'Coward.'

As he turned away from the sight of the scene, that was the last word he heard. Not from his father, as he had passed by his doing, but, for once, from his sister. Raymond, the coward, the emotional, the damned. With every stride, the word became a repetitive beat as he walked. The phrase grew louder, rougher. It echoed inside in with a grotesque growl. It made him question his choice. To consider his options in such an emotional state would be pitiful, as he had learned before in his abuse. Yet, here he was. Thinking. Letting the blood pump and mind run.

Passionate disdain for his actions kept his head down, but the adrenaline of the thrill pushed him back up onto his paws as he walked through the neutral lands. He was considerate in his movement, yet chaotic within. The cold façade he had mustered became his protection, but every now and then, he could feel his jaw clench and teeth begin to bare... in sadness and in rage. Perhaps even in pleasure.

Raymond walked with intention, yet he felt his stomach churning and throat closing. Had he enjoyed killing his father? Was it that bad? The action was so... simple. A quick swipe across the throat or a tug around the throat seemed so... easy. In just a few moments, a life had crumbled beneath him and blood pooled at his feet. Had he known that ending the suffering for him and his siblings, he would have done it sooner. It appeared that, in fact, Raymond took pride in what he had done. That is why he had to leave. To face the shame of his siblings would be disasterous.

And, yet, this is what he wanted. To be feared by his father. To be strong. After all, he chose his panther body to exude a stronger presence. Even as he walked through the neutral lands now, muscular features were highlighted by the sun's glow and emphasized by the shadows below.

The trouble comes when realizing that while his physical power and social sway held up, the mentality he held was fragile. His past made him weak. A coward, they called him. Unbeknownst to Raymond, they were right. Just like Sorbet, his other father, he faced problems with malice and abandoned ship when things went south. Ultimately, it was no surprise that today he was walking in search of Sorbet. He was destructively attached to his past. Even if Sorbet had tried to kill him, they were the only one to give him the one thing he truly desired.

Love.

The only time he had felt true love is when Sorbet had treated him after Vikas' abuse. The maine coon had pushed him to be his best self, despite the disastrous situation before them. Even after Sorbet tried to kill him and his sibling, he held onto hope. That someday that they would return with help, but after months of waiting, nothing had happened. Raymond's psyche spiraled, but a cold expression grew on his face. The love was gone. Only his siblings remained, but even they did not offer solace. There was nothing left. So, he took things into his own hands. Vikas had to die. So he did... by Raymond's hand.

There was nothing left for him, but maybe one thing: Sorbet. He could come crawling back, rekindle their relationship, and become family once again... or he could find them and receive closure. Through death or through words. Raymond, travelling on a whim, made no decision. The options were piled up in his head, rummaging through the logistics of each. Something told him that no matter which way he went, Raymond would end up displeased or dead.

With that in mind, he followed through with a lead on Sorbet. One that led him to Tanglewood. Little did he know, the war between Tanglewood and The Typhoon caused the information to be scrambled between the two, leading him to the wrong group. Perhaps it was for the better.

Dark, striped paws barreled past the scent border of Tanglewood. His front two paws were still stained a dark crimson from the fateful night of his dad's doom. Even some bloody crust remained on his chest and face, unattended to clearly. Raymond, distraught and in thought, had no time to worry about appearance. Instead, he kept rushing forward in search of the man he'd call his father.

Wild eyes, green and bright, surveyed the horizon. The swamp's emptiness only stared back. An analytic gaze caught a glimpse of a building from afar, leading him to move in it's direction. By then, others started to catch onto Raymond's presence. Watchful eyes stared as he hightailed it towards the library. Some others tried to step in his way, but he swerved around them and kept on walking. None of them were recognizable enough to stop.

Eventually, he barged through the library's doors. For a moment, he paused. His jaw unhinged and dangled wide, tail falling between his legs. A group of eyes stared back at him, silence breaking out among the room. His gaze darted between each animal. Not a single one held any similarity between Sorbet or his siblings. Disappointment settled in. Instead, he noticed their panicked expressions and confusion among them.

Instantaneously, he realized his overwhelming presence. By barging in and causing a scene, animals had taken him into account. All eyes are on Raymond. For a moment, the rage bubbling inside simmered into silence. The attention upon him caused his ego to inflate. Once again, similarly to before, he had some sway to where things went from here. While his worries remained, his goal was had been pushed forth. Perhaps these silent souls could help him.

Clearing his throat, the panther made himself known as he stood in the entrance. "Where is Sorbet Floki?" he asked. Among the group, they exchanged glances. Others craned their heads. No answer appeared to be coming.

Met with nothing, Raymond felt his emotions take control. He had to find his father. No matter the extent. In an effort to appear taller, he stood up menacing. Claws started to unsheathe from their sockets. If they could not answer politely, then they would answer fearfully. This time, he spoke with purpose. "I asked a question. Where is Sorbet?" he demandingly snarled.

