IN THIS PRESENT CRISIS / typhoon visit

DEAR FRIEND as you know, your flowers are withering
your mother's gone insane, your leaves have drifted away.
but the clouds are clearing up
and i've come reveling, burning incandescently,
like a bastard on the burning sea.

YOU'RE JUST LIKE YOUR FATHER,
BURIED DEEP UNDER THE WATER.

*IMPORTANT NOTE if any tanglewood members participate in this thread, the takeover should not be discussed. also feel free to post before [member=265]Keona.[/member]

Their ally had been quiet lately, and the female did not particularly like that fact. It could mean about anything, and she'd known not many months ago they'd been struggled as their memberbase dropped, Vigenere left without a medic and captured temporarily. However, things had seemed okay last time they'd interacted for the prank war, and that was not so long ago. So, whatever had caused them to be absent this month was something the tigress decided she'd need to get to the bottom of. If they were in trouble, it was their duty to assist them, and if they were just deciding to be assholes and ghost them - well, Goldie certainly would hope that was not the case. They'd better hope so, too, given they knew exactly how the captain played. If a deal was broken unfairly, she'd not let that slide.

And so, the tigress would appear upon the border with her smaller dealer, Keona. She'd decided for this time she wouldn't bother bringing gifts, just in case the situation was not appropriate to bring such things. If things turned out to be fine, she could bring presents later, but she didn't want to potentially waste her efforts. She clears her throat, tapping the muddy ground a few times. "Hey, Tanglers, is' me, your pirate friend. How's it goin'? You've been too distant."

[table][tr][td]

keona sibéal ní faoláin.
the typhoon.
the blind dealer.
information.

[/td][td]

[div style="width: 360px; font-family: palatino; color: #2a4971; text-align: left; padding-top: 15px; padding-left: 10px; letter-spacing: 2px;"]Idir brí is idir muir, Tá mé i dtiúin

The tiny wildcat twitched her ears, ever on alert as she trotted alongside Goldie. She couldn't even recall if she had visited the swamp before... Oft the one to stay home and handle things there. But, like the captain, she was wary of Tanglewood's sudden absence. It was enough to warrant a visit.

She twitched her tail idlily as Goldie called out, silently listening with rapt attention. Hopefully everything turned out to be okay. Maybe her cousin would hear the call and tell them all was good.

Still. Odd to just... Be so distant, for allies.

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The sound of the Typhoon captain's voice made her ears perk forward, the winged feline felt a sudden rush of hope and a flutter in her chest but she bit down on her tongue having to remind herself that if she didn't play by Stryker's rules then her kin would be threatened, their lives hung on a thread that could be broken by her sharp words if she was not careful. Be smart, Sophiea. She thought to herself as she rose to her paws making sure to groom down her fur so she wasn't some ruffled mess when she presented herself to Goldenluxury, Sophiea would have to be careful of her clanmates as well seeing as they would not hesitate to run their mouths. Maybe if she entertained the tigress with conversation and false news then the captain would be on her way in her time even if the winged feline wished that the other could stay, she knew that it would be dangerous for her here. If only these threats pressed onto her cousin didn't weigh her down and she could speak sharply like she usually did.

A soft sigh left her as the femme walked over with both tufted ears would perk forward. Her trademark scowl on her maw as she spoke in a sarcastic voice laced with playful undertones "Or perhaps you're too attached to us swamp folk, my captain." Eventually, a smile slipped onto her facial features as she took a few more steps forward only to notice a small creature next to the tigress did she present herself with a light nod of her cranium "Sophiea Pendragon. It's nice to see you once again, Goldenluxury, and I see you brought someone else." Sophiea supposed that she would have to make an excuse for Tanglewood's sudden disappearance from the meeting and just in general not interacting with the Typhoon. Luckily, Sophiea had her ways of being believable so this wouldn't be much of an issue and besides, she could always turn the subject to something else to benefit herself despite how selfish it is.

Raising a nonexistent eyebrow, Sophiea would say with a slow nod of her cranium "I do apologize for not writing as of late, we've been rather busy around here. Vigenere has fallen ill and other's have been getting sick due to it as well. So, it would probably be in your best interest not to dwell for too long if I were you, captain." She would adjust her wings to the sides as she let out an exhausted sigh as she kept her sharp yet tired gaze on the tigress watching her expression to see any changes, the tone that the smaller woman had used had been solemn and stoic with words laced with exhaustion. She wanted to show the other that she didn't wish to dwell on the subject of spreading sickness within her group as she glanced away with empty eyes and ears pressed flat against her skull yet that emptiness was due to her lying to someone that she had opened up to.

