How long had it been, since he had been near even the barest fringes of society? Nine wasn't exactly sure, mainly because he had given up on trying to keep track of the time that went by. There was no real point to doing so, not when one was so utterly happy with their station in life, as he was. He was with his husband, wrapped up in their own little loving solitude for so long. For some, perhaps, the isolation may have been lonely. One person might not have been enough for them. However, Nine didn't think that way, not when he was with Lewis. He loved the other so dearly that it was impossible to feel unfulfilled, not when he got to return each day to the home that they had built together. It had been a long and difficult road for the both of them to get to that point, but the jaguar wouldn't have changed a single second of it. Not if it meant he wouldn't end up in the arms of his lover, curled up each night within their respite.

So, why was it then, that he was here? If he had been so utterly happy, then why would he end up on the border of a whole new group, away from the home he had made? Well, it wasn't because anything had changed for his or Lewis's home life. Rather, it was out of a sense of obligation, or duty. Number Nine had always been a bounty hunter at heart, and while Palmclan didn't present any bounties for him to track down, it didn't present something else – innocence. A clan full of those pure of heart, just looking to protect themselves and foster a home where they felt comfortable. That alone was enough to intrigue Nine, and as time had gone on, the hunter had felt his pelt practically itch with a desire to go there. It hadn't been hard to tell Lewis, not really. They both understood what it meant to feel a sense of responsibility, even for places unknown. Lewis had his own jobs to do, and it wasn't as if they wouldn't see each other. They always ended up back together, no matter what the circumstances were. Hell, for all Nine knew, Lewis would end up in Palmclan as well, before he was able to return back to his beloved hellhound.

Long strides eventually brought Nine to where he had sought to be – Palmclan's border, right where the forest met the rest of their surprisingly large territory. The piebald jaguar had no desire to get on anyone's bad side so early, so he instead just settled right near where the scent marker was, waiting for someone to come along that he could talk to. He raised his voice minutely, just enough that he could be heard for some distance as he called out, "Hello...? Is anyone from Palmclan here?" Number Nine had no doubt that he would be an oddity amongst those who lived within the group. Or, at the very least, something more peculiar than usual. Not only was he a large feline, but he also had the feathered white wings that rested upon his back, along with the crown of flowers that nearly covered his eyes. The greenery that surrounded his neck and legs was also odd, although the pink painted patterns along his fur thankfully almost seemed to blend into the pleasantly messy piebald pattern his body naturally had.

Soft and small pawsteps caused Nine to raise his head, bright green eyes blinking in surprise when he saw the child there. Foamkit seemed genuinely fascinated with the jaguar's appearance, which he supposed wasn't entirely surprising. He was probably unlike most other creatures the boy had seen, and that would no doubt necessitate some level of curiosity. Number Nine couldn't help the smile that curled along his muzzle at Foamkit's greeting, his fluffy tail flicking behind him before he responded, faintly amused, "Hello there... do you live here?" He wasn't sure how much his words would actually get through to the kit, considering he seemed to have only a basic grasp of language so far. Nine then watched as Foam's gaze was drawn upwards, a soft laugh leaving him at Foamkit's comment about the flowers. Sitting back on his haunches, Nine sweeped the flowers up a little, just so that he could see Foamkit clearly as he spoke, "Why, thank you. I can try making something similar for you." It wouldn't be too hard to make a flower crown for Foam, especially with Nine's natural gifts with greenery.

Nine's attention was then pulled away by the attention of another child, although this one was older. Apprentice aged, if the jaguar had to guess. And just a moment later, his assumption was confirmed, causing Nine to chuckle a bit to himself. Shaking his head from side to side, the winged warrior said simply, "I don't believe that's true... trust me, I got into plenty of pretty important antics back when I was an apprentice. I'm sure you will too." The male could still quite clearly remember his days as an apprentice, training alongside Lewis and everyone else back at his home. He didn't remember most of that time very fondly, but some of it was still positive in Number Nine's mind. After all, without that apprenticeship and everything that came with it, then he might not have met Lewis, and that would've made his entire world so much worse.

Shaking off his little walk down memory lane for now, the bounty hunter found himself pausing when Quasar stepped over Foamkit, a soft chuckle leaving him. He could understand being protective over the kid, especially when they didn't know anything about him yet. Wanting to change this, Number Nine shook his head before speaking, a little smile on his muzzle, "Looking for anyone in particular? Not exactly. I actually came here to join Palmclan, if I'd be allowed to. I've heard a great deal about you all..." He glanced around for a moment, taking in the golden beach and the deep blue sea beyond it. He then said, his fluffy tail coming to wrap around one of his own legs, "As for my name... I'm Number Nine, although most just call me Nine, since it's easier. And trust me, I am aware of how odd my own name is." He didn't know how many times he had gotten weird looks because of his name, but it was a pretty long story to try and tell.

— Reggan