There had once been a time when Aurum had been like Virgil. Lost, alone, listless. Thankfully, he had been lucky enough to at least have the goal of finding his little brother in mind, but besides that? It had felt like his world was entirely falling apart, from the moment that Judith had told him he would never be king. Being the next in line for the throne had been what he had trained his entire life for, spending day in and day out suffering through his horrific and terrible circumstances just for that one wonderful end goal, only to have the rug pulled out from underneath him so violently he swore he still had whiplash from it. After that day, things had only continued downhill from there, and he had ended up with not only the entirety of the group shunning him more enthusiastically than they ever had before, but also with a bold red target painted on his back, and a mother eager to drive a knife into it. He hadn't known what the hell his next move was going to be after he returned Poet home, and he had fully been expecting for his life to simply end, and no theoretical plans he could think of going anywhere. However, this had all been before the big surprise plot twist in his life. All before he had found his true home, the place where he had found family and friends and a purpose that didn't depend on just dragging himself alive from day to day. That turning point had been Tanglewood, and hopefully the swamp dwelling group could represent a turning point for Virgil as well, even after the suffering she had endured.

The proxy had been patrolling, eager to get some food and perhaps some herbs for Moth and Selby as well, since he wanted to ensure that Moth wouldn't be out and about looking for things as often, given her pregnancy. He had thought that perhaps he could go searching for something interesting and unique as well. He wasn't sure what exactly yet, but something that he could maybe trade with Feza in exchange for her taking an extended nap. However, the male's search for all three of these things was cut short by the sound of voices nearby. Raising his head, he quickly identified the voices of Kaito and Eulogy, wondering who they could've been talking to. It had to be someone new, considering it would be rather rude to refer to someone already within the group as simply lady, or whatever Kaito's default title was. Deciding to change his route, the large winged lion let his paws guide him towards the smell and sounds of his clanmates, eventually coming upon the scene with a soft snort of surprise. There was indeed someone new, but they seemed to be making themselves rather comfortable, laid out and absolutely demolishing the prey they had gotten their paws on. Still, given the state that Virgil seemed to be in at the moment, Aurum found that he couldn't be too annoyed with her. She must've been starving. Clearing his throat, the one eyed lion rumbled as he settled beside Kaito and Eulogy, towering over even the tigress beside him, "Hello, miss... this is the territory of Tanglewood. As they said, that food might not be the greatest for you... if you're peaceful, we could maybe find you something less dangerous." She immediately reminded him of Vathmos and Snarl, not only because of the physical similarities between painted wild dogs and hyenas, but also because of the drive to survive he saw gleaming in her eyes.

EULOGY - Female - Bengal Tigeress -[member=8943]Eulogy[/member]

Well...Virgil had come off as strong. No she wasn't strong, she was just as scared and confused as her eyes said she was.

Rude, to say the least

After all, she had stepped onto Tanglewood territory, eating Tanglewood food, coping an attitude towards Tanglers. The least she could do was wipe her muzzle. The tigress was sick of rude people; sick of the disrespect people gave her
and her friends. When Eulogy spoke, her voice was soft but her words would say otherwise. "Watch yourself Virgil, your on Tanglewood's border. Just because your here, starving, doesn't make us obligated to give you our magnanimity nor our empathy." At this point, she didn't care if anyone was surprised  by her response; she was supposed to be the sweet one but she was fed up with insolence

Her eyes met the African wild dog's own in an annoyed glare, though she loved newcomer she did not like rude ones. And ones that stared at her like she was going to eat them. "Please lass, do not stare." She blinked and turned her head to Aurum. Disappointment  plastered to her face, she whispered to herself. "I thought African dogs were better than this." She turned back towards the dog, a smile now woven onto her lips; her teeth clicking as she spoke "It's rude."

If there was one thing that seemed to be exceedingly clear to Aurum these days, it was that wild dogs, whether actual wild dogs or hyenas, disliked him very much. At least at first, anyways. Vathmos had certainly warmed up to him, and Snarl was coming around, and he hadn't really met Mrish, so he couldn't form an opinion there yet, but for the most part he was able to at least somewhat mellow out the instinctual barriers that existed between him and wild canines. However, it still made him feel a little shitty, seeing the way that Virgil tensed up and eyed him warily. He brushed it off quickly, taking a deep breath and shaking his head. He was going to explain, figuring everyone else was doing a rather pisspoor job of it, when Abathur came over, being his usual exceedingly smart and strange arachnid self. Aurum watched the male for a moment before he heard Eulogy, giving a simple flick of his ear in response. Usually he might've agreed, and said that it was shitty to be rude when you were intruding. He still somewhat did agree, deep down, but he could also see the fear in Virgil's eyes, and the way that her aura moved erratically if he focused hard enough to see it. He didn't know what exactly had happened to her in the past, but whatever it had been, it had been unpleasant. He could tell why she was staring... she was being defensive. She was expecting them to attack her, and was trying to figure out if she had any way out. He had seen that look in others before, and he subconsciously found himself pulling his wings back, getting smaller and less intimidating. He couldn't truly loom harmless, given the inherent danger that came with lion's and the sheer power he possessed beneath his thick coat, but he could at least try.

Unfortunately for him, it seemed as though being polite and welcoming would be more difficult than he thought. Vathmos soon emerged from the trees behind him, her whooping laugh reminding him that he had brought her out with him. He had been wondering why she hadn't come along with him, but it seemed he now had his answer. She had been watching. His ears flattened a little against his head when he heard her words, a soft sigh leaving him. He really did not want things to escalate into a fight right now. Looking between Eulogy and Vathmos, Aurum rumbled softly, "It's... it's alright. She hasn't made the best first impression, but not all of us do, right?" He managed a weak smile before he turned his attention back to Virgil, speaking calmly to her as he tilted his head to one side, "Like Abathur over there said, we're just concerned for your well being because we're caring. Tanglewood is always willing to take in newcomers who need it... and we're not just a society of cats, if you couldn't already tell. If you need a home. Something to eat... you could consider here." He didn't exactly know the specific details of why she disliked him, and certainly wouldn't have guessed it was because of his status as male, but either way, he was trying his best to smooth things out. Virgil obviously needed help, and just because she was a bit rude didn't mean she shouldn't get that help. If that was how they operated, they'd be down half their member base.