It wasn't safe here for either of them as she bit down on her lip as she asked with a small frown "Did my recent letter get to you? I sent my owl in such a rush that I might have startled the poor lad. He took my ribbon with him by accident." Concern filled her voice though she could only briefly feel the warmth touching her cheeks yet it was short lived as she continued to lie, it was wrong to do so... But Eternalknight's life hung by a thread and if she was not careful, his death would be on her paws. Her ears perked forward waiting for a response, she figured that she would sit down for now and converse with the captain yet she kept her distance not wanting the sound of her palpitating heart to give away anything. You big idiot. You and your caring for others will only get you into a mess. She thought bitterly as her pupils narrowed down into tiny slits only to glance down at her muddy paws, But it is better than being a shrew little woman like me... Lying to a friend that is more than dear to me.

Breaking away from her own thoughts of guilt, Sophiea would speak "But enough about me and Tanglewood... I hope that the Typhoon is doing well aside from our absence." There was a pause before she added with another slow nod "Once I make sure that all is well here, I'll go over to the Typhoon and deliver gifts. I'm sure you'd enjoy a few books or so," That was reassuring and given the tone of her voice, she was very serious about it all. She would have to bring it up to him as much as she disliked the thought, her claws digging into the soil underneath her. That lion infuriated her if she had been quicker and stronger... She could've ended him with an arrow to the skull. She shoved those thoughts away not wanting to become angry in front of the tigress, after all, that would give it all away and Eternalknight... He would be no more.

And it'd be her fault.

YOU'RE JUST LIKE YOUR FATHER,
BURIED DEEP UNDER THE WATER.

The audience would appear to be small for now, with only Sophiea appearing, but it was a relief to see a friendly face at the very least. She wishes to have high hopes going into this visit, unable to imagine Vigenere so suddenly turning on her after their back-and-forth of saving each other. Though, she was crossed by Ciphers on a weekly basis, most of the time, so what was another added to the list? Still, there was plenty of possibilities that may explain what exactly had happened to their swampy ally. And the feline would offer one of those explanations to her today, thankfully. The tigress did contain some patience, but it was easy to break it, so having a swift response was surely a necessity in this sort of situation, especially given what she'd experienced every single one of their former allies do to them. If Tanglewood met the same fate, well, that would be an awful shame. Especially given the current relations she has and had with plenty of their members. She'd like to believe they were trustworthy.

And for now it seemed, the feline would confirm those beliefs. There was an illness passing around the members of Tanglewood, that was troubling. A concerned look would appear on her features, listening quietly as the other spoke. It still didn't quite explain why she'd sent her letter in such a hurry, which she'd been meaning to ask about, but she decides to leave the question for now. She can wonder about it later. Currently, she wanted to focus on the more important affairs, such as her ally's apparent, crippling weakness at the moment. If everyone was sick, that left them in a very bad spot. It was the Typhoon's duty to help, at least.

"Well, that is troublin' t' hear." She'd start her reply off with a slight sigh, putting on a more serious tone. "If thas' the case, I will certainly have one o' m' soothsayers accompany me in a few days - I know you've all struggled gettin' medical assistance the past month. I know a bit myself, n' my soothsayers are the best there is, so 'm sure we can get this solved." She didn't promise a specific one - she knew both Rosemary and Roan could get the jobs done well. Although she's pretty sure both wouldn't be too happy having to do work for another group, they could get over it. "What's the symptoms, so we can know what herbs t' bring?" If she didn't know a lot about medical terms, she could at least describe if they had runny noses, coughs, things like that.

Though now that she'd gotten the most important business out of the way, she may as well answer the female's questions regarding both herself and the Typhoon. "Yes, I got your letter. I was meanin' t' ask you 'bout it, but I don' think it's very important right now." She'd state with a small nod, quick to move on to the next subject. She didn't want to fill this time discussing smaller things like letters, she knew just how important time was for everyone, after all. "The Typhoon's doin' quite well - we always are. Hostin' lil' events for the end of the month n' all that good stuff." She offers a small smile at that, always one to enjoy events and parties, even if she wasn't as into social interaction as she let on. It was still fun to see her crewmates having fun. "M' childrens' birthday jus' passed, too, so we celebrated that." She was a bit more visibly happy to mention this, warmth in her voice as she mentions them. She doesn't do it often, due to the nature of it being so dangerous with her being such a large target, but she figures it safe enough here.

