Post by Haunt on Jul 8, 2009 14:48:40 GMT -6
Name:
Hauntstar(soul)
Age:
48 Moons
Gender:
Tom
Alliance:
RushClan
Rank:
Leader
Outer Beauty:
Hauntstar doesn't have the most unique of pelts when it comes to life in RushClan, but no one would call him ugly. First off his stripes are extremely unique, only if you take the time to look. On his face he of course has the classic 'M' on his forehead but it's below that is truly unique. He has a thick black stripe that runs from either end of his eye, the bottom part is thick by the eye then it thins and curves away from his nose. At the top it does the opposite, thinning close to the eye and thickening as it moves on. It looks as though he has a claw mark running through both of his eyes, giving him that tough guy look that any she-cat that crushes on him would adore. He has a thick black stripe running back along his spine and down the length of his tail, only on the top part. Branching down from this thick stripe down his back are thinner ones weaving down his back like the branches of a willow. Those stripes don't touch his legs instead stripes running sideways of different lengths and thickness slash across them, never overlapping. So for those that look beyond simple tabby they will find Hauntstar quite the spectacle.
Surprisingly Hauntstar doesn't have a base color of gray or silver, but that of black. How is this possible, you ask? Well for the simple fact that silver and gray tip the black, making it appear as though he is a silver tabby. Not many would take the time to pick this fact out, what does it matter anyway? Well we want you to be absolutely clear in every little fact of Haunstar's appearance, he is unique and should be treated as such. Everyone can be the same if you choose to see the world in that light, but let me ask you a question. Is a zebra a white horse with black stripes, or a black horse with white stripes? It is all in the perspective and the eye of the beholder, so you may choose to view him as a silver tabby, everyone else will just be calling him a black tabby. If you have any kind of problem with that, bring it up with Hauntstar himself. He'll enjoy hitting you up with a good debate.
He isn't just a silver tabby with black stripes, there are also those small little differences in a cat's pelt. Starting from the face we will continue down the length of his body and share with you the little details that we find interesting, even if you do not. Right above his nose is a streak of black, curving at either end before sinking into a sort of gray-brown color. On the sides of his nose are light ginger tufts that must have originated from the gray-brown above his nose. His chin is white as is most of his neck, his chest is not, somehow the white found a subtle way to disappear without causing imbalance. The back of his ears are pure black and fit rather nicely with the entire scheme of his appearance. Unnoticeable unless laying on his side Hauntstar has a thin blotch of white on his underbelly. Not that anyone would care or notice that about him. He doesn't have any more white on his pelt. The bottom of his paws are a rich black as well.
Hauntstar's eyes are far from haunted or haunting, in fact they are quite the opposite. Inviting, teasing, and even the slightest bit soft. He is quite the emotional cat and his eyes reflect almost every bit of emotion he has. It isn't uncommon for his emotion to radiate from them and even effect other cats. If he is sad there is no reason for you to be happy, just another way his controlling personality comes out. The only emotion that seems unable to show itself is anger, whether this is a flaw or strength is all up to you. Most of his eye is a beautiful aqua blue. The base is a nice sea blue with the added tones of green and a nice yellow, creating his trademark aqua blue eyes. What makes his eyes even cooler is the little splash of a silver-gold color at the bottom. Almost like the foam of a wave off the shore of some pretty blue ocean.
Slowly, but surely, we are making our way through Hauntstar's appearance. Most have probably skipped onto the personality by now, but for the few that are sticking with it we have made it to the minor details. Starting with his nose again it is a plain dull pink, but it works with the gray-brown around it. His whiskers are somewhat long and sort of mismatched. Some of them are white and others are black, some of them are even half and half! So far you may be wondering what kind of crazy cat we have come up with, but I can whole-heartedly tell you that it will all fit together when you look at his picture. His claws are black, and rather small, but they are sharp and extremely hooked. His paw pads are the same dull pink as his nose. They are surprisingly sensitive and soft, he thanks StarClan every day for not being in a Clan somewhere up in a mountain. He would never have been chosen as a leader for such a Clan.
Every good leader has their random assortment of little nicks and scratches from the seasons of their existence. Hauntstar is no different, but then again there are also those distinguishing scars that must be tended to. To start off we will go from sort of noticeable to attention grabbing. Right square on his nose is a pretty decent sized scar, flecking from right to left. From kithood Hauntstar received a pretty nasty scar down his right flank from his mother, Frozensoul. You'll get more about that in the history, after all one's mother is a very important part of kithood. His final scar is not from a tooth or a claw, but from a fire during apprenticeship. His bravery was unwarranted but he could never regret saving another's life. Down the hamstring of his back left leg only short fuzzy hair will grow. It's quite gruesome looking, but it reminds those that forget of his sheer nobility.
Although most would think of Hauntstar as a large, muscular tom, but you would soon learn this is not the case. You wouldn't exactly call him small, but he is certainly not the largest cat in the clan. To start, his legs are long and almost lanky, but not clumsy or spindly looking. His paws are small, even dainty, and he is rather quick footed. On the other hand, though, Hauntstar is fairly well built. His shoulders are broad and masculine, much unlike his legs and paws. You could call him a cat "in between" builds, and if you think about it this is really true. Back legs are strong, but his sensitive pads seem to hold him back from his true potential with jumping. Hauntstar is proud of his build and has never wanted to change it, to him having only one side of himself would create many unneeded weaknesses. He would rather have a taste of both.
Inner Beauty:
Haunstar, as a leader, is a fusion of all four Clans characteristics. Like an EternalClan cat he is noble and willing to help, but not to the extent they have been known to go. So he would come to the aid of a Clan in battle, but he won't accept every cat with the whimsical wish to join his Clan. From his own bloodline, he would rather risk lives than admit that his Clan has problems. That doesn't mean he won't accept help if it is offered, but he will never ask. FleetClan would enjoy his defensiveness and his quick-feet. Hauntstar is a tough leader, not in the strict sense, but in dealing with adversities. His own personality is enough to gain the fear of cats from other Clans, perhaps because they don't want to find themselves at the receiving end of his claws or tongue. This is a MysteryClan trait as a whole, the legends of their fighting skill continues to this day. This is only part of his personality, but is good enough for a generic description of his leadership.