[TL;DR. You should actually read the post, but if you're lazy, here's this... Raymond just killed his abusive father (Vikas) and is looking for his other father (Sorbet) who tried to kill him as a kid. As a result, after following a lead, he shows up in Tanglewood. After trespassing and asking nicely first, he then shifts to ask aggressively where Sorbet may be in hopes of receiving an answer, no matter what it may be.]

Not in this group. Not in this place. Then where? Where was The Typhoon? The fur on the back of Raymond's neck started to stand up in annoyance. Not at Solsken, but at himself. Green eyes staggered between the animals watching him, carefully contemplating what to do next. At the mention of harboring him, the panther stopped though. His gaze aligned with the trans-masculine figure and paused. Until he could find his father, that seemed doable. Perhaps this dreaded swamp with their vast library would do him some good, rather than endlessly hunting the mainland. After all, this stranger appeared to know what The Typhoon was. Maybe Tanglewood could guide Raymond to Sorbet.

As another approached, his ears pinned back. "I don't have friends," he stated back at Lanyu. He desperately wished for that to change, no matter how much he wouldn't admit that publicly. In an effort to make that change, he offered an introduction kindly. "My name is Raymond. I come from the neutral lands with no alliance to any man or clan." They did not need any information past that. At least he thought so. For a boy kept in the dark for so long, he had only a fragile past. He did not wish to discuss his upbringing.

At Aesior's announcement, the head of the panther whipped around. Between the luminary's comment and the other's comment, he could see that Tanglewood was not in a good position with The Typhoon. Even so, he smelled nothing of their salty seas, only the salt of the dead. Covered in the dried blood of his father, the big cat held no fear for their petty war. In fact, it may just help him. "I wear the blood of another. My blood makes no difference," he shot back at Aesior. A devilish smirk was beginning to curl onto his maw.

Claws left the wooden floors of the library and went back into their sheaths. Raymond appeared pleased with the direction this was going, especially since he had found where to find his father, noted by his smile. "Sorbet Floki is the man who tried to end my life." Not 'father,' 'dad,' or 'parent.' Only a man who failed to do their job. "I only want to talk with him." His eyes were unwavering as they stared at the leader. Green orbs were full of passion, but had a tinge of deviousness to them. "Could you lead me to him? If so, I would provide service to your group in return." Raymond turned on his paws and walked over to the other, coming face to face with Aesior. A paw rose up from the ground, offering it out for a shake. "Do we have a deal?"

As his paw was held out for Aesior to shake, Solsken spoke up. Whether or not the luminary shook his paw to agree, he would pull it away and place it firmly onto the ground. Would he hold to his side of the deal? Raymond had no inclination to screw over someone who made a fair deal with him, although the monkey's paw may strike. If Tanglewood could provide what he desired and offer companionship, he would never betray them. His grudges were only with his family, not anyone else.

The young feline's pads tapped on the wooden panels in contemplation, only to raise his paw again and put it against his chest. With a claw, tapped on his heart. "Swear on it, darling," he offered back to Solsken. Sometimes, though, he questioned if he had the capability to have a heart. Love was a foreign concept to him. The only animal he loved was his father, but he ended up trying to kill him and ran away when unsuccessful. So, truly, the promise on his heart was inconclusive. He hoped that it could hold true though.

A new home couldn't hurt, could it? Tanglewood's territory was not the most pleasant place with it's murky waters and smelly junkyard, but it had it's perks. The library for starters. The more Raymond's gaze veered away from the others, the more he observed the tall shelves of the room and the many artifacts lining them. For a moment, as he waited as confirmation of his membership, the panther padded forward mindlessly to a nearby shelf with a globe upon it. With a curious gaze, he looked at it's contents. Moments later, he took a claw and lightly swiped at it's side, causing it to rotate.  "I don't mean to seem scatter brained, but has anyone ever wondered where we are on here?" he mumbled. That was a big question. Potentially one that would never be answered. "And where is this 'Typhoon' place from here?" That was much simpler.

At Lucinder's statement, he turned away from the globe and rounded on the older man. His green eyes looked the other up and down. What made them think that? If they did not want him here, Raymond would go elsewhere and find The Typhoon himself. The assumption boiled his blood. Lucinder knew nothing about him. Nothing. Yet here he was, making dangerous assumptions that would led to nothing but boiled blood between them.

The young panther made his disdain clear by turning his cold expression into a frown. "You know nothing of my motives, nor anything about me," he snapped back. "And you will not know." Raymond had made himself clear. His past was his problem to deal with. Bottling it up was, in his mind, the best way to handle the situation. If not, he'd deal with it in other ways. Finding Sorbet Floki was only one way to counsel himself. Any information he was willing to give was of his choosing, especially how he presented himself.

Raymond's gaze turned to Aesior. "If you are uncomfortable with my relations in another clan, then you are more than welcome to dismiss me," came his declaration. "At least point me in the direction of The Typhoon then." He did not wish to leave, but if he had to, then he would.