The smell of salt lurked in the air. The Typhoon's stank reminisced within their space for the first time since his takeover, causing a lowly growl to exit from Stryker's throat. Slitted eyes focused out onto the horizon and he set off into the underbrush, following the scent while concealing himself in the shadows. Paws tracked on the swamp's floor in silence. His claws slide from out their sockets, prepping to attack the stranger and take them down with ease. As the pirate faded into view, the lion came to a halt. His chest lowered to the floor. Yet his neon hues couldn't help but look above the bush at the silhouette in the distance. Settling on the familiar feather and that damned accent, this could only be one feline.

The lion froze in his spot. Sophiea slipped past him without any acknowledgement and he held his breath. A narrowed gaze watched as the two exchanged greetings. With his teeth ready to bare and claws ready to strike, he awaited Sophiea's response, as it would make or break her fate.

'Others have been getting sick.'

Well, that was quite an excuse. Her response was smart and concise, putting Tanglewood's true state behind them. The reality of the situation that not only was Vigenere not sick, but neither were the others. They were all underneath Stryker's paw, unable to revolt or escape his grip. A few have tried. Their efforts were met with punishment nonetheless, resulting in Sophiea's successful compliance. After all this time, she had remained quiet and stayed within her specific orders to the Kingpin's satisfaction, especially in the presence of her dearest friend and The Typhoon's leader. Needless to say, things were falling into place.

Had he expected the Captain to show up on his doorstep though? No. Not at all. The surprise was welcome though, as it made his plans much easier. After two years, their reunion would finally come around to Goldenluxury's distaste and Stryker's gratification.

His eyes drifted to the accomplice though. The small feline was present too. Keona posed a threat if she escaped, but one he could deal with if need be. Acquiring Goldenluxury was only the first step in their process and if their enemy was alerted, so be it. They were damned either way. The Coalition of the Condemned would have leverage. Nonetheless, his claws flexed in the mud as he stared from the darkness. She was small enough to dominate over and acquire easily, but also fast enough to escape. Stryker's thoughts wandered as he considered the possibilities before him.

The lion settled on a decision. Soft steps prowled carefully behind the captain and he positioned himself strategically with ease. From the dark, he lowered to his haunches once again. As Goldenluxury finished her grateful words, a small smile spread across her lips and Stryker knew it was his time to strike.

From the depths, the Kingpin emerged. Stryker sored through the air and aimed to dive at Goldenluxury's back leg with his venomous teeth sinking into her lower shin. If successful, he'd pull her backwards in an attempt to throw her off her feet and collapse to the ground. With a wicked glare, he'd stare down at her and try to place his paw upon her chest, holding her down with sheer strength.

"Long time, no see, Goldie Locks."

YOU'RE JUST LIKE YOUR FATHER,
BURIED DEEP UNDER THE WATER.

The interaction had been quite simple in her eyes, she was concerned over Tanglewood's ailment, but was happy to hear they at least finally had an answer for the group's absence, and it wasn't something seemingly irreversible. They were still allies, and they were still kicking, even if slower and crippled at the moment. The pirates would help them fix it, and that was good news. But, there was an interruption. A chuckle in her head, the one that'd visited her just days ago. It was a warning, she'd not known. It was a promise. And the noise of a figure closing in distracts her.

Her ears perk upwards, head turns, alert. She knows exactly what she sees. The snake slithered in the long grass, lunging at her. Exactly how she knew he would.

Such a long period of searching, of bitter planning, meticulous ideas scribbled. Maps set, swords sharpened. But her cutlass was not with her today. There had not been any reports of the lion in over a year. She was almost convinced he had finally fucked off for good. Almost. "You-" she snarls out, attempting to push [member=265]Keona.[/member] farther away, not wishing for her dealer to potentially get caught in the jumble, and quickly lifts her paws, trying to move. Move, move, move.

She was tangled up, twisted in the threads and knots. And she felt his pull, his tug. It was too tight. Her attempts to break loose, move away, were too late. You cannot fight what's already happened, it echoes to her.