There is one very important view that Hauntstar doesn't exactly lack, but probably doesn't see the way that is expected of him. That is his beliefs in StarClan, he believes that they are nothing but a trick of your own mind. After generations of being taught about cats with stars in their pelts he thinks that StarClan is bred into them in some way or another. While getting his own nine lives, he was given nine lives, but to him it was nothing more than a fancy that the leaders of Clans thought up to make themselves seem more powerful and not real. He suspects that when these leaders 'die' they come close than with the help of their fantasies relieve their pain all with the power of their mind. Cats only have one life after all, anything else is just absurd. What kept cats from getting power-hungry when they received these 'extra' lives? This crazy theory created by old cats long ago that something else was out there. Once you die with Hauntstar, you die, and are never going to return. This unique view left him open to receiving the lives, but he returned home knowing that this 'StarClan' was all that he had ever believed.
So you may ask what he thinks of medicine cats. Does he respect them still, even though they give their lives for something he has never believed? Yes he does, he just sees their job and how they do it differently. These cats to him are blessed with a sight and an ability to notice things beyond what normal warriors can. They can even harness it to help their Clan, there is no nobler calling than that of giving your skills to help the Clan as a whole. So of course Hauntstar respects them, they are an important asset to his family. As for those that are unfortunate enough to become his deputies, he finds them the most respectable of senior warriors. That also means that he thinks they are able to follow his orders to the tee. As the controlling cat he is they don't usually get a chance to breath, he is constantly chastising them for not giving patrols an exact route. He is not the easiest leader to be under and they often feel as though he is doing both his job and theirs.
As for warriors he isn't as uptight and is often seen as a mellow and fair leader. Until you begin leading patrols that is. Well first off he won't allow you to lead a patrol until he has given you the O.K. to do so. Either the deputy or himself will give you exact direction to lead your patrol and Hauntstar will join your patrol to see if you are capable of following his kind of orders. If you fail in his eyes he will take the lead of your patrol and you'll have to try at a later date to obtain this honor. By his standards only a few senior warriors are allowed to lead his patrols. No one is sure why this matters to him, just that it does, everything needs to be perfect. Every leader have their pet peeves, this is his. You may think that he is a bit extreme and this is more, but that is all it is. Any deputy of his will tell you that this is nothing compared to what they have to go through.
Hauntstar is a very strict mentor, it's as though his apprentices were made his deputy. The first half moon of training is taken up by nothing but apprentice tasks. Only after that is the next half moon spent studying every single Clan, after which the apprentice needs to take a test to see whether they were paying attention. If they fail it Hauntstar makes them go back to doing apprentices tasks. If they don't the next step is basic fishing techniques and land hunting. Then they move on to basic fighting and tracking, it's the last three moons of apprenticeship that are the hardest. If you don't include the tests he randomly throws at you throughout training. Then they move on to all the advanced areas of warriors skills with Hauntstar leaning over you the entire time. For the final test you better know your stuff because Hauntstar wants to see perfection as you show him every skill he has pressed for them to learn. His apprentices always turn out to be great warriors and all the long moons of training and annoyance pay off in the end.
As you can probably already tell Hauntstar has interesting ways of viewing things. From StarClan to black tabbies, Hauntstar is what you would call a visionary. He enjoys taking what other cats think and making it his own. He doesn't seem to see the glass as half full or empty, but some crazy idea that everyone else will think is insane. With proper thought however you will find otherwise. He has a thing for making cats think and playing around with his words. The mind is your greatest weapon and Hauntstar gets much of his amusement from using his own brilliant mind. As it is said, there is a fine line between brilliance and insanity. Hauntstar's greatest pleasure in life is delving into it enough to keep cats guessing if he's sane or not. Most will probably think he is insane, but we can assure you that he is.
Well the next thing to talk about fits in perfectly after speaking of Hauntstar's visionary beliefs. He is what you would call a debater, he loves to talk about whatever he can and secretly hopes that someone will believe otherwise. Opinionated and strong-willed Hauntstar has been known to take the slightest difference in an idea as a challenge to his own view. So as any cat wanting to protect his honor he will begin to debate and argue about the difference. It doesn't matter how long it will take for the two battling cats to come to a conclusion, Hauntstar must do everything in his power to get the other to agree. So it is an important bit of information for any kit, apprentice, warrior, senior warrior, and deputy of his Clan to keep your views to yourself when around Hauntstar. Unless you are looking to test your debating skills against the master. Don't be surprised if you are there for a while talking with Hauntstar. He is one chatty cat when it comes to debating. Don't bend too easily though, if he gets just the slightest inkling that you just didn't want to argue he'll make sure to come up with a way to get you back or continue the argument until it is resolved.
As you probably have already noticed, Hauntstar is controlling. Rather simply put Haunstar firmly believes that his way is the best and only way. He constantly feels like the cats around him don't live up to his sky high standards. For this reason any cat that really tries to make friends with the leader will find him overbearing. It's good for a leader trait, but to the extent he takes it it doesn't really help much. Overbearing and not at all afraid to tell someone they are doing something wrong, Hauntstar could be considered rude and domineering. Try not to take his comments to heart, well do, but don't feel like he hates you. He understands everyone makes mistakes, he just wants to be the one to fix them before a cat he cares about gets hurt. It's for these reasons that Hauntstar isn't the kind of friend that every cat would want. So don't be afraid to embrace this trait as his own way of telling you he cares, even if he can be a bit suffocating.
Well we have already tried to tell you that he is a little strange and controlling so this next trait envelops both of those. Hauntstar is a little weird about details and specifics, he demands that everyone who speaks to him is as well. It can be a pain and the downfall of this especially is if something completely goes wrong and he won't listen to you until you can spit out the exact location of the problem. Not just down by the brook on our side, but the closest landmark, what's happening exactly, and even the cats involved from both sides. Only the most skilled of talkers that are used to this really get it on the first try, so it is a skill Hauntstar requires of a cat before they become known as a senior warrior. It has its upsides though and you'd be surprised how effective it is. It clears up confusion in a flash and it gives Hauntstar the crucial info he needs before rashly getting involved. One time he singlehandedly stopped a border fight when there was a misunderstanding, bringing only himself he stood between the two fighting groups and told them the problem. In the process he showed that he was not to be messed with as an angered cat from the opposing side leaped at him and Hauntstar pinned him almost half-heartedly. Thus reminding his own Clan that it wasn't just a useless, insane tick about him.
