(Lets just all pretend that this is his first time joining)

Toys. He had run out of toys. This simply wouldn't do. If he wanted to be able to keep the current body that he has, it meant that he needed to have as many people know him as much as possible. For Ȁ̷͕n̵̗̒t̵̫͂i̷͓͑ to keep the powers that he currently had, he needed to have other creatures talk about him. The more famous that he got the more powerful that he would become. He was a certain type of power-hungry after all. Now that he thought about it, he had been in hibernation for probably far too long and needed to get more work down. If he could just get someone to follow his every beck and call it would be easy for him to get to the larger bodies that he had sought after long ago. Now that he didn't have anyone keeping track of him and didn't consider most creatures to be a threat, he could enjoy doing whatever he wanted. One could consider this existence to be lonely, as he never trusted those that he came across, but he couldn't really bring himself to care. Power was everything. Those that had power could accomplish whatever they wanted or even dreamed. His thoughts go back to his previous toys and wondered if he would ever come across them in the future. It would make his life easier that much is for certain.

Ȁ̷͕n̵̗̒t̵̫͂i̷͓͑ had gathered some information about a group of animals toward the North. He knew of the different clans, groups tribes, whatever they wanted to call themselves he didn't care. He preferred working alone, but he would have to admit that he would need their help. In a sinister kind of way obviously. He wasn't going to join to make friends, he was simply going to join to cause trouble. What better way to get one's name out there than when it was spoken with malice? Ȁ̷͕n̵̗̒t̵̫͂i̷͓͑ couldn't think of anything better, and he had tried this method before and it worked perfectly. He never enjoyed the time that he was stuck in the body of a domestic cat. But being in smaller bodies didn't mean that he was any less dangerous with all of the powers that he had under his fur. He was more than likely to just use his powers than his own physical strength anyway. Ȁ̷͕n̵̗̒t̵̫͂i̷͓͑ hoped that the group that he was coming up on would be able to provide him for a little bit of entertainment here and there. He just had to play nice for a little bit, then he would be able to join Scott free. He knew how these groups worked because he had joined them before in the past.

Ȁ̷͕n̵̗̒t̵̫͂i̷͓͑ did have to say that he would have preferred a little bit of a different environment to live in. The marsh wasn't his favorite, despite him being somewhat dirty in most regards. The glitch didn't really care much for his own personal hygiene, the scent of rotting flesh wafting from his body in distinct waves. The blood that was staining his paws didn't wash away when he walked through the muck of the marsh, his bicolored eyes scanning the trees and water for any movement that could actually be a threat. The 210lb jaguar wasn't really concerned if someone did attack him, because he was a pretty great escape artist. One's that would look upon him would notice how strange the beast was, as its form seemed to flicker in out of existence, almost like a broken computer screen. A green glow emanating from his gums and his right eye. The light itself wasn't necessarily bright enough to make it seem like he was a beacon, but it was still noticeable. A wound also spread across the front of his neck, the sides of the old wound stitched up with occasionally a drip of blood coming from the wound. It wasn't deep enough to kill the wildcat but it was certainly unsettling for someone to be unphased by a wound such as his. Ȁ̷͕n̵̗̒t̵̫͂i̷͓͑ had control over how much blood leaked through the wound though with the use of his water elementals.

Finally catching the scent marker of the edge of the territory, Ȁ̷͕n̵̗̒t̵̫͂i̷͓͑ would stop for a moment. His form would flicker for a minute a wicked grin spread across his features. The melanistic jaguar scanned his surroundings for a moment, taking everything in as the sunlight bled through the leaves of the trees. He didn't announce his presence, as he was certain that the horrible scent that he gave off would certainly be enough to draw attention. Instead, he raised one of his blood-stained paws, and conjured up a knife, which he would then balance on the top of his paw, making sure not to cut himself in the process. Ȁ̷͕n̵̗̒t̵̫͂i̷͓͑ would hum as he focused on the knife, while his ears were angled themselves to listen for any sounds that might approach him. Occasionally, a distorted, almost childish giggle could be heard coming from his maw as he waited for the party to begin.

Disgust. Disgust and fear were the two feelings that struck Aurum when he smelled the scent coming from the border that day. It was like an animal rotting from the inside our, and it instilled a sense of fear within the proxy because he thought that perhaps someone else had died. After what had happened with Feza, Aurum was on high alert when it came to others injuring themselves, or their enemies coming after someone within their borders. He couldn't bear the thought of losing anymore friends or family. Just the thought of it was enough to make his stomach twist, and a sense of nausea to settle over him. Or perhaps that was just because of the horrid scent that was present on the air. Either way, he knew that he needed to be one of the first to get there, before one of the children came upon whatever was stinking up the swamp. Such a phrase was actually rather impressive, considering the swamp itself had enough of a stink to usually cover up such things. Was it multiple bodies? The thought only drove him faster, golden paws launching off of thick logs and sinking into muck before he could flick it from his form. He was in no mood to worry about his own appearance for the moment. It wasn't as if he couldn't just wash everything off when he got home.