She'd been hunting Stryker for nearly two years. And now they've presented themselves, an ultimatum. But it wasn't how it was meant to be. She knew to be always prepared, to know that her enemies did not play fair, that an ambush could occur at any moment, but this wasn't right. This wasn't how she'd pictured any of the possibilities. None of her plans went over this. An oversight. She couldn't let this be a waste, however. She was quick to think, she knew. She could figure this out. She always did.

The captain lets out a roar as she feels him pin her down, sink his teeth into her leg. Sophiea was still here. Keona was still here. Tanglewood was still here. Even if Sophiea's words were true, or even if they weren't, they still were here, surely.

She hears another approach, and for a moment, she's hopeful. But then, out of the corner of her eye, she sees the movement. "Get away, Keona!" she calls out in warning, pushing her own body. "Get your dirty fuckin' paws off me, snake!" comes her icy snarl, attempting to push Stryker off, even for a moment, and quickly push her body away from him. She needs to get farther away from the group, needs to get more space so she may electrocute him. It was too close, too risky. The others could get hurt.

But as she tugs her own body, she feels the sharp pain once more. The thread is too tight, too heavy.

/rushed af before work

[table][tr][td]

keona sibéal ní faoláin.
the typhoon.
the blind dealer.
information.

[/td][td]

[div style="width: 360px; font-family: palatino; color: #2a4971; text-align: left; padding-top: 15px; padding-left: 10px; letter-spacing: 2px;"]Idir brí is idir muir, Tá mé i dtiúin

So it was sickness. The dealer flicked her ear and sat back as the friends spoke, wondering if her cousin was among the ill. That wasn't the best news, but Keona knew things could always be worse. And Goldie was quick to offer medical assistance. So it would be fine in the end, she was sure.

Until it wasn't. The tiny dealer had sharp ears, barely perking before she's pushed away. Out of the line of fire. She blinks, mind racing fast. Considering the variables. They always underestimated her. Keona was not some simple and easy target.

Her small body moves as Goldie shouts, rolling to the side without an second of hesitation. As she's rising to her paws, she attempts to slam [member=16788]SEVCON VERBAN[/member] backwards with a harsh gust of wind. There is nothing but ice cold determination in her pale hues; not bothering for a response.

An ambush. On Tanglewood territory... Meant she wasn't keen on relying on any Tanglewood help. Still. She snaps, voice icy, at Sophiea. "Help her!"

Because she's not a fool. She's not reckless. She knows she's outmatched. Outsized. But she could outmaneuver them. Which meant she had to go. Keona growls quietly, furious. Frustrated. But she knows.

So, she reaches out, mentally. To Goldie. To her captain. Her friend. I'm getting backup, keep fighting.

She darts, slipping into the undergrowth back the direction they had came. A spotted blur.

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NOTHING BESIDE REMAINS — It had been some time since Aurum had seen Goldenluxury, although that was far from his choice. The tigress had been one of his closest friends for some time now, and he had enjoyed his frequent visits to The Typhoon, since they always made him feel welcomed and cheerful while he was there. They had even become a sort of therapy for him after Leroy's disappearance, the former proxy going through a rough patch when he realized that practically everyone he had once known was either dead or missing. At first, though, he had been trapped at home because of his injuries, unable to leave the house for particularly long without pain. There was no way he would've been able to make it all the way to the archipelago without issue, and he probably would've had to stay several nights if he had made it. He hadn't wanted to do that, knowing that he had children to take care of at home. Once he had finally found himself on the mend, the lion had been eager to go for another visit, but then the damn takeover had happened. They had all been locked down, and despite his best efforts, they were still struggling just to get out signs that something was wrong.

Thankfully for all of them, Goldie had never been much of a distant ally. The captain had always been willing to visit and speak with them, which was why Aurum had figured that, eventually, this would end up happening. Not so thankfully, he hadn't been expecting Stryker to show up at the exact same time. After all, the other lion had always been so distant with all of this, more than content to just allow his lackeys to watch over everything that was going on. It caused a sense of frustration in the angel's heart as he heard the sounds of yelling and a struggle in the distance, but it wasn't frustration directed towards Stryker. No, Aurum's rage was directed towards Stryker, and his wanderers. Instead, the male's frustration was with himself. Disappointed in himself for not getting there sooner, and not being able to warn Goldie about what was happening. Although as he grew closer, his large body rushing through the trees, he was surprised by the scent of Sophiea as well. How had Stryker even managed to pull off a successful ambush, if Sophiea was present? Wouldn't Goldie be on high alert, considering she'd know about their situation? It didn't even occur to him that Soph could've not said something. It seemed so utterly baffling that the possibility didn't even register in the former proxy's mind.