While we are all here we may as well cover Hauntstar's sense of humor. As you may have guessed his jokes can be a little out there and always seem to go over the head of anyone that isn't intelligent. He chuckles and purrs at his own jokes, luckily because of his extremely emotional eyes he is never alone. It also is kind of funny to watch him crack up over his own corny jokes and that is enough to put anyone in a good mood. He doesn't fit his humor around what any other cat thinks is funny, he just is himself and if they don't laugh so be it. There will always be another cat out there that finds him hilarious. You can't win them all and you may as well be proud knowing that at least this cat has a sense of humor. It just isn't as fun when you have a controlling cat such as himself with no sense of humor whatsoever. We dare you to try and not laugh at a cat open to making jokes that could drastically lower his popularity. It's just refreshing to speak with such a cat, even if his tougher traits tend to send other cats running.
Past:
A family tree sprouts from one seed of love..
Frozensoul was a drop-dead gorgeous she cat, she had the fur of the moon's light, captured into one body. Unfortunately she was never known for a heart as soft as the soothing rays of the moon. No she was more of what you would call cold, after the first few toms that chased after her affection that fact seemed evident. She was loyal and defensive, yet her heart seemed misplaced in it all somehow. She was easily annoyed and had a temper that could flare with one wrong word. She brought a new definition to 'stone-cold fox'. Maybe it was for the better, perhaps her ambitions were too great for her to be curbed for a little fling. As any brilliant cat would know though was that theories were meant to be tested. Someone would tame the chilling beast that rested in such a dainty body. She would prove to be able to fall into the same trap as any other cat; love.
The cat responsible for the trap was another loyal member of RushClan, Oakleaf. He was respected by young and old alike and he had a sense of humor that made everyone chuckle. He was charming and felt that the greatest adventures that a cat can have are always right in front of their noses. Frozensoul was such the case, no one could capture her heart, and despite all her icy comments he felt there was more to her than what she let on. So the chase began and Oakleaf had never failed at anything he tried in his entire life, he was determined that the same would be for their relationship. That he could make her love him. No one said it would be easy. In fact he could swear that getting her to love him was the toughest thing he had ever accomplished. Soon enough he would succeed and it would all be worth it. So was sown the seed of love, between two cats from what could be called two different worlds.
From that seed will blossom life....
So from this love that no one thought possible three kits were born. Otterkit was first, the spitting image of his father, a brown tabby with a nice tux pattern. The only thing he took from his mother were his unnatural light blue eyes. Then came the one she-cat of the litter, Waterkit, she was just like her mother, without the cold attitude. She ended up also ended up with her father's soft green eyes. Then came the oddball, Hauntkit. It is unclear why Hauntkit was given the name. Oakleaf himself gave Frozensoul a look when she named him that. He found the little runt adorable. Frozensoul was not as amused, the name stayed.
Frozensoul continued to prove her cruelty. To no one other than her runt, Hauntkit. It was obvious from the moment he opened his eyes that Frozensoul hated him. She favored his two siblings and when Waterkit proved to be deaf, she tried everything in her power to blame Hauntkit. Oakleaf tried not to notice, he wouldn't believe that his mate would be so mean. The next six moons would be the worst of his life. Even his siblings were taught to dislike him, that he was under them. Hauntkit wouldn't believe it though, something had to be wrong. For now he just wanted to survive the first moons, it seemed as though his mother was building up to murder him. At least his father's visits saved him.
Her anger at him for crimes that he did not commit continued, first with his milk dependency. Sometimes she would push him away until his mewlings forced the other queens to tell her to feed him. They didn't understand what she was doing, every other queen and kit (save Frozensoul's) loved the little bundle of fur. When he was able to eat meat she would give the better pieces to the others and completely ignore his pleas for food. Needless to say his ribs often showed, but he tried to hide it. At this point in his life he still had love for his mother and just wanted her love. It was a useless and hopeless effort, she would never come to love him. It would take him a moon or so longer for him to notice it. Until then her neglectful behavior grew to mental abuse. It was the next part that would crush any hopes of getting her to love him.
Waterkit was becoming weaker and weaker everyday, slowly fading away. Frozensoul wouldn't leave her side, Otterkit not far from her. It was Hauntkit that was forced away from family morning as Waterkit sunk closer to death. Oakleaf would join and notice his youngest son, who's ribs were visible under a matted coat. So as Waterkit got ready to sink into her final slumber Oakleaf was off grooming his son and feeding him some decent freshkill. So neither of the two were there when Waterkit finally died. This fueled Frozensoul's anger and soon Oakleaf didn't know what had happened to the one he loved. Soon Oakleaf wouldn't interact with her or the kits altogether after a nasty fight with Frozensoul, she just processed grief differently than she should have. Now Hauntkit only saw his father if he wondered out of the Nursery. He was left to battle his mother's final stage of abuse alone.
Now even the slightest infraction on Hauntkit's part left the poor kit open to his mother's growing rage. The real pain start with a single swipe of her paw, claws sheathed. Slowly she seemed to use that as a way to get rid of her anger, attack Hauntkit when no one was around. The other queens would turn the other cheek anyway it seemed, Hauntkit just wasn't given a break. Soon her anger grew and the pain that she inflicted upon Hauntkit did as well, eventually she began to hit him with claws out. A terrible sadness enveloped the kit and the others could feel it, just as he wished from those expressive eyes of his. One day he decided that he wouldn't take this, in his fifth moon of life he stood up to her cruelty. With an anger just as urious as hers, one that no cat would ever see again, he approached her. Questioning his mother why she hated him so, her reply was her own ferocity. How dare he stand up for himself? Pinning him with his stomach to the ground she unsheathed a single claw.
"So you do not forget that anger leads to pain.."
[/b]Hauntstar(soul)
Age:
48 Moons
Gender:
Tom
Alliance:
RushClan
Rank:
Leader
Outer Beauty:
Hauntstar doesn't have the most unique of pelts when it comes to life in RushClan, but no one would call him ugly. First off his stripes are extremely unique, only if you take the time to look. On his face he of course has the classic 'M' on his forehead but it's below that is truly unique. He has a thick black stripe that runs from either end of his eye, the bottom part is thick by the eye then it thins and curves away from his nose. At the top it does the opposite, thinning close to the eye and thickening as it moves on. It looks as though he has a claw mark running through both of his eyes, giving him that tough guy look that any she-cat that crushes on him would adore. He has a thick black stripe running back along his spine and down the length of his tail, only on the top part. Branching down from this thick stripe down his back are thinner ones weaving down his back like the branches of a willow. Those stripes don't touch his legs instead stripes running sideways of different lengths and thickness slash across them, never overlapping. So for those that look beyond simple tabby they will find Hauntstar quite the spectacle.