It wasn't long before the angel eventually came upon Anti, relieved at the fact that the other wasn't some horrid corpse. However, the relief was rather shortlived. Whether it be the blood on the male's paws, the wound on his neck, the stench on his fur, or the knife balanced upon his paw, everything about him just screamed bad. It would've been enough to make the lion recoil, if it weren't for the fact that he needed to defend his home. Thankfully, he still towered over most with his powerful lion body, and it seemed as though Anti was no different, even if he had his own weapons to back himself up with. Aurum could feel the tension in his body grow more and more as he moved closer, his tail twitching anxiously behind him despite his best efforts to stop it from doing so. Part of him felt like just leaping forward and plunging his claws into this bastard already. After all, it wouldn't give Anti any time to pull any bullshit. However, Aurum knew that wasn't fair. Despite appearances, Anti could've been a perfectly good person who just ended up in a bad spot. There was no proof that he was here to hurt any of them. Not yet, anyways.

Standing up to his full height, Aurum cleared his throat before speaking, one blue eye focused intensely down on Anti, "Hello there... are you alright? You seem... injured." That was the best way that he could put it without slinging accusations, anyways. What else was one supposed to think when someone showed up with bloodstained paws? Despite his hesitation, the angel continued curtly, "You're also on the territory of Tangelwood, so it would be much appreciated if you could tell me your name and why you're here. And stop flashing a weapon around." His eyes focused on the knife for a moment before they refocused on Anti's face, gaze intense as if he was searching down to the male's very soul. He prayed that none of his children decided to come to this particular newcomer's aid. He couldn't stand it if any of them ended up injured because of the kind nature that he had instilled within them.

[div style="text-align: right; text-transform: uppercase; text-shadow: 0px 0px 2px #1B1B2F; font-size: 24px;"][color=#44437F]— AURUM

Size wasn't always everything. Ȁ̷͕n̵̗̒t̵̫͂i̷͓͑ already knew that from his own experiences of starting up smaller and having to work his way up to the current body that he had. That didn't mean that he was never overpowered at any point. He could easily be taken down in a fight when pure strength was all that mattered. He preferred to attack at a distance and use his powers to keep larger opponents at a distance. He wasn't against using dirty tricks either, as he was fairly certain that no one in the world fought clean. However, Ȁ̷͕n̵̗̒t̵̫͂i̷͓͑ had taken out things up to dragon size by himself and takes great pride in the power that is currently underneath his paw. He isn't afraid of showing off either, but he wants to make sure that his true intentions aren't really known. The glitch needed to keep a low profile for the first couple of days and then from there, he could make his moves. If he played his cards right, he would be able to possess a bigger body in no time. His dream was ultimately to become something massive, whether that was a dragon or something else he wasn't really all that picky. Once he couldn't achieve a bigger body there would be no stopping him, he wouldn't have to worry about changing bodies anymore. Ȁ̷͕n̵̗̒t̵̫͂i̷͓͑ did have to admit though he didn't see all that many big cats around. He was used to being surrounded by hellhounds and large canines, but when it came to large cats most of them were around his size in comparison. Now that he thought about it, most of the creatures that became his victims were mostly felines. A pattern maybe? One that didn't necessarily matter but just something entertaining to think about in regard to his thoughts.

Even though he was trying to keep a low profile, that didn't mean that he couldn't keep the intimidating appearance that he always had. What was the fun in that? He enjoyed plaguing the mind of those that he came across and was always interested to see everyone's reactions to him. There was a wide range of emotions someone could express at the sight of him, and each one gave him a sense of pride. His appearance wasn't necessarily crafted the way that it was, and instead, it just happened. Considering how often he had killed other creatures, his paws became stained. Simple as that. Whether it was him actually hunting or torture others could only speculate. The jaguar wanted others to know that he wasn't someone to be messed with. Ȁ̷͕n̵̗̒t̵̫͂i̷͓͑ didn't take kindly to the likes of being teased in most manners. The adult jaguar's ears perked when he heard movement, and from the sounds of it, it was coming up fast. Ȁ̷͕n̵̗̒t̵̫͂i̷͓͑ stayed where he was at on the border, his eyes not leaving the knife that he was carefully balancing. As soon as the creature that approached him spoke, was when Ȁ̷͕n̵̗̒t̵̫͂i̷͓͑  finally turned his head to look at the feline who was obviously a part of this group. The scent that came off of the lion made sure to identify where the animal came from. The wicked grin that had been on his face previously did not change as he regarded the larger wildcat. The lion seemed to have an eyepatch over one of its eyes. Curious. Ȁ̷͕n̵̗̒t̵̫͂i̷͓͑ wondered if there was still an eye under the patch, or if there was a scar they were trying to hide away.

