you can have the intact bones. If you do anything to terrorize the young kids, I'm not responsible." He muttered before leaping back into the ship to drag out more skeletons.

[METEOR]

Quasar’s grimace morphed into a grin when his blue eyes snapped to Rhinestonestar’s scavenged skull. “That’s perfect! Any skull or bones with obvious mutations—multiple eyes, horns, fucked up spines—would be epic. But I doubt there’ll be many of those, if any at all.” He huffed at that, rubbing one of his own budding horns with a paw.

He looked back to Hurricane when the large grey cat spoke. “Would it scare them? If they’re old enough to wander here, then they’re already eating flesh off the bone. I wasn’t scared of skeletons, even as an ittle wittle baby.” Clearly, Quasar simply didn’t understand the whole fear-of-skeletons thing. Even with his unsettling experiences around the murderous rats, it wasn’t the bodies that bothered him—only bodies he knew scratched the primal fear of death. “It’s not like they smell.”

Giggling, he shook his head as he added, “Nope, Im not going to do anything like that. Promise!” Oh, Quasar, why does even the truth sound like a lie from your lips?

© LEXASPERATED

[RHINESTONE.]

LEADER ❝ RHINE ❞ PALMCLAN

Rhine did have to admit that Quasar had a fair point. After all, any child old enough to get here unsupervised would already be chomping down on formerly alive prey. Still, it felt as though there was a pretty big difference between those skeletons and these. Why exactly, Rhinestone couldn't exactly place. After all, it wasn't as if he had known any of the humans that had come to die on the ship. That was something to ponder later, however, and the tom just simply shook his head for now, muttering to Quasar, "I'll try and see if there are any mutated ones. Although, I don't think humans are as prone to mutations as we seem to be." We being non-humanoid animals, of course. It was more of a broad we, considering Rhine had no mutations of his own. Shifting the sands beneath him to dig out a few smaller bones, the tom mused, "Are you going to make some kind of arts and crafts project? A bit macabre, but at least they're not just all going to waste, floating in the ocean..." Part of Rhinestone had considered trying to bury the skeletons, but ultimately decided against it. For one thing, it would be a massive project, and for another thing, he wasn't sure being buried by a feline such as himself would really bring honor to their spirits – if they even had spirits. Could humans go to Starclan?

NEVER OPENED MYSELF THIS WAY
LIFE IS OURS, WE LIVE IT OUR WAY

— Reggan

[METEOR]

“Macabre fits the season, doesn’t it?” he asked, with a flick of one of his three tails. Quasar tilted his head, innocently, as though he didn’t have an interest in the macabre that went well beyond Halloween spookiness. He stared at Rhinestonestar until he abruptly shook out his fluffy fur.“Yup! It’ll be something like that. Promise. It’ll be interesting! Thanks for… keeping the bones fresh for me!”

Cackling softly to himself, Quasar turned around and picked up the rabbit in his jaws. He had work to do, and not a lot of time to do it…

/ out unless he’s stopped!

[sub][W]isker[/sub]

[Grimm]

To forbid his presence was only further invitation to invade when given even a slight chance.

Burdened by exhaustion during the prior expedition that saw the discovery of the beached craft made apparent to all retracing his steps was a method he could not trust, though such had not halted prior attempts. Failure was a bitter taste in the back of his mouth, however, and halted any further exploration in the direction he believed it lay. Some stroke of luck, bad may it seem, that allowed him close enough proximity to overhear the supposed destination assembled few were moving toward. Clumsy and slow his tailing, poor the work and easy his observation, turned away at times when some did look back and caught a glimpse of him hiding away, never was he dissuaded.

Late was he upon arrival all the same, bloodied the multi-hued canid that passed with his catch held aloft, yet away did his attention skitter quickly. Known his rather negative thoughts towards his somewhat brother, though neither had broached it father had become Rhine to the kitten as he had the brothers, and so engagement was not to happen. Closer did he step instead, brow furrowing as frown settled in place with his observation of proceedings.

"Our secret." Back the words Hurricane had once used to hush Foam, a tag along unexpected than as he was now, anger apparent as his tail stood straight, quivering ever slightly as he fixed Hurri with a stare that was not imposing in the slightest.

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I think I’m not quite ready to let you circle the drain. all the things we’ve broken can be puzzled together again, all your sums and your pieces are enough to clean up all the messes you’ve made

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code by Wisker

[RHINESTONE.]

LEADER ❝ RHINE ❞ PALMCLAN

Rhinestone found himself chuckling a bit as he watched Quasar trudge off, his head shaking briefly from side to side. He didn't know what exactly the canid intended to do with those bones, but the leader was also sure that he would eventually find out. Hopefully the answer would appear in the form of something harmless, rather than some hapless NPC shouting in terror because a skeleton had been left in their den. Not that Rhine though that Quasar would do something like that... at least not unless it was someone he really disliked.

The tom was about to turn back to the task he had been doing before, only to lift his head when the scent of Foamkit reached him, causing his pelt to prick. The kit had easily become like a son to him, and he didn't really want his son to be lingering around a bunch of skeletons and the remains of dead bodies. Of course, he also knew that there was little chance of stopping it, considering Foam's inquisitive nature. For now, Rhine simply chose to make his way over to Foamkit, the feline's long tail lightly curling around the boy's tensed body, as if holding him back. He spoke to Foam first, shaking his head from side to side before his calm voice came forth, "Hello, Foamkit... didn't think you would be out and about this far." He then let his pale gaze move up to Hurricane, a smile full of mirth upon his muzzle as he teased, "I believe that you may be in trouble with little Foam, here. You should be very afraid." It was obvious that was a joke, especially considering the giggles that kept slowly pouring forth from Rhinestone.

NEVER OPENED MYSELF THIS WAY
LIFE IS OURS, WE LIVE IT OUR WAY

— Reggan

[Grimm]

It seemed to have grown a routine, at least something akin to it — some inciting factor or event ignited a temper set upon a fuse all too short and the hushed murmur of his voice smothered the flames, a comfort odd in how it reassured so wholly.

Away vision turning, other occupation of the torn hull briefly regarded, almost turned the anger that scored tongue held between teeth. No further words arose in that moment, however, had they been withheld or he was robbed of his voice was up to interpretation, the light touch encircling instead deemed interesting compared to the rest. "Boring, alone." Short response all Foam allowed, enough as it were. Though only the beginning of the chill that would steadily increase with each day that passed them by necessary had grown all in maintaining and supporting the clan, often his own company all he had. Impulse decision his wandering once more, one made lightly and with repercussions not thought upon prior to this moment.

Startled from pursed lips a little laugh, ended with a snort that drew sand covered paws up to cover his muzzle. Better had Foam grown at differentiating what was serious and that which held a more light tone, the mirth Rhine wore paired with his words hint enough. Paws were removed and tentative his own grin, turned to Hurricane as he gave a little growl, playing along, a moment when broken promise was put aside but soon enough would it need to once more be addressed. Funny the things a child deems important, rather odd how he had taken to the seeming secret between them which was not truly such.

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I think I’m not quite ready to let you circle the drain. all the things we’ve broken can be puzzled together again, all your sums and your pieces are enough to clean up all the messes you’ve made

[/td][/tr][/table]

code by Wisker