Surprisingly Hauntstar doesn't have a base color of gray or silver, but that of black. How is this possible, you ask? Well for the simple fact that silver and gray tip the black, making it appear as though he is a silver tabby. Not many would take the time to pick this fact out, what does it matter anyway? Well we want you to be absolutely clear in every little fact of Haunstar's appearance, he is unique and should be treated as such. Everyone can be the same if you choose to see the world in that light, but let me ask you a question. Is a zebra a white horse with black stripes, or a black horse with white stripes? It is all in the perspective and the eye of the beholder, so you may choose to view him as a silver tabby, everyone else will just be calling him a black tabby. If you have any kind of problem with that, bring it up with Hauntstar himself. He'll enjoy hitting you up with a good debate.
He isn't just a silver tabby with black stripes, there are also those small little differences in a cat's pelt. Starting from the face we will continue down the length of his body and share with you the little details that we find interesting, even if you do not. Right above his nose is a streak of black, curving at either end before sinking into a sort of gray-brown color. On the sides of his nose are light ginger tufts that must have originated from the gray-brown above his nose. His chin is white as is most of his neck, his chest is not, somehow the white found a subtle way to disappear without causing imbalance. The back of his ears are pure black and fit rather nicely with the entire scheme of his appearance. Unnoticeable unless laying on his side Hauntstar has a thin blotch of white on his underbelly. Not that anyone would care or notice that about him. He doesn't have any more white on his pelt. The bottom of his paws are a rich black as well.
Hauntstar's eyes are far from haunted or haunting, in fact they are quite the opposite. Inviting, teasing, and even the slightest bit soft. He is quite the emotional cat and his eyes reflect almost every bit of emotion he has. It isn't uncommon for his emotion to radiate from them and even effect other cats. If he is sad there is no reason for you to be happy, just another way his controlling personality comes out. The only emotion that seems unable to show itself is anger, whether this is a flaw or strength is all up to you. Most of his eye is a beautiful aqua blue. The base is a nice sea blue with the added tones of green and a nice yellow, creating his trademark aqua blue eyes. What makes his eyes even cooler is the little splash of a silver-gold color at the bottom. Almost like the foam of a wave off the shore of some pretty blue ocean.
Slowly, but surely, we are making our way through Hauntstar's appearance. Most have probably skipped onto the personality by now, but for the few that are sticking with it we have made it to the minor details. Starting with his nose again it is a plain dull pink, but it works with the gray-brown around it. His whiskers are somewhat long and sort of mismatched. Some of them are white and others are black, some of them are even half and half! So far you may be wondering what kind of crazy cat we have come up with, but I can whole-heartedly tell you that it will all fit together when you look at his picture. His claws are black, and rather small, but they are sharp and extremely hooked. His paw pads are the same dull pink as his nose. They are surprisingly sensitive and soft, he thanks StarClan every day for not being in a Clan somewhere up in a mountain. He would never have been chosen as a leader for such a Clan.
Every good leader has their random assortment of little nicks and scratches from the seasons of their existence. Hauntstar is no different, but then again there are also those distinguishing scars that must be tended to. To start off we will go from sort of noticeable to attention grabbing. Right square on his nose is a pretty decent sized scar, flecking from right to left. From kithood Hauntstar received a pretty nasty scar down his right flank from his mother, Frozensoul. You'll get more about that in the history, after all one's mother is a very important part of kithood. His final scar is not from a tooth or a claw, but from a fire during apprenticeship. His bravery was unwarranted but he could never regret saving another's life. Down the hamstring of his back left leg only short fuzzy hair will grow. It's quite gruesome looking, but it reminds those that forget of his sheer nobility.
Although most would think of Hauntstar as a large, muscular tom, but you would soon learn this is not the case. You wouldn't exactly call him small, but he is certainly not the largest cat in the clan. To start, his legs are long and almost lanky, but not clumsy or spindly looking. His paws are small, even dainty, and he is rather quick footed. On the other hand, though, Hauntstar is fairly well built. His shoulders are broad and masculine, much unlike his legs and paws. You could call him a cat "in between" builds, and if you think about it this is really true. Back legs are strong, but his sensitive pads seem to hold him back from his true potential with jumping. Hauntstar is proud of his build and has never wanted to change it, to him having only one side of himself would create many unneeded weaknesses. He would rather have a taste of both.
Inner Beauty:
Haunstar, as a leader, is a fusion of all four Clans characteristics. Like an EternalClan cat he is noble and willing to help, but not to the extent they have been known to go. So he would come to the aid of a Clan in battle, but he won't accept every cat with the whimsical wish to join his Clan. From his own bloodline, he would rather risk lives than admit that his Clan has problems. That doesn't mean he won't accept help if it is offered, but he will never ask. FleetClan would enjoy his defensiveness and his quick-feet. Hauntstar is a tough leader, not in the strict sense, but in dealing with adversities. His own personality is enough to gain the fear of cats from other Clans, perhaps because they don't want to find themselves at the receiving end of his claws or tongue. This is a MysteryClan trait as a whole, the legends of their fighting skill continues to this day. This is only part of his personality, but is good enough for a generic description of his leadership.
There is one very important view that Hauntstar doesn't exactly lack, but probably doesn't see the way that is expected of him. That is his beliefs in StarClan, he believes that they are nothing but a trick of your own mind. After generations of being taught about cats with stars in their pelts he thinks that StarClan is bred into them in some way or another. While getting his own nine lives, he was given nine lives, but to him it was nothing more than a fancy that the leaders of Clans thought up to make themselves seem more powerful and not real. He suspects that when these leaders 'die' they come close than with the help of their fantasies relieve their pain all with the power of their mind. Cats only have one life after all, anything else is just absurd. What kept cats from getting power-hungry when they received these 'extra' lives? This crazy theory created by old cats long ago that something else was out there. Once you die with Hauntstar, you die, and are never going to return. This unique view left him open to receiving the lives, but he returned home knowing that this 'StarClan' was all that he had ever believed.