Ȁ̷͕n̵̗̒t̵̫͂i̷͓͑ tilted his head similar to like that of a confused puppy at the mention of his injury. It took the jaguar a couple of seconds to realize what the lion was talking about. "Oh, you mean  ̶t̵h̶i̵s̶ ̵l̶i̴t̴t̴l̸e̸ ̴t̸h̶i̴n̵g̸?̸" Ȁ̷͕n̵̗̒t̵̫͂i̷͓͑ stated as he craned his neck to the side, opening the wound slightly wide so that Aurum could get a better look at the old wound, blood dripping out from the gash. "I wouldn't worry too much a̵b̵o̴u̴t̷ ̷t̸h̷a̶t̷. It's old, and doesn't seem to want to ̵h̴e̵a̷l̷ ̵a̶n̴y̶t̸i̸m̸e̶ ̴s̴o̷o̷n̸." Ȁ̷͕n̵̗̒t̵̫͂i̷͓͑ reassured the Tanglewood member. Although, it probably wasn't any form of reassurance anyway. Each time the glitch spoke, his voice sounded somewhat distorted, as if there were two of his voices layered over one another. The jaguar's form seemed to flicker for a couple of moments before stilling again as he responded to what the lion said next. This was the place he was looking for after all. His attention went back to the knife that the lion wanted him to stop flashing around. The knife seemed to disappear as he conjured it away, a huff escaping his maw. "N̸o̴ ̵f̵u̶n̵.̸" Ȁ̷͕n̵̗̒t̵̫͂i̷͓͑ would say with a small chuckle. He would move one of his muck covered paws and place it on his chest and bow his head a little bit as he introduced himself. "The name's Ȁ̷͕n̵̗̒t̵̫͂i̷͓͑ . I'm looking to join this fine e̶s̸t̵a̸b̶l̷i̷s̷h̸m̶e̴n̴t̷." Ȁ̷͕n̵̗̒t̵̫͂i̷͓͑ said, and when he spoke his name, his voice seemed to distort the most. His name having a lot of power to the likes of him. Once he introduced himself, he would put his blood-stained paws back down into the murky water, the wicked grin spreading wider.

Like the bunch of them, Margery was drawn by the rotting scent, not so much out of disgust, but of a sort of duty. Sometimes she'd come across rotting carcasses. She would dig a deep hole and drag the remains into it, dutifully scraping the dirt over it. She always placed a stone above it, and if she could find flowers, one of those were placed there as well. She didn't like disturbing the dead and believed that all of them should have some final resting place.

Thus, she was expecting to find a carcass. All she saw was a jaguar with a nasty wound and blood on his paws. By the time she had arrived, the knife had been concealed. Margery didn't exactly show any sort of fear towards this newcomer, and her little Welsh sheepdog appearance wouldn't be much of a threat either. She tipped her head at him, wrinkling her freckled snout. A very strange creature indeed, and Margery was drawn to those in particular. The tip of her tail twitched and then she began to try to mimic his form's flickering, using her own invisibility and intangibility.

She didn't say anything, not because she was rude, but because she had been silent for a long time and had not yet regained her voice.

Anti's words did nothing to inspire any sense of ease within Aurum, just making the proxy even more tense than before. An old wound that would never close up? Blood staining his paws and marring his pelt? The scent of death and decay in the air? All of it reminded Aurum of some of his worst nightmares, like the very essence of withering had risen up from the very depths of hell. The arrival of others made the lion feel slightly more relaxed – even though he knew very well that he could defend himself handily if it came to that – but it seemed as though the others were no less suspicious. Both Vignere and Selby were especially understandable, considering they both had children that lived within the group. Aurum felt conflicted, for the first time in quite a while. On one hand, he had no proof that Anti had done anything wrong. On the other hand, Anti was doing nothing not to warrant their suspicion and anxiety. Without Leroy's extra presence at the other's joining, that meant that Aurum was highest in terms of power, and he would be the one to ultimately decide if Anti could stay, or if he would be forced to go. It wasn't a pleasant position to be in, but it was ultimately the one that he had chosen when he had accepted his promotion. Looking towards Vignere, Aurum sent back with a visible sigh, "I don't trust him either... if he doesn't have an even somewhat plausible excuse for the blood and scent, I will not allow him in, I assure you." He wasn't about to lose anymore people he cared about.

Offering a nod to Selby and Margaery, the proxy then turned his one eyed gaze back to Anti, clearing his throat before he spoke firmly, "I understand that you're eager to join, and I'm sorry to be so suspicious, but... you have to understand why we'd have our concerns. Especially since we've had troubles with violence in the past. Do you have any explanations for the blood on your paws, or the... scent you have on you? It isn't exactly the best first impression, if you understand my meaning." Perhaps the stench and blood was just from prey? Although it seemed unlikely. Even the largest of prey wouldn't produce such a strong and awful scent, and he had never seen blood stain someone's fur so thoroughly. Even when he had taken down the largest of deers or gators within the forest or swamp, he was usually able to wash himself off in a stream nearby. Anti seemed to just scream that he was from some sort of vicious and violent group like the Pitt, and his only real saving grace was the fact that the scent of the desert didn't cling to his fur. Part of Aurum just wanted to turn him away right now, before he could have the chance to lash out and hurt one of the four tanglers currently present, but he decided to give the other a chance. A brief saving grace, just so that they could get some sort of explanation.

[div style="text-align: right; text-transform: uppercase; text-shadow: 0px 0px 2px #1B1B2F; font-size: 24px;"][color=#44437F]— AURUM