As Aurum came charging through the trees, he was relieved to see the tiny retreating form of Keona vanishing in the distance, a clear sign that the dealer was going to get help. That was a relief, since it meant that not only would Goldie be receiving help, but Tanglewood would soon have some help as well. There was no time to focus on that fact, though. He needed to deal with Stryker, and try to help Goldie. So, with a vicious roar leaving his maw, the lion went charging forward at [member=1738]Stryker[/member], attempting to slam into the other lion's side and help get him off of Goldie. As he attacked, Aurum snarled viciously, "Get away from her, you damned mongrel bastard!" He could only hope that his equally large size would help knock Stryker away so that Goldie would be able to get up. If the captain was able to help, then they'd have a bit more of an even fight on their hands. As it stood, it would be three against two, if Sophiea would actually spring into action as Keona had demanded of her. In any other scenario, Aurum might have been shocked by the small dealer's harsh tone. In this case, though, he heartily agreed with her. Sophiea seemed frozen in place, and that was enough to piss the lion off even more, knowing that his friend needed help.

If Aurum had truly known of the deal that had gone on between Sophiea and Stryker, he probably would've been furious. He would've been infuriated that Soph would even agree to such a thing, even if her family was being threatened. After all, she should've been doing everything she could to get them out from under the Coalition's hold. The kingpin had already shown that he was willing to injure or kill without discrimination, so what was holding him back from just killing Eternalknight? He could use Sophiea as a puppet for as long as he wanted, only to end up murdering Eternal without a lack of shame or regret. After all, Stryker hardly seemed like the type who was too worried about keeping his word. Thankfully for Sophiea, at least, the former proxy had no knowledge of what had gone on between the last meeting and now. Unfortunately, Aurum had always been the type who worried about everything within Tanglewood, and Goldie somehow not being prepared for an attack would certainly be something he would bring up in the future. That would be left for another time, though, when Goldie's life wasn't on the line, and chaos wasn't erupting around them. — OF THE MAN WHO WAS BORN AND DIED A KING.

She often found herself avoiding this place. There was so much muk and grim everywhere. How did they live in this dump she didn't know. But because there was some misguided interest in the group and it had been taken over as a whole she found herself here because she figured they would need some driving forces that would scrape the ground with their bodies. The woman rolled her eyes a little bit at her thoughts, tittering on a large boulder. Trying to see some value in the terrain, anything really but at present it just still looked like a dump to her and she eas not about to allow her paws to touch the murky waters of the swamp. Disgusting. Frost settled around her paws and she sighed as she slipped down, paws briefly touching the area of the water above and the moment her paw connected it was already frozen. A small pedestal for the queen. She easily crossed the water this way, freezing small patches still she got to some substantial ground. Home. That was a better place than here and that was where she was going.

The border was not that far away anyway, and she would just make in between trips. After all with Tanglewood locked down what more could they do? Though the voices at the border seemed rather....loud. Oddly enough. It was pretty clear ther something was going on and she needed to figure this out before she left. Creeping through the foliage she would narrow her eyes slightly, tail tip curling back and forth as she witnessed the scene before her. The Typhoon was here and with some Tangler but what made her eyes widen slightly was that her father was there and he was trying for the Typhoon member. Had he decided to move? She was not sure but she knew that she would have to help. Clearing her throat a bit she would slip her way back along the dense vegetation for a different angle. That was when she heard it, sharp growls and snarls.

There was another Tangler. Her ears pulled back and her muzzle curled as she watched him go after Stryker. Damnit. Looked like she would have to move in less than ideal conditions but hell, it would be a decent enough turn of events. She had to do something anyway, the Coalition was where her loyalties lied and so she pushed forth from the plant growth and moved with surprising speed. Her jump was calculated from behind the lion and she aimed to land upon [member=6881]aurum.[/member] back, claws trying to dig into his body and before she let out a rage filled snarl where teeth flashed and her head jerked down to try and plunge her sharp weapons into the back of his neck.