So you may ask what he thinks of medicine cats. Does he respect them still, even though they give their lives for something he has never believed? Yes he does, he just sees their job and how they do it differently. These cats to him are blessed with a sight and an ability to notice things beyond what normal warriors can. They can even harness it to help their Clan, there is no nobler calling than that of giving your skills to help the Clan as a whole. So of course Hauntstar respects them, they are an important asset to his family. As for those that are unfortunate enough to become his deputies, he finds them the most respectable of senior warriors. That also means that he thinks they are able to follow his orders to the tee. As the controlling cat he is they don't usually get a chance to breath, he is constantly chastising them for not giving patrols an exact route. He is not the easiest leader to be under and they often feel as though he is doing both his job and theirs.
As for warriors he isn't as uptight and is often seen as a mellow and fair leader. Until you begin leading patrols that is. Well first off he won't allow you to lead a patrol until he has given you the O.K. to do so. Either the deputy or himself will give you exact direction to lead your patrol and Hauntstar will join your patrol to see if you are capable of following his kind of orders. If you fail in his eyes he will take the lead of your patrol and you'll have to try at a later date to obtain this honor. By his standards only a few senior warriors are allowed to lead his patrols. No one is sure why this matters to him, just that it does, everything needs to be perfect. Every leader have their pet peeves, this is his. You may think that he is a bit extreme and this is more, but that is all it is. Any deputy of his will tell you that this is nothing compared to what they have to go through.
Hauntstar is a very strict mentor, it's as though his apprentices were made his deputy. The first half moon of training is taken up by nothing but apprentice tasks. Only after that is the next half moon spent studying every single Clan, after which the apprentice needs to take a test to see whether they were paying attention. If they fail it Hauntstar makes them go back to doing apprentices tasks. If they don't the next step is basic fishing techniques and land hunting. Then they move on to basic fighting and tracking, it's the last three moons of apprenticeship that are the hardest. If you don't include the tests he randomly throws at you throughout training. Then they move on to all the advanced areas of warriors skills with Hauntstar leaning over you the entire time. For the final test you better know your stuff because Hauntstar wants to see perfection as you show him every skill he has pressed for them to learn. His apprentices always turn out to be great warriors and all the long moons of training and annoyance pay off in the end.
As you can probably already tell Hauntstar has interesting ways of viewing things. From StarClan to black tabbies, Hauntstar is what you would call a visionary. He enjoys taking what other cats think and making it his own. He doesn't seem to see the glass as half full or empty, but some crazy idea that everyone else will think is insane. With proper thought however you will find otherwise. He has a thing for making cats think and playing around with his words. The mind is your greatest weapon and Hauntstar gets much of his amusement from using his own brilliant mind. As it is said, there is a fine line between brilliance and insanity. Hauntstar's greatest pleasure in life is delving into it enough to keep cats guessing if he's sane or not. Most will probably think he is insane, but we can assure you that he is.
Well the next thing to talk about fits in perfectly after speaking of Hauntstar's visionary beliefs. He is what you would call a debater, he loves to talk about whatever he can and secretly hopes that someone will believe otherwise. Opinionated and strong-willed Hauntstar has been known to take the slightest difference in an idea as a challenge to his own view. So as any cat wanting to protect his honor he will begin to debate and argue about the difference. It doesn't matter how long it will take for the two battling cats to come to a conclusion, Hauntstar must do everything in his power to get the other to agree. So it is an important bit of information for any kit, apprentice, warrior, senior warrior, and deputy of his Clan to keep your views to yourself when around Hauntstar. Unless you are looking to test your debating skills against the master. Don't be surprised if you are there for a while talking with Hauntstar. He is one chatty cat when it comes to debating. Don't bend too easily though, if he gets just the slightest inkling that you just didn't want to argue he'll make sure to come up with a way to get you back or continue the argument until it is resolved.
As you probably have already noticed, Hauntstar is controlling. Rather simply put Haunstar firmly believes that his way is the best and only way. He constantly feels like the cats around him don't live up to his sky high standards. For this reason any cat that really tries to make friends with the leader will find him overbearing. It's good for a leader trait, but to the extent he takes it it doesn't really help much. Overbearing and not at all afraid to tell someone they are doing something wrong, Hauntstar could be considered rude and domineering. Try not to take his comments to heart, well do, but don't feel like he hates you. He understands everyone makes mistakes, he just wants to be the one to fix them before a cat he cares about gets hurt. It's for these reasons that Hauntstar isn't the kind of friend that every cat would want. So don't be afraid to embrace this trait as his own way of telling you he cares, even if he can be a bit suffocating.
Well we have already tried to tell you that he is a little strange and controlling so this next trait envelops both of those. Hauntstar is a little weird about details and specifics, he demands that everyone who speaks to him is as well. It can be a pain and the downfall of this especially is if something completely goes wrong and he won't listen to you until you can spit out the exact location of the problem. Not just down by the brook on our side, but the closest landmark, what's happening exactly, and even the cats involved from both sides. Only the most skilled of talkers that are used to this really get it on the first try, so it is a skill Hauntstar requires of a cat before they become known as a senior warrior. It has its upsides though and you'd be surprised how effective it is. It clears up confusion in a flash and it gives Hauntstar the crucial info he needs before rashly getting involved. One time he singlehandedly stopped a border fight when there was a misunderstanding, bringing only himself he stood between the two fighting groups and told them the problem. In the process he showed that he was not to be messed with as an angered cat from the opposing side leaped at him and Hauntstar pinned him almost half-heartedly. Thus reminding his own Clan that it wasn't just a useless, insane tick about him.
While we are all here we may as well cover Hauntstar's sense of humor. As you may have guessed his jokes can be a little out there and always seem to go over the head of anyone that isn't intelligent. He chuckles and purrs at his own jokes, luckily because of his extremely emotional eyes he is never alone. It also is kind of funny to watch him crack up over his own corny jokes and that is enough to put anyone in a good mood. He doesn't fit his humor around what any other cat thinks is funny, he just is himself and if they don't laugh so be it. There will always be another cat out there that finds him hilarious. You can't win them all and you may as well be proud knowing that at least this cat has a sense of humor. It just isn't as fun when you have a controlling cat such as himself with no sense of humor whatsoever. We dare you to try and not laugh at a cat open to making jokes that could drastically lower his popularity. It's just refreshing to speak with such a cat, even if his tougher traits tend to send other cats running.
Past:
A family tree sprouts from one seed of love..
