The heat was something they had grown used to when they'd lived within The Pitt. If anything, it was a comfortable thing for them now, although everyone else struggled to remain comfortable. They hadn't heard much of the others, remaining solitary as was their nature after losing everyone that had once mattered to them. Silence ringing in their head, an around them - not even the bugs wanted to be out in the heat. The night was cooler but only by a little.

They were headed for the tavern, their mind a mess. There were too many painful things on their mind. It was somewhat close to the anniversary of fall of The Rosebloods, and everything only hurt even more. Breath shaking in their lungs, golden dragon in their black jaguar body, gray and white overtaking a good majority of it. Their gaze was tired and weary, though their thoughts were not so easy to see.

Stepping within, getting themself a drink as they waited for the few other brave beings to venture into the less intense night. Perhaps there would be others who dared to drown themselves in liquor. Their eyes closed as they sat alone for a moment, eyes half lidded as they re-opened, mind on faraway things.

"How have you been holding up?" The question was the first thing to reach them, breaking through the barricade of mingling thoughts and partial memories. Blinking blue eyes, stretching their neck as they took a deep inhale and releasing it. They'd been a little startled to hear the soft voice, even with their waiting for other presences. "Ahem, I'm doing alright. How about you?", it was only customary to return kindnesses. Their gaze turned to her, an odd sense of fresh loss striking at their chest. They couldn't let the pain distract them. She'd been there at their arrival, and she still seemed to be on edge around them.

Next to come was another feline. Had they met before? He sort of reminded them of Atbash, maybe there was a relation? "Evening or is it morning?", they cared little to track the time these days. "Bai Shi Lingré. Feel free to call me Bai.", they would introduce themselves. There was nobody here they would let call them Lynn, at least not yet. It seemed he may be related, through his name at least to Atbash, "Are you related to Ms. Atbash?", call them overly curious.

Third to come was Arrow, humor flashing through their eyes at her announcement of arrival. "Good'ay to you too, Arrow. Story's the same. Nothing better than to down a few.", they would rumble softly. The others shouldn't have to be concerned over their state, but that's what good group members did. The lingering loss and emptiness in their chest could only remind them of their broken promises. "When this heat's gone ... say we have a drinking competition?"

So Atbash was his littermate. Lingering in the depths of their mind was a partially familiar piss-colored feline with a sour attitude. Their gaze faltered at the painful memories of those gone before them, missing children and the like. They didn't know what had happened to the other members of Alithís Evgenis. They'd given up on leading and had taken their leave following the battle with the bandits. They hadn't been in the proper head then, nor now still, but this was their reality. They weren't going to turn their back and disappear again, not on more clanmates. Closing their eyes for a moment at the feelings building inside, taming the losses they knew.

"Sleep isn't an easy thing to come by. Easier to take a drink and keep things at bay for a lil' longer.", they would rumble in better answer to Arrow's question. Sleep was something they had a love-hate relationship with. Vignere, Starmap, and Arrow. A drinking competition would be fun, they found themselves thinking. It had been a long time since they'd had the company of others to share a drink with, let alone others who shared a similar sleep schedule as them. Head turning as Elsweyr as she entered, bowing their head to the lioness. Tanglewood seemed to be having a pattern of flaming lions in the seat of leadership - not that they minded. They didn't know the history of the land, and Aurum wasn't here. Their disagreements in the past weren't things to be brought up, and they were grateful for this group to have taken them in as they had.

"Greetings, Elsweyr.", they'd heard her name and appearance from the mouths of others in their stay. It would be strange for a former leader of other groups not to recognize the Luminary of Tanglewood. Taking a look back at their drink, "Scotch, I think. I can get you a drink if you'd like?", it was a friendly offer. Drinking wasn't always the smartest in intense heat, but they were a sucker for punishment. The atmosphere was one that they had learned to enjoy after years of leading their own soldiers into wars and battles they wouldn't come out of unscathed. Those years were behind them, years they would never forget, never even as they had become crowned the Imperial Prince and then Emperor. How could you forget the sacrifices of your brothers and sisters in arms, when you had survived from their sacrifices? Shaking their head abruptly, shaking back into place the fur that had lifted as if touched by ghosts, licking their scarred and interrupted shoulder fur down.