Frozensoul was a drop-dead gorgeous she cat, she had the fur of the moon's light, captured into one body. Unfortunately she was never known for a heart as soft as the soothing rays of the moon. No she was more of what you would call cold, after the first few toms that chased after her affection that fact seemed evident. She was loyal and defensive, yet her heart seemed misplaced in it all somehow. She was easily annoyed and had a temper that could flare with one wrong word. She brought a new definition to 'stone-cold fox'. Maybe it was for the better, perhaps her ambitions were too great for her to be curbed for a little fling. As any brilliant cat would know though was that theories were meant to be tested. Someone would tame the chilling beast that rested in such a dainty body. She would prove to be able to fall into the same trap as any other cat; love.
The cat responsible for the trap was another loyal member of RushClan, Oakleaf. He was respected by young and old alike and he had a sense of humor that made everyone chuckle. He was charming and felt that the greatest adventures that a cat can have are always right in front of their noses. Frozensoul was such the case, no one could capture her heart, and despite all her icy comments he felt there was more to her than what she let on. So the chase began and Oakleaf had never failed at anything he tried in his entire life, he was determined that the same would be for their relationship. That he could make her love him. No one said it would be easy. In fact he could swear that getting her to love him was the toughest thing he had ever accomplished. Soon enough he would succeed and it would all be worth it. So was sown the seed of love, between two cats from what could be called two different worlds.
From that seed will blossom life....
So from this love that no one thought possible three kits were born. Otterkit was first, the spitting image of his father, a brown tabby with a nice tux pattern. The only thing he took from his mother were his unnatural light blue eyes. Then came the one she-cat of the litter, Waterkit, she was just like her mother, without the cold attitude. She ended up also ended up with her father's soft green eyes. Then came the oddball, Hauntkit. It is unclear why Hauntkit was given the name. Oakleaf himself gave Frozensoul a look when she named him that. He found the little runt adorable. Frozensoul was not as amused, the name stayed.
Frozensoul continued to prove her cruelty. To no one other than her runt, Hauntkit. It was obvious from the moment he opened his eyes that Frozensoul hated him. She favored his two siblings and when Waterkit proved to be deaf, she tried everything in her power to blame Hauntkit. Oakleaf tried not to notice, he wouldn't believe that his mate would be so mean. The next six moons would be the worst of his life. Even his siblings were taught to dislike him, that he was under them. Hauntkit wouldn't believe it though, something had to be wrong. For now he just wanted to survive the first moons, it seemed as though his mother was building up to murder him. At least his father's visits saved him.
Her anger at him for crimes that he did not commit continued, first with his milk dependency. Sometimes she would push him away until his mewlings forced the other queens to tell her to feed him. They didn't understand what she was doing, every other queen and kit (save Frozensoul's) loved the little bundle of fur. When he was able to eat meat she would give the better pieces to the others and completely ignore his pleas for food. Needless to say his ribs often showed, but he tried to hide it. At this point in his life he still had love for his mother and just wanted her love. It was a useless and hopeless effort, she would never come to love him. It would take him a moon or so longer for him to notice it. Until then her neglectful behavior grew to mental abuse. It was the next part that would crush any hopes of getting her to love him.
Waterkit was becoming weaker and weaker everyday, slowly fading away. Frozensoul wouldn't leave her side, Otterkit not far from her. It was Hauntkit that was forced away from family morning as Waterkit sunk closer to death. Oakleaf would join and notice his youngest son, who's ribs were visible under a matted coat. So as Waterkit got ready to sink into her final slumber Oakleaf was off grooming his son and feeding him some decent freshkill. So neither of the two were there when Waterkit finally died. This fueled Frozensoul's anger and soon Oakleaf didn't know what had happened to the one he loved. Soon Oakleaf wouldn't interact with her or the kits altogether after a nasty fight with Frozensoul, she just processed grief differently than she should have. Now Hauntkit only saw his father if he wondered out of the Nursery. He was left to battle his mother's final stage of abuse alone.
Now even the slightest infraction on Hauntkit's part left the poor kit open to his mother's growing rage. The real pain start with a single swipe of her paw, claws sheathed. Slowly she seemed to use that as a way to get rid of her anger, attack Hauntkit when no one was around. The other queens would turn the other cheek anyway it seemed, Hauntkit just wasn't given a break. Soon her anger grew and the pain that she inflicted upon Hauntkit did as well, eventually she began to hit him with claws out. A terrible sadness enveloped the kit and the others could feel it, just as he wished from those expressive eyes of his. One day he decided that he wouldn't take this, in his fifth moon of life he stood up to her cruelty. With an anger just as urious as hers, one that no cat would ever see again, he approached her. Questioning his mother why she hated him so, her reply was her own ferocity. How dare he stand up for himself? Pinning him with his stomach to the ground she unsheathed a single claw.
"So you do not forget that anger leads to pain.."
She began to run it down the same spot on his flank again and again and again. He was mewling and blood was matting his fur. Frozensoul would continue to say awful things to him. She wouldn't stop until Otterkit even grew a heart and ran out into the clearing. Those that had a deaf ear towards the wailing in the Nursery finally listened. They had to pry Frozensoul from the screaming and thrashing kit. Sent to the medicine cat's den Hauntkit fainted soon after from loss of blood. For the rest of his kithood he spent his time in the medicine cat's den. He was thankful for that though, anything was better than Frozensoulf. After that Frozensoul was as good as dead to him, he wouldn't look her direction if she was being brutally murdered. She got her lesson through though, from that moment on Hauntkit was void of the emotion anger.
And from that life a sprout only wanting to grow..
Hauntpaw and Otterpaw were naturally apprenticed. Otterpaw was given a hard tom named Owltalon, the Clan attempted to discipline out of him some of the bad traits he gained from his mother's teachings. To Hauntpaw they gave a soft and gentle she-cat, Warmlight, as if to apologize for Frozensoul. So training began. The two brothers learned of the Clans and slowly Hauntpaw grew to forgive Otterpaw for the crimes that he committed against him. He seemed sorry enough, or he wanted to get rid of the last shred of anger in him. To better protect himself from the chance that he'd end up in pain again. Training would go on as usual for the two, until the Great Fire that was.
The days had grown hot for the arrival of Greenleaf, but they prepared a little too thoroughly sending the Clans into a drought. It wasn't too long until prey began to disappear as well, all apprentice's training efforts were turned into all-day hunting patrols. It was no surprise that this time sent out some of the best hunters of all time from every Clan. As cats grew leaner and leaner and the Earth grew drier and drier the next occurrence wasn't much of a surprise. The real surprise was that it occurred in only two Clans, the others spared. Even odder was the fact that one of those Clans to suffer from the fire was the Clan known for water, RushClan would suffer greatly but not as badly as FleetClan. It began in RushClan, a small spark that grew into a flame and began to sweep through the land. Eating the dry grass that it loved so much.
Kits, queens, and elders were led out by warriors and apprentices. The leader lost a life in this fire, both of them in fact. RushClan was so terrified of the flames that they rushed across the river if they could. Some of the warriors and apprentices were caught on the RushClan side however, running towards the closest border. So into FleetClan they raced, trying to outrun what even FleetClanners couldn't. The ran on pushing through the line of FleetClanners that were trying to make it through the smoke and fire. Only one of the terrified cats of RushClan stopped. That was Hauntpaw himself. He had spotted a litter of kits that had been separated from their mother. Leaping over the flames he grabbed the three kits in his mouth and carried them through the flames. His back leg was caught by a burning shrub, leaving him with the burn that would forever last. Setting them down in safety he raced back and the FleetClanners looked on as some crazy RushClan apprentice risked his life for theirs. He saved two young apprentices that day as well, now strong warriors by the names of Wildwind and Dashfoot. They are two credits to their Clan all thanks to Hauntpaw saving them that day.
"Our thanks will never be enough to repay you, know always that you have our blessings and good-will. Our Clan is forever in debt to your courage."-- Faststar[/b]
Even his own Clan looked at him in awe as he came back coughing and limping with the blessings and thanks of every FleetClanner. From then on, even in times of tension Hauntpaw would never be insulted by a FleetClanner that had been there that day or heard the story. Eventually when his coughing lessened he told the Clan of what he had done and the leader, Wetstar, had decided that it was time for him to become a warrior. Otterpaw would follow him in the next moon. Hauntpaw became Hauntsoul with the words Courageous and Strong-willed representing him. He however was furious at the leader for his name, he felt as though they had marked him forever with his mother's name. It took him a while to get over it. He had to when his brother was given the name Ottertail and learned of his unhappiness.
Once the growing is all done life truly has begun..
Hauntsoul started his warriorship in much the same fashion as any go-getting warrior. He took as many patrols on as he could and hunted whenever he was free from those. He got on the good side of all even if he did have a knack for getting into playful arguments. His goal currently was to land himself an apprentice a sure way to get up to his lifetime goal. Becoming leader. You know someone is a little off in the head when his main motivation on becoming leader was shedding the horrible name he had acquired. He couldn't respect himself until he knew that he could shed every little fiber of his mother that was left. Who could blame him? He still had a thick scar from where she had ran her claw over him..again and again and again. That didn't mean he was wrong for the job. In fact cats started to believe that he would be great at it. Despite his few eccentricities. They all knew he was brilliant, even from the way he talked, though it did get on some of the older, more experienced warriors nerves when he made them talk to him in exacts.
Finally he found himself in the ceremony he himself could remember so clearly on the other side of the spectrum. Two brothers were sanding before the leader's rock, waiting eagerly for their chance to begin apprenticeship. Rockpaw and Timepaw were to opposites. Rockpaw was arrogant, believing that this ceremony was his warrior one. Timepaw was more quiet, a mellow kind of cat, but he had an odd air of respect surrounding him. Either way he looked up to the leader with small stars in his eyes as his brother, Rockpaw, had a little smirk on his face. Hauntsoul and an old senior warrior named Icetooth were called forward. Icetooth was given the pompous Rockpaw to mentor, as was to be expected since he had had four apprentices before. Hauntsoul was given the more manageable apprentice for his first time.
To teach is the greatest gift you can eve receive..
Timepaw proved to be a fast learner, Hauntsoul was actually upset at how perfect and wonderful Timepaw was as an apprentice. He almost let him get off easy on the half moon of apprentice duties. He didn't even grumble when Hauntsoul told him! As they moved onto the Clans Timepaw proved to have quite the memory. He even requested taking his test before he actually had to. Timepaw passed and proved his worth with every other activity that Hauntsoul required of him. By the end of only four moons Timepaw had mastered Hauntsoul's rigorous training regime. By his warrior ceremony Hauntsoul felt rather dejected. It was only after Timepaw was named Timewave and honored for his Speed and Diligence that he found out his true worth as a mentor. Timewave spoke with him afterwards and told him how much his teachings really helped, even though he couldn't see them, even that Hauntsoul had been an inspiration and an idol to him. That sure made his day! Who wouldn't want to know that they had truly effected someone they had thought was just as good without them?
Ottertail had recieved his own apprentice shortly after Hauntsoul had, a spunky she-cat by the name of Leafpaw. She proved a worthy warrior by the name of Leafgaze a moon or so after she became a warrior, when she died saving a litter of kits. He was crushed that his first apprentice had died so soon, but he knew that it was her time. Hauntsoul comforted his brother and when the leader asked him if he'd like to take on another apprentice he asked if Ottertail could recieve it instead. That cheered Ottertail right up, even if Hauntsoul never told him his next apprentice was supposed to be his. Ledgepaw proved decent enough and Ottertail spent every moment for the next five moons training him. When he became Ledgefall, Ottertail was very proud and soon became fast friends with his previous apprentice. Hauntsoul was happy that he could be of assistance to his brother, he had long ago left the bitter feelings behind.
Hauntsoul recieved his second apprentice in this time, a hot-headed tom named Flamepaw. He proved tougher and on several occasions proved that he thought he was too good for training. He recieved a moon of apprentice tasks, didn't listen to Hauntsoul showing him the other Clans and failed his test. He did prove to be worth something, his fishing skills were beyond superb and he could battle like a LionClanner. Even if he had some attitude problems. He became a warrior after seven moons of Hauntsoul trying to break through his thick head, he finally did it, though arrogance and his show-offness seemed to be stuck. Flamepaw became Flamefoot, to commemorate his fast fishing skills and paws of fury in the battlefield. Another wonderful warrior from Hauntsoul, even if he did have a few quirks.
Time passes and this sprout has become a glorious tree..
Hauntsoul finally moved up a step in his dream ladder as he was named the newest deputy. Friskfly had passed away from a rather mysterious bout of blackcough that also stole another life of the current leader's. Hauntsoul and Ottertail were big contenders in the battle for the newest deputy. The leader finally went with Hauntsoul though, the warrior had after all already proven to be some kind of second deputy anyway. He fit right into the mold and the Clan was running smoother and more efficiently that it ever could hope to. Hauntsoul at the wheel it seemed that Fishstar's only task was to name apprentices and warriors. Hauntsoul was as good as leader by then. His Clanmates didn't mind that he was a little odd and eccentric when things went so wonderfully and the Clan became stronger and stronger. Even if he only chose a few warriors to lead patrols and was quite odd about choosing new leaders for patrols.
A few moons after that he was given another apprentice by the name of Bugpaw. He was an odd tom, prone to twitching of his green eyes, causing odd drippage of some milky substance. Not only that but he failed at pretty much everything that he was asked to do. As a kit he would excitedly follow around everyone in camp and get into trouble. Everyone felt sorry for the deputy, but someone had to mentor the creepy little thing. He couldn't even do apprentice tasks correctly in Hauntsoul's eyes, but he tried. He owed the poor little kit that. It was a tough haul and more important things ended up happening before the apprentice became a warrior.
A short time after Bugpaw's training started the leader of RushClan passed away in a border skirmish. It left Hauntsoul a little off his game, he had left his leader's side for only a moment when he saw his useless apprentice getting pummeled by a cat that was smaller than him. Out of embarassment and not wanting his apprentice to get hurt he leaped over to help him. At the same time the leader was pinned and flung back when his head hit a rock. It was an accident but RushClan found itself out of one good leader, a position that would have to be filled by Hauntsoul. Needless to say Bugpaw recieved some extensive battle training when Hauntsoul returned from the Lighted Cavern.
There he recieved his 'eight' extra lives, as though that was something that was possible. Still a skeptic even after faced with StarClan, no one was as odd as Hauntstar. Not that he would just tell everyone that wondered around how StarClan was fake. Not with all the cats around that would skin him if they knew. he would tell though if questioned about it. That was in his personality and it would bring up some very heated debates about the subject.
Now standing in the place of that seed is a mighty oak..
Bugpaw was still working away on his apprenticeship by the time Hauntstar gave his brother his third apprentice. In fact it had been eight long months since the cat had been made an apprentice. Hauntstar didn't hold much hope in him, but his process was slowly building Bugpaw into a decent warrior. He would never be the best, but it was still working even if it did take the apprentice longer than any other cat. Finally at the age of sixteen moons Bugpaw was finally up to par with Hauntstar's careful mentoring. He became Bugflight, the first warrior that hauntstar ever got to name. No the best cat ever to tell about naming, but it sure made Bugflight light up. It wasn't his fault that he just wasn't like Timewave or Flamefoot. He was who he was and Hauntstar always admired him for that trait, one that they shared. Not being afraid to be who you are and trying to make yourself better even when you know you will always be this way.
Needless to say Hauntstar passed up a few apprentices while he tried to recover from the headache he recieved for his well-meaning apprentice, Bugflight. Finally though he saw and felt a need to teach the young Raptorkit. He saw no other training style that would fit him from the mentors he had lined up. So after he put some serious thought into it he decided that it was time for him to take on his fourth apprentice. He figured he would be something like Flamefoot, so there was no real harm in teaching him. He just didn't want to end up with another Bugflight for a while. Not that the tom didn't prove to be a good, solid warrior with no skills that really excelled, but good enough to call himself a RushClanner. Raptorpaw hopefully would prove to be just the right amount of a challenge, but have skills and talent that just needed to be refined. So we have reached where Hauntstar stands on this day, a mentor and leader. What shall become of him in the future is for only time to know.
Kin:
Frozensoul -- Mother -- Dead
Oakleaf -- Father -- Dead
Ottertail -- Brother -- Senior Warrior//UFA
Waterkit -- Sister -- Dead
IC Sample:
Nothing existed but the soft moonlight and the shimmering water reflecting its brilliant touch. The soothing sound of the water was something no other noise in the world could beat. Not just because the cat laying on its banks had been born to fish, swim, and enjoy it. It was not something that could be rivaled, even if you were a defensive FleetClanner swearing that the moorland grass made a whispering sound that was beautiful. Nothing could beat or compare to RushClan's riverside, after all the Clan had been named for this very sound. The sight complimented it as well, especially combined with the silver-green grass around it. Even the cat-tails didn't look unnatural in the scene as they did during the day. Hauntstar had always thought that was a weird name for such an odd plant, it didn't even look like their tails. The thought was easily tossed aside with something so wonderful in front of him, in fact this was the only place and time that could ever successfully soothe everything that got clumped and jumbled in his over-worked mind.
Closing his magnificent aqua-blue eyes he let the sound over take his being. Something that never had been able to happen with the tom in any other situations. It wasn't like there was a symphony of wonderful noises following around. he was aware that some cats could probably hear that, but he had never been one for finding beauty in the smallest breeze. that wasn't his gift, he had plenty of those, but the power to be soothed by the simplest sound was out of his reach. It was his gift of brilliance that seemed to rob him of any opportunity there. Being brilliant meant that your mind always needed something to do or it would fall into a near catatonic state, in which you would become useless and mind-numbingly bored. Then being brilliant as he was made this fact aware to him, so he constantly found something for himself to do. It was only next to this river at night did he find his peace. that peace that should roll over your bod when you commanded it or came close to sleep. In fact that was why on calm nights like this that he made it a habit to travel to this comfortable spot for the night. The sounds of birds chirping and the warm sun on your pelt was the most wanted outcome of spending the night. Sometimes he had the misfortune of waking up in the middle of the night drenched from a hidden storm. Not the best thing, but he wasn't one to dislike a chance to get wet.
His eyes began to close briefly for a moment or so, then again, for longer the next time. It went on like this for a while every night he did this, trying to hold on to the sight as long as he could. However sleep would always come to claim him in the end, as it did for all of the world's creatures. No one was invincible to that. Not even the peculiar and eccentric Hauntstar, even though he would have to be completely out of his mind to not enjoy sleeping. Especially in such a grand location. Dreams would come to him in the usual form. A rabbit chase through an odd meadow. Fishing in a plentiful brook. His paws would twitch as he gave chase or swiped a paw downward to make his catch. Then for a small moment before he was awoken an odd thought would happen upon him. What did other cats dream of? A question he would always come to ponder the next night, holding a discussion in his own head. As though he didn't hold enough of those in reality. This was however how Hauntstar's perfect nights went on. Not every night could be so wonderful, but he held onto those that were.
Did you read the rules?
*edited out*[/center